The life of crows is very interesting and eventful, watching them is a pleasure. These birds are found in any forests. In addition, crows are common inhabitants of settlements. You can meet them in small villages, and even in big cities.

The most common gray crow. In terms of size, a crow is larger than a jackdaw or a rook, but, practically, it is half the size of a crow. The body of the gray crow is ash gray, and the head, wings, tail, beak, legs, front of the throat are blue-black. Crow nests are very similar to rooks. Usually they arrange them in the forks of a thick tree trunk, but sometimes the crow's nest can be seen in city parks or gardens. Some crows can nest even on the eaves of tall buildings.

Very often, children are interested in where crows live in winter. After observing these birds, scientists found out that crows make regular flights in spring and autumn. In autumn, they fly to more southern regions, and return in spring. So, for example, ravens from the Moscow region fly away to Kharkov or Kyiv, and Arkhangelsk ravens settle in the Moscow region. Therefore, the crows that are found in our winter are not at all those that originally built their nests here and brought out their chicks, but those that flew in from places with more severe frosts. However, only young crows fly. In the spring, the old ones fly away from human habitation, and in the winter they return again and join the flocks of newly arrived young crows and jackdaws.

In captivity, the crow is very easy to tame. This bird has a rather easy disposition, but loves to play pranks very much. She does it cunningly so that the owner does not notice. The crow is easily trained. She can be taught to speak not only words, but also small phrases. They feed her in captivity with porridge, meat, bread and other common products.

Despite the fact that crows have nests, answering the question of where crows sleep in winter can sometimes be very difficult. This is due to the fact that these birds very rarely spend the night in their native nest. In winter, they usually sleep on the branches of tall trees. However, places for this are chosen quieter, away from heavily lit places or busy roads. At other times of the year, crows fly to the forest or plantings for the night. Observing the crow, scientists found that if it is not disturbed, then every year it will visit the same tree for the night. Quite often, the roosting place can be very far from the place where the crow spends its time during the day.

On a note

AT spring time The male and female build a nest together, in which they hatch chicks. Feed babies with a wide variety of foods. It can be mollusks, and insects, and lizards, and fish, earthworms, frogs, mice, bird eggs and even chicks of other birds. Even when the mature chicks begin to fly (after five weeks), the parents continue to feed and care for them. After a certain time, when the chicks become completely independent, they join the flocks and return to their nesting places only to spend the night. In autumn, crows begin to fly to their wintering grounds. From their native places, they can fly at a distance of about two to two and a half thousand kilometers. The flight speed, in this case, is reached fifty kilometers per hour, although in ordinary life the crow is pretty sedate.

On the one hand, ravens are beneficial because they exterminate harmful insects, pick up the scavenger. On the other hand, these birds cause quite significant damage to the fields, as they peck out grains from ears, peck at cucumbers and melons, and destroy the eggs of other birds.

The crow's behavior natural environment can not be called imprudent, because they are very careful and observant. People who make some mistakes are often called a crow, but this does not at all correspond to the behavior of birds. Ravens are very good at understanding people. From whether a person can bring them benefit or harm, their attitude towards him depends. Let's say they flock to the place where they noticed a person carrying a trash can to the container. If they notice a child who threw stones or sticks at them, then the whole flock will immediately disappear. If crows have ever met a hunter, they will fly away from a man with a gun, while they are not at all afraid of a man with a stick.

In addition to caution, crows are distinguished by their passion for savings and frugality. They will never leave the leftover food. Usually they try to hide excess food in the place they have chosen so that they can return later for it. Moreover, they can remember this place for quite a long time. Passion for everything brilliant is developed in crows of any type. As soon as she sees some kind of shiny object or a candy wrapper, she begins to circle around him. She will observe the thing of interest to her until she can drag it away.

In conclusion of the article, it should be noted that the attitude towards human crows should be consistent with the role these birds play in the economy of the area in which they live. In case of application great harm, many farmers are trying to get rid of them.

