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Crows and Ravens
Crows and Ravens are in the Corvid family. Other Corvids are the Blue Jay, Mynah Bird, Starling, etc.
Crows and Ravens are birds which means they lay eggs and hatch to produce their young. Once the babies get bigger, they live with their family for years to help take care of future siblings.
They eat many different things. They are considered scavengers. That means that they will eat Carrion (dead animals). It's another one of their special adaptations. They also eat bugs, snakes, eggs, mice and some crops such as corn.
Crows and Ravens are diurnal, which means that they are awake during the day.
These birds have many predators. Predators are other animals who hunt them. Crow and Raven predators are Owls, Coyotes, and people.
Why do people hunt Crows and Ravens? Some people think that they are bad animals. They don’t understand that they are helpful to us by eating bugs and mice. Also, some people think that it is alright to shoot crows and ravens for fun. Do you think that anyone should hurt an animal or another person just because they think they are a good target? We don’t!
WILDLIFE
WORDS - Can you
define the
following words
that apply to
Crows and Ravens?
Corvid
Bird
Siblings
Scavenger
Carrion
Adaptation
Predators
Diurnal
How
many
adaptations do
Crows and Ravens have?
Fun Fact #1
Blue jays, crows and
ravens are the smartest in the bird family, although the
raven is the smartest of the corvid family.
There are two main
species of Crows, the large common crow found across the
country and the smaller fish crow found in the Southeast.
The Common Crow is a big black-colored bird approximately
17 to 20 inches long with a strong stout build and a
compressed bill. The Fishing Crow is a smaller
darker version of the Common Crow.
Fun Fact #2
Crows and Ravens have a
varied and evolved language. They can mimic the
sounds made by other animals, and they learn to associate
noises with events, especially with the distribution of
food. They are related to the mynah bird, a favorite
of the talking birds.
Fun
Fact #3
Crows mate for life.
Paired male and female crows share in the incubation of
four to six eggs which hatch in eighteen days. Young
first fly when they are about one month old. The
young stay with the family unit for up to five years and
help the parents raise siblings by bringing them food and
guarding the nest.
Fun
Fact #4
Crows build their
nests in woods or isolated trees at least sixty feet above
ground. Nests are solidly built of branches and
twigs, and are lined with bark, plant fibers, mosses,
twine, and other found materials.
Ravens live in
coniferous forests and rocky coasts; in the West also in
deserts and arid mountains. In most of its range,
the Common Raven is common only in wilderness areas.
Despite its large size and demonstrated intelligence, it
is very sensitive to human persecution and was long ago
driven out of settled areas by shooting and poisoning.
Nesting - 4 to 7 dull green eggs, spotted with brown, in a
large mass of sticks containing a cup lined with fur,
moss, and lichens, and placed on a cliff or in the top of
a conifer.
Fun Fact #5
Crows and Ravens are
the most social of all birds and the flock is in constant
communication making hunting or capture of the bird very
difficult.
Fun Fact #6
Crows and Ravens show
tool-making and tool-using behavior. They are
considered more competent tool users than chimpanzees.
Fun Fact #7
The Common Raven is
similar to the American Crow but larger (21 to 27 inches
long), with heavier bill and wedge-shaped tail. They
often soar like a hawk.
Fun Fact #8 Crows
have a scavenger's diet and will eat a wide variety of
things. Such food items include insects, frogs, small
snakes, eggs, mice and dead animal carcasses. They
will also eat newly-planted crops such as corn. The
Crow's native history along with its helpful bug-eating
habits have insured its Federally-protected status.
(Then how come they can be shot in contests??)
Ravens are primarily
scavengers, and around towns in the North they compete
with gulls for garbage. They also raid seabird
colonies, consuming many eggs and young.
Fun Fact#9
Ravens regularly ride
on rising air currents and frequently do aerial displays,
with mock fighting, tumbling, and other forms of
acrobatics.
Fun Fact#10
Crows are not a health
threat. They will not attack you as portrayed in the
movie "The Birds".
Fun Fact11
The poetic term for a
bunch of crows is a "murder" of crows. No
scientist calls them that, only poets. Scientists
would call it a flock.
Fun Fact12
Why are wrinkles on
human faces called "crows feet"? Can you
figure it out?
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