On Behalf of Crows

[mso489]

With apologies to farmers who sometimes struggle with crows eating crops, I want to say

a few kind words about these familiar birds. Some people take crows as ominous creatures,

all shiny black feathers and a wary look. But crows live in large family groups and the young

adults often help with chick rearing duties. They are, as you can hear, highly communicative,

and people who study them, or even keep one as a pet, know they are intelligent. One time

I heard a loud tapping on a skylight, so rhythmic and intentional, I thought a kid had climbed

on the roof and was taunting me. Of course, it was a crow, and when I went outside to shoo

it away, it looked down at me with indifference, but in its own good time, it did paddle away

in the air. Crows do eat carrion, and it is not always a pleasant sight. But along with other

species -- vultures, kites, and scavenger fish and crabs -- crows help keep things tidied up,

not a bad calling.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ahhh, crows! They were also companions of Odin for the Vikings, and they cleaned up the battlefields by feasting on the waste of war. Here, we have cowbirds that are commonly confused with crows. They are a little smaller and have a blue/green sheen to them, except in the summer when they lose the sheen, and you have to look very closely at their beaks to differentiate them.
Growing up in Southeastern farmlands, we never fretted over crows. They left all of our crops alone. I think it is the farmers that grow grains that freak out over crows the most. Or, maybe we were just in better favor with Odin, lol.

 

[rmbittner]

"crows live in large family groups"
Yes, but a group of crows is called a "murder."
Bob

 

[moses]

Yes, but a group of crows is called a "murder."

You can't really hold it against them though; last I checked people don't typically consult the animals before coining a collective noun. :rofl: Or just use a different one. Murder isn't the only collective noun for crows, you've also got congress, horde, hover, parcel, muster... Unless of course you're married to murder. 8O

 

[lochinvar]

Huginn and Muninn were ravens, but crows were never far behind when Odin's plans came to fruition.

 

[anglesey]

Crows pick moss out of my guttering. On the one hand, they do keep it tidy, but on the other, I do spend half the year sweeping it off the yard, so I'm not quite sure whether i'm going to judge them.

 

[swampmouth]

I like crows exept when they sit in the tree you're sleeping under. They tend to harass owls alot. Maybe if the owls weren't feasting on their younguns all night, they'd lay off.

 

[cynyr]

Crows can hide shiny treasures over a ten-acre area, and then re-locate ninety percent of them.
"Bird-brained" is just a misnomer. My wife had a parakeet that would call for "hep" when he dropped a toy.
@Bob -- so two crows together would be an 'attempted murder'? :P

 

[natibo]

A group of owls is called a parliament.

 

[carlomarx]

Here is some crow lore handed down to me by my Grandfather. Never kill a crow,it is bad luck, crows are mischievous, not all crows can be trusted but most can be, and if you are lost a crow will show you the way.

I've never killed a crow, and on several occasions crows have helped me find my way. True story.

 

[mso489]

Carlomarx, this crow lore is quite wonderful. Did it come from particular origins with your grandfather,

or was it his own? Native American? Welsh? I just admire the personal connection with birds that this

suggests. It certainly rings true with me.

 

[cortezattic]

Crows are marvelously intelligent and adaptive.

 

[dervis]

On the fence they are OK. When they team up and run off my dumb chickens from eating they get shot. I will say they are smart enough that 90% of them run off when I go in to get the gun though.

 

[tuold]

"A group of owls is called a parliament."
What would a group of pipe smokers be called?

 

[puffdoggie]

I don't know what a group of pipe smokers is called but a group of baboons is a congress of baboons. Explains a lot. :rofl:

 

[puffdoggie]

I don't know what a group of pipe smokers is called but a group of baboons is a congress of baboons. Explains a lot. :rofl:
My apologies for the double post. It didn't look like the first one posted.

 

[cortezattic]

A group of pipe smokers is called a: ??????????

 

[warren]

The crow is the one bird I know of that can count. If two people go into a blind and one leaves, crows know. They will wait for the second person to leave before resuming normal activity. You gotta get in the blind before the crows arrive.
Many other photographers have made note of this ability of the crow.

 

[mso489]

For a group of pipe smokers, how about an opining of pipe smokers, from opine, which means to

hold opinions or think. But back to the crows ... who can count!

 

[weezell]

What would a group of pipe smokers be called?

Assholes! Just Kidding! How about some of the nicest people I've ever met...