About Raven

Ravens in Moscow

According to last year's census, there were 80,000 nests in Moscow, that is, about 160,000 adult crows. And in winter there are even more of them.

Crows from the suburbs and from more distant territories will come to Moscow for the winter, for example, crows ringed in Moscow in winter were found near Syktyvkar and Kirov.

Ravens like being close to humans; in cities they find a lot of food in numerous garbage dumps and dumps. And in winter, the city is also warmer and there are no predators. So massive daily flights of corvids in winter were established in Moscow: in the morning they fly to work, fly to garbage dumps and landfills in the suburbs, and in the evening the crows return to spend the night in Moscow.

In pure Western European cities, there are not so many crows. Even in the south of Russia, in the resort towns, there are very few of them. The changes in the number of crows in the last decade are indicative. In difficult years, Muscovites buy much less food, the flow of food waste to garbage dumps and landfills is reduced. The number of crows in the city was reduced by a third. Now the number of crows has increased again.In large urban flocks, crows have become more aggressive, they are not even afraid of some predators.Most people treat crows well. In the city, crows no longer perceive a person as a potential source of danger: they have ceased to be afraid of people.

The crow is a smart bird.Recently, even scientists, who, by their position, are supposed to doubt everything, are beginning to believe in this. And as for those people who had these birds at home, they have no doubts about the crow's mind, and never have.It’s somehow not customary to study ravens seriously, isn’t it prestigious, or what? Maybe that's why we missed the fact that crows in last years became much smarter.How many new types of packaging for various products have people invented in recent years? The crows have mastered them all.It was believed that the crow is a bird open spaces- does not like roofs over his head, and will not visit garbage containers if such mini-houses are built for them.3 - 4 years have passed, and the crows are no longer shy about visiting such "canteens".

Janitors began to collect garbage in plastic bags and leave heaps of these bags on the lawns. Crows, as soon as people leave, fly up to these bags. First, an inspection. Then, with one blow of the beak, the bag is pierced into right place, the package of interest to the crow is taken out into the light, opened. There is food - good. No - bag research is ongoing.
But not only in this is the crow's mind noticeable. Crows have learned to use and other achievements of progress. Have you ever wondered where birds disappear from Moscow streets in severe frosts? Not only crows, but also jackdaws, doves? In the morning they, as always, are in the garbage, but then? It seems that in the afternoon they suddenly disappeared. Or it has become much less. What's the matter here? The crow knows where it is warmer.
And everything is simple. In our Moscow houses there are exhaust ventilation, in each apartment - in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the toilet - and the warm air from our apartments through the ventilation shafts goes to the roof, where caps are installed that protect the shaft from rain and snow. It is in these oases that the crows sit with their whole families, and they choose caps where the air is warmer. They also spend the night there, and the frosts are not terrible for them.

The nest is a fake.

Moscow crows began to differ from country crows even in the way they nest. The nest of the rural crow is carefully hidden from the eyes of people and birds of prey, and is located at a very decent distance from the nests of other crows. Moscow crows do not have such an opportunity, and in every yard where there is tall trees, you can count up to 10 crow's nests. But not all nests are real, crows have learned to build tricks - false nests that divert the attention of enemies (and relatives) from the main nest.All they are located within line of sight of the main nest. These nests are smaller, not as dense, and should probably be used to deceive enemies. There are, however, cases when a crow transfers or transfers crows to one of these nests if there is a threat to the main nest.And since there are few nesting sites, the boundaries of such sites are carefully guarded. And until the chicks leave the nest, not a single stranger will fly through the site unnoticed.

The nest is real - the tail sticks out.

Surprisingly, but the fact is that the division of nesting sites takes place without fights and major quarrels. At the end of February or at the beginning of March, the crows gather in a flock (about 50 heads), and the crow market begins, which lasts 2-3 days, sometimes does not stop even at night. After that, the pairs take up nesting sites. It resembles a meeting of members of a housing cooperative.

