~by Jim Eagleman
Field Notes
Crows “I
t’s a murder,” my birder friend corrected me. What? Did he say murder? “It’s a murder of crows, not a flock or covey. Use the proper terminology, please,” he said, a stickler for correct language. I guessed this murder of crows, now cawing and loud, could be announcing a crime had been committed, avian outlaws back from a night of terror. But they swooped in, one by one, alighting on the topmost branches, forthright and with no sign of a felony. I adjusted my binocs, and just listened to their calls. Another trait these birds are known for, far less gruesome, is their vocabulary. I heard variations in volume, tone, and tempo—some sounds guttural and harsh, others soft and almost caressing. They might have been engaged in an argument one minute, then more agreeing. Oftentimes crows seem to converse while other birds call or sing. It’s understandable how we imagine crows hold trials, noisy and brassy, condemn other members, and debate. Once when two crows attacked a third close by, that harried bird uttered a hollow,
46 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2024
rattling, woodpecker-like sound I had never heard before. Crows can use at least 250 different calls and imitate other birds. The common crow, fish crows, rooks, ravens, and jays all belong to the same family, the Corvidae— Magpies, too. These curious, investigative birds survive as scavengers; they feed on road-kills, worms, insects, and rodents. I sometimes see crows feeding in a corn stubble field, spread out over a large area, always within view of each other. This habit of safety in numbers provides mutual protection, another family trait. They warn each other of an attack from a bird of prey, their chief predator. During a burst of flight on roads, nearly too late, they are keenly aware of oncoming traffic. I suspect the same vigilance happens, should a coon appear near the nest or if predators approach. Ehen a crow dies or is killed, the murder will surround the deceased. This “funeral” isn’t thought to be mourning the dead. The crows may gather to find out what killed their member. The murder will chase predators in a behavior called mobbing. Like starlings and songbirds mobbing crows as threats, crows mob hawks and owls.
