Fish & Feathers Lots to learn about smart crows

Published 11:40 am Tuesday, October 20, 2015

This time of the year especially, crows seem to be everywhere — on the road, in trees, on the wires, you name it and there they are hopping around. Unless you are a small child, you know what a crow is and what it looks like. They are in the same family as ravens and jays, and are considered to be among the world’s most intelligent animals.

Except when molting, they are all black — even their legs. Every farmer, farm boy and gardener knows that crows can destroy a seeded garden or crop in a fair amount of time. Scarecrows have been developed into elaborate mechanical contraptions hoping to keep the birds away from the crops, but crows always seem to figure out a way to get around them.

According to Internet research, crows were uncommon in the Pacific Northwest in the 1900s, except in riparian habitats. Populations in the West increased substantially from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Crows and ravens spread along with agriculture and urbanization into the western part of North America.

There is a statewide crow-hunting season in Washington from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. There is no limit, but a hunting license is required.

Any of you who have hunted crows know that they take it very personal when one of their own is killed. They may, of course, make a lot of noise, alerting other crows that this a place to avoid. They may start “dive bombing” the shooter, or they may simply disappear, but they will always remember that flyway and avoid it.

Crows engage in a kind of mid-air jousting, or air “chicken” to establish a pecking order, according to “The Birds World,” by Nicolae Sfetcu. Crows have demonstrated the ability to distinguish individual humans by their facial features. Crows will eat almost anything, including other birds, fruits, nuts, seeds, and earthworms. frogs, eggs, mice and carrion.

Some crows may live to the age of 20, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost 30 years old. The oldest captive crow documented died a the age of 59.

In one instance at a boat launching site on the Columbia River, fishermen had to cover their windshield wipers with PVC pipe to keep the crows from eating the rubber off of the wipers.

Ron Malast can be reached 665-3573 or raiders7777@centurylink.net