Having occupied nesting sites, crows begin to build new nests and renovate old ones. Nests are built thoroughly, the same nest is used for several years, and it is occupied by the same pair.

The social life of the crows is not limited to the division of the territory. Any threat to one member of the crow society causes a reaction from the whole society. An alarm signal given by one crow at the sight of a falcon, raven or other predator immediately raises a dozen and a half - two crows into the air, and the enemy is immediately driven out of the territory.

But crows practically do not fight among themselves. There has long been a proverb among the people that a crow will not peck out a crow's eye, it is also true for gray crows.
Most likely, this is due to the fact that even a slight scratch inflicted by a not too clean beak can be fatal for a fighter. Therefore, menacing cries, jumps, or, if it happens in the air, peculiar “ martial dances which demonstrate the art of aerobatics.

In Moscow, the crow nests before all birds. The snow has not melted everywhere yet, and tails are becoming visible in the crows' nests. This means that the crows are already hatching eggs.

There are usually 2 eggs in crow nests, rarely 3 or 4. The female incubates them, and the male at this time is on duty to guard the nest and replaces the female only when she needs to eat and stretch. However, eggs laid so early may die if winter suddenly returns and reminds of itself with snowfalls or frost. Then the crows sit, ruffled near the nests, as if grieving for the dead eggs, and only after 3 weeks they start all over again.

With the advent of chicks, incubation does not end, because. the chicks hatch naked, and the weather at this time is still quite cool. Therefore, the main concern for the extraction of food has to be borne by the male. Feeding is done by the female. It is she who, at the right moment, calls the male with food to the nest with a calling call, takes the food and distributes it among the chicks. The male immediately flies away in search of a new portion. Having obtained food, he again settles nearby and waits for him to be called again. If he failed to get food at the right time, the calls become louder and more insistent, and, having received food, the crow croaks displeasedly, as if reprimanding the male.

After about 2 weeks, the crows already grow enough feathers, and then both parents continuously drag and drag food, and so on until the moment when, finally, the chicks leave the nest.

In the life of a crow, this is one of the most dangerous and crucial moments. The chicks, despite their very decent size, have absolutely no experience of communicating with the outside world, they have no idea who is the enemy and who is not, where to get food, how to wait out the bad weather - and, in addition, they almost do not know how to fly.

More recently, the number of surviving chicks was such that there was no noticeable increase in the number of crows. What happened?

Just 3 - 4 years ago, all Moscow newspapers published nightmarish articles - crows attack people!, an invasion of crows!, crows threaten children! ... For the last 2 years, such articles have disappeared.

Maybe the crows suddenly became smaller, or people somehow learned to avoid collisions? Nothing happened, people are still the same. But the crows are wiser. All these "attacks" occurred only when crows who could not really fly left the nests, and their parents were forced to protect their chicks sitting on the ground if people approached them too close. After all, it must be admitted that people are far from harmless and pose a real danger to helpless chicks sitting on the ground.

Crows, not humans, have found a way to avoid such encounters. Recently, you can see how crows, leaving the nest, along balconies or trees, move to the roofs of houses, first to those that are lower, then to high ones.

It is not so easy for crows to fly to the roof, but their parents call them there, showing them where to fly and where you can rest. There, on the roofs, they learn to fly without the threat of people, dogs and cats. The result is more crows and fewer collisions.
Ravens are social birds, but not flocking. They can unite in flocks for some specific purposes: when you need to drive out the enemy, when they fly to feed somewhere far away, during overnight stays in winter, etc. ... However, such flocks are not something constant, the number of members of the flock and its composition changes every time.

The crow starts laying eggs very early, when the nests have not yet had time to dry out and warm up in the sun. You can't lay eggs in a cold and wet nest. So the crow has to dry the nest with its own body. He sits on a wet mat, sits as long as he can - and jumps off. He sits down again, sits down - jumps off again. And if there is not much time left before laying eggs, then the male calls for help - they say, come on, and you try too.


Some "dads" conscientiously participate in all these troubles, but there are also those, especially among the young, who pretend that all this does not really concern them. In general, at this time, male crows are well distinguishable from females. They walk around the lawns in their “caps” with such a proud look that it is simply impossible to confuse them with females. And they retain this proud look until the upbringing of the chicks is over.

By the time the chicks begin to fly well enough, and they can already be trained to get food and explore the world around them on their own, the female sits on the eggs again. Therefore, all the worries for training the young fall on the male. And he, as an experienced teacher, supervises his children, once again not interfering in their studies, but if necessary, he will show how to deal with unfamiliar packaging in which food is located, and, of course, he constantly monitors safety. Slightly - that sounds the alarm. The danger has passed - again the signal.

Such training lasts a little more than two or three weeks. During this time, the crows manage to learn all the necessary skills, but even after that the training continues, although by this time the second brood has already appeared. Of course, the older crows have almost no time left for training, but the crows continue to stay close to the nest, and adults, if necessary, provide them with assistance. And when the second brood grows up, the same story will repeat itself.
In the fall, when frosts begin, the grown-up crows can hardly be distinguished from adult crows.

Crow families hibernate together, spend the night together and feed together. Moreover, the family hierarchy is strictly observed at feeding - first the old male feeds, then the female, then the young. But this is if the feeding goes on the family territory. If you have to fly far and in a large flock to feed, there is no such order, although seniority is observed here too.

A feathered inhabitant of modern megacities, a well-known gray crow, a bird distinguished by its ingenuity, capable of adapting to various conditions and urban situations. Many times everyone watched, probably, how a crow sits on the road and pecks at something. If she sees an approaching car, no, she will not fly away, but calmly and even importantly step aside, waiting for the car to pass, and quickly or skipping back to the interrupted lunch.
And how many funny situations have we observed with these birds? Here, for example, is such a case. Synthetic rubber waste was used at the plant for waterproofing flat block floors. thin layer covered the entire surface flat roof. At the joints of the blocks, large swellings formed, which were well springy. Crows perched on them - descended, flapped their wings - rose. So they jumped on these bubbles, like on trampolines. Then, when they got tired of this occupation, they decided to inquire about the device of their trampoline and began to peck at these bubbles, breaking the waterproofing.
What about crow games? They are also extremely entertaining. Known for playing crows on sloping roofs and church domes. Ravens take turns perching on high spiers, crosses of churches. One sits, the other drives her away. Such a carousel can take a lot of crow's time. Another option for games on the roof. When there is snow on the roofs, the crows ride on it, sitting on their tail, somersault in it, rolling down, fall and rise on the wing. And the spring games of the crows? They play air tag, chase each other, making intricate pirouettes. How do crows take care of their females? The male often offers the female both a twig and a ribbon, and she pulls out a gift, coquettishly waving it...

Ravens are much faster than other birds foresee upcoming events and profitably use them in their lives. The experiment of Professor L.V. Krushinsky. Behind a screen with a slot in the middle, a feeder with food moves on the rails. Crows unmistakably go in the direction where the feeder went. For example, for pigeons, this is an almost impossible task.
It has long been known that crows can count. They are able to distinguish the number of objects and marks within two dozen.
I collected material from many authors.

A crow is a bird belonging to the order Passerine, the corvidae family, a genus in about rones (lat. Corvus).

Previously, in Russia, the crow was called "vra". According to linguists, the name of the bird, most likely, is consonant with the words “soothsayer”, “enemy”, “enemy”.

Crow: description, characteristics and photo. What does a bird look like?

Ravens are the largest representatives of the order of passeriformes. The length of the bird varies between 48-56 cm. The male is larger than the female, the weight of the male is 700-800 grams, the females weigh from 460-550 grams. The length of the wing of the male crow reaches 27-30 cm, in the female individual the wings grow from 25 to 27 cm. Strong wings in most species are distinguished by a pointed shape. The wingspan of a crow is about 1 m.

The appearance of a crow is similar to a rook, but has a more dense physique.

The crow's tail is wedge-shaped, with long tail feathers. The bird's beak is powerful and sharp, conical in shape, in some species it has a characteristic high bend. The legs of the crow are thin and long, with four fingers: 1 is turned back, 3 is forward.

Most species of crows have gray or black plumage, which casts metallic, purple, violet or black in the sun. in green. The base of the feather is usually gray, in rare cases white.

The voice of the crow is high, hoarse, sometimes rough and guttural, reminiscent of laughter. The “crow tongue” is very developed, sounds of different tonalities are used during mating games, to announce a general gathering, abuse, threats, and also alarm signals.

How many years do crows live?

The life expectancy of a crow in nature is 15-20 years. In captivity, some crows live up to 35-40 years. The officially documented age of the oldest crow was 59 years old, which is rare.

Where do crows live?

The habitat is quite extensive: the crow bird is found in almost all countries of Europe and Asia, in North America, within the territory of North Africa and Australia.

Most crows lead sedentary living in urban, rural or natural landscapes. Sedentary nomadic species of crows, which live at the northern borders of the range, move to areas with a more benign climate for the winter.

What do crows eat?

Loners by nature, crows are active hunters, sometimes teaming up with their congeners to capture prey or arrange a communal feast. Being scavengers, a flock of crows is able to accompany raptors for a long time, as well as for the sake of their prey or its remains. Crows are omnivorous and eat absolutely everything that, in their opinion, will be edible. The crow's diet includes any insects (,), worms, eggs of other bird species and their chicks, fish, small rodents (and).

All kinds of food waste is the usual and favorite food of the crow, so a large accumulation of these birds is often observed in city dumps. The crow feeds on insect larvae that teem in manure.

In the absence of animal food, the crow eats plants and their seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Types of crows, names and photos

The genus includes several types of crows:

• Black Crow(lat. corvus corone)

It has black plumage, as well as black paws, feet and beak. Therefore, the bird is often confused with the rook. However, the plumage of the black crow has a much greener sheen than that of the rook, and sometimes even a purple sheen. The body length of an adult is 48-52 cm.

The range of the species covers the territory of Western and Central Europe, where the black crow lives together with one of its subspecies - the eastern black crow (lat. Corvus corone orientalis), which lives in East Asia. On the territory of Russia, black crows nest in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

• Hoodie (lat. Corvus cornix)

According to one of the classifications, the gray crow is separate view, according to another is a subspecies of the black crow. The length of the bird reaches 50 cm with a weight of 460-735 grams. The gray crow differs from the rook in the greater width of the wing and a particularly pronounced inclination of the beak. Body painted in grey colour. The head, chest, wings and tail of the gray crow are black in color with a slight metallic sheen.

The gray crow lives in the Eastern and Central Europe, Scandinavian countries, Asia Minor and throughout Russia, from the western part to the Kara Sea.

• australian crow(lat. corvus coronoides)

It is the largest of three related species found in Australia. The body length of the crow is 46-53 cm, and its weight is on average 650 g. The black plumage of the crow casts a blue-violet or blue-green sheen. Distinctive feature of all crows living in Australia is a white iris of the eyes and pronounced neck feathers. The throat of young specimens is covered with such rare feathers that pink skin appears between them.

The Australian Crow lives in Sydney and Canberra.

• south australian crow(lat. Corvus mellori)

It is distinguished by completely black plumage, long wings and a thin, strongly curved beak. A medium-sized species, the length of an adult crow is 48-50 cm. According to some scientists, the bird prefers only plant foods.

The South Australian crow lives in the southeast of Australia, as well as on the King and Kangaroo Islands.

• bronze crow(lat. Corvus crassirostris)

It was originally called the vulture crow. Large representatives of the species have a body length of 60-64 cm. The beak of a bronze crow is quite large and exceeds the length of the head. The color of the crow is completely black, with a single white spot on the back of the head. The tail of the crow of this species is characterized by a stepped arrangement of feathers.

The bronze crow lives in the highlands and high plateaus. East Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, as well as Sudan and Somalia.

• white-necked crow(lat. Corvus cryptoleucus)

A typical representative of the genus, distinguished by the white bases of the feathers on the neck. The body length of an adult is 50 cm. This species of crow is common in the southeastern United States and northern Mexico.

• big-billed crow(lat. Corvus macrorhynchos)

The bird is very big beak. The size of the crow depends on the habitat: representatives of the northern populations are larger than the southern ones, have a large beak and well-developed feathers on the neck. On average, the length of adult crows is 46-59 cm, and the weight reaches 1.3 kg. The body is covered with dark gray feathers. The wings, tail and head of the big-billed crow are black, with a purple or green tint.

The species includes 15 subspecies living in the continental part of Asia and Far East Russia, as well as inhabiting the islands: the Philippines, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Hokkaido, Yakushima and many others.

• bristly crow(lat. Corvus rhipidurus)

It grows up to 47 cm in length and is very similar to the black crow. However, the bird has a characteristically thickened beak, long wings, shortened tail and very short throat feathers. The type of bristly crows is distinguished by a black glossy color and feathers and paws characteristically shimmering purple-blue. Crow feathers on the back of the head have a white base.

The habitat of this bird species begins in the Middle East, passes through the northern part African continent, across the Arabian Peninsula, through Kenya and Sudan to the Sahara Desert.

• bangai crow(lat. Corvus unicolor)

The smallest crow of this genus, growing up to only 39 cm in length. The species is characterized by black feathers and a short tail.

The least studied species of crow, found exclusively on the island of Peleng in Indonesia. The species has the status of endangered and, according to scientists, the population today contains from 30 to 200 individuals.

White crows are very rare in nature - the result of a mutation-albinism.

An albino can appear in any species group and will differ from relatives only in white plumage and extreme vulnerability.

How do crows breed?

At the age of 2 years, most species of crows are ready to breed. Ravens are monogamous birds and choose mates for the rest of their lives. The mating games of the male and female crows are distinguished by intricate aerial turns, chases and somersaults. Reproduction of the most common species of these birds occurs in early to mid-spring.

On the left is a female crow, on the right is a male crow

The crow builds its nest in forest parks and squares, their laying takes place in the fork of strong tree branches, on power line poles, cranes, behind waterways. Species living in steppe and semi-desert landscapes arrange nests in crevices of rocks and cliffs. Both future parents usually take part in the construction, painstakingly building a nest from twigs and twigs. The crow's nest does not exceed 0.5 meters in diameter and has a height of 20-30 cm. Sod, clay, and often pieces of wire are used for fastening. The bottom of the nest is lined with feathers, down, dry grass, cotton wool and rags.

Depending on the type of bird, the clutch contains 3-6 or 4-8 light green or bluish eggs with dark spots. The female crow inseparably incubates the clutch for 17-20 days. The male crow feeds his companion and takes care of her throughout the entire time of incubation of eggs.

After 25 days, naked crow chicks are born, which are fed by both parents. Cubs fledge a month after birth.

You should not try to pick up a crow chick that accidentally fell out of the nest. Parents raise a terrible noise, calling relatives with cries, and zealously protect the cub. A flock of crows is attacking a dangerous alien, be it an animal or a person.

At the beginning of summer, the offspring of the crow begins to fly out of the nest, and for the first month remains with their parents, who continue to take care of them. In July, the young finally leave their native nest.

Nonetheless, family ties remain, and sometimes the offspring of past years, instead of creating their own family, helps their parents feed and raise their brothers and sisters.

This beautiful and proud bird can really become a true friend. Her intelligence exceeds the intelligence of a dog, a cat and is comparable to the abilities of a horse or a dolphin. A raven can, for example, use a stick to get food placed next to the cage. He will overpower and overdried bread, soaking it in water. This bird is able to guess and throw stones into a narrow vase until the water becomes available to it for drinking.

How not to confuse crow chicks and crows?

However, instead of the expected raven, you may have a bird from the same family with a consonant name - a crow. How to distinguish a raven chick from a crow? The raven is larger, it has a wedge-shaped tail (the crow has a flat one). The plumage on the goiter of the raven is disheveled, while that of the crow is smooth. The color of the crow chick is the same as that of an adult bird. The crow “croaks”, articulating correctly, the raven makes a different sound - clicks.

And they also differ from each other purely in character: like a devoted knight and a miserable thief. It is no coincidence that we used the word “knight” in the context of the name of the bird “raven”, because the British have been honoring and keeping six ravens in the service of the sovereign ravens of the Tower Fortress for many centuries, since the time of King Charles II.

How to avoid misunderstanding by unexpectedly growing a crow? The answer is simple: either take a crow chick from a nursery, or buy from a reputable seller.

We are far from thinking that in May you will be able to personally get into the thicket of the forest and pick up a three-week-old chick from a crow's nest at a great height. Moreover, even if you do such a feat, you will inevitably be attacked by his parents. And an adult raven, having accelerated in flight, as you know, with a blow of its beak, it may well kill a fox. It is obvious that it is wiser for the future owner of the chick to avoid such injuries.

Therefore, we focus you on the purchase of a bird on the ad. Market price crow fledgling in the markets of Moscow - $100.

At what age is a crow chick taken to be raised?

Raven is immensely devoted to only one person, whom he considers the owner, while he simply resigns himself to other cohabitants. Does not like small children and pets, jealous of the owner.

For taming, it is best to take a two to three week old bird. Females are easier to train and less impulsive. We recommend them for beginners. The specialist distinguishes them at this age solely by external signs. Classes are carried out according to the classical method for birds of prey. If you are buying crow chicks from a breeder, the cut-off age for purchase is 2-3 months old.

Six months later, the chick is identical in size to an adult bird. At this age, he is already difficult to train. And an adult raven, starting from the age of one, is no longer suitable for living at home. By the way, the bird is considered to be finally formed only at the age of three.

A crow chick (you can see a photo of a three-week-old fledgling in the illustration) becomes poultry through persistent taming and training. Unfortunately, most people who decide to raise this bird act recklessly, believing that a stylized likeness of a parrot will turn out from a proud bird's chick.

What should the owner of a crow chick be prepared for?

A raven is two in one: a predator and a talking, intelligent bird that loves its owner. Yes, but only if you want to become its owner, it is not enough for a raven chick to formally settle in your home. The owner should love him actively, mess with him (i.e. train, train, communicate) daily for two to three hours a day.

Raven is a friend. If you manage to train him, he will give you a lot of positive, but also ask a lot of you. You, as the owner, will have to sacrifice for this friendship... at least one room in the apartment. Be sure that for a year of keeping a crow in it, it will be prepared by a bird for repairs.

A raven and a cage are incompatible things: an impulsive bird breaks feathers in it. If it is not possible to allocate a "private room" to the bird, you can equip an aviary (at least 2 x 2 m). It should provide a container for bathing birds and toys.

When is it undesirable to start a crow?

It is contraindicated to start this bird in families with small children! It is undesirable to have other animals (dogs, cats) in the house. An adult raven is a bird with character. He will be jealous of their owner and even attack "competitors".

It is not enough for the owner of the bird to proceed solely from mercy, thinking about how to get out the chick of a raven. It is equally important to ask yourself the second question: “Will I be able to raise a noble tame raven?”

It is not recommended to keep a bird at home without taking the time to train it. In this case, the raven does not feel the owner and begins to compete with domestic ones in its own way, turning into a real punishment, practicing all sorts of dirty tricks:

• he will consider not only his room, but the whole apartment as his territory (torn documents, pecked wallpaper, cornices, plinths, household utensils, furniture);
• he will not be trained to relieve himself locally;
• he will attack your guests.

To release a bird that has not been trained by adult ravens is a sure way to kill it. A domestic raven dies in the wild.

If, after reading our warning, you remained at your will and continue to solve the puzzle "How to find a crow chick?", Then the following information is for you.

Foundlings

However, the cases are different. Sometimes yellow-mouthed crow chicks are found in April-May that have fallen out of the nest. Despite the height of the fall, some of them remain unmutilated.

The crow chick is born in April. Being a week old, he even bears little resemblance to a bird: his eyes are not open, a naked body, only down on his neck and head. Only in the second week do tiny rods of future flight feathers appear and the eyes open.

He is weak, his body is not covered with feathers. He is unable to maintain the balance of his body heat. The period of nutrition for him during the first week is about an hour and a half during daylight hours. Defenseless and completely dependent on care, the crow chick (the photo at the beginning of the article caught this moment) periodically squeaks - this is how it extorts food.

However, the bird will begin to see only after three weeks.

Temperature regime of the first week

If such a bird fell out of the nest, and after weighing all the pros and cons, you made a desperate decision to raise it, then for this you will need to take a month's vacation. In the first week, you will have to equip an impromptu home incubator. A crow chick is placed in a shoe box that is lined with soft cloth below, and on top is covered with a thin cloth. An incandescent lamp is turned on above the canvas. For optimal heating, you need to monitor:

• increase it if the bird is trembling;
• ventilate the box if it gasps for air.

Temperature regulation in the second week

After the appearance of feathers (in the second week) temperature regime is simplified. Just make sure during the day that the temperature in the room where the crow chick is located is maintained at about 20 degrees Celsius. At night, the home incubator should still be heated.

As the fluff covers the entire body of the bird, it will be possible to remove the top sheet. Next, we will briefly consider the organization of the nutrition of a crow chick, noting the importance of the presence of clean, non-chlorinated water in the aviary and the addition of calcium (ground shell) to its food for the formation of a full-fledged plumage.

Feeding a chick

The question of what to feed a crow chick at home has two different answers: for the yellowmouth and the fledgling.

Yellowmouth is fed with tweezers. Food is served from top to bottom. In this case, a reflex is triggered in him: he lifts his head and opens his beak. The food itself is a mess. If a we are talking about nursing a sick chick, then it is fed from a syringe, on which a rubber nozzle is put on.

• meat offal (or pate, or minced meat) - 40%;
• steamed finely cut flakes (crushed - wheat, barley, millet, oatmeal, corn, rye) - 30%;
• fat-free cottage cheese - 10%;
• sprouted grain in finely chopped form - 10%;
• grated apple, beets, carrots - 10%.

Feeding the fledgling

Imagine one of the recipes showing how to feed a raven chick that has become a fledgling. This is also a mash, only of a slightly different consistency, also suitable for adult birds:

• cereal flakes, boiled buckwheat or boiled brown rice - 30%;
• meat by-products finely chopped - 30%;
• fat-free cottage cheese - 20%;
• grated squeezed apple, carrot, beetroot - 10%;
• sprouted grain finely chopped - 10%.

Flying

Let's light this complex issue thesis.

1. Raven chicks are taught to fly according to the classics of training birds of prey in compliance with the necessary details (additive, glove, etc.). This technique is fully capable in our case.
2. During the training of a raven to fly, the probability of non-return should be minimized. Therefore, it is better to choose suburban fields as an area for the realization of the bird's natural needs. In a city with its traffic and noise, it is highly likely that an inexperienced raven will get lost.

Teaching a raven chick to speak

If the parrot perceives the female timbre of the voice better, then the raven practically does not react to it. But hoarse, creaky male overtones are his element. He repeats not only creaking, dog barking, hoarse male laughter, but also shows good speech abilities. Similar abilities of another raven bird - a rook - were described by Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin in the story of the same name.

Where to begin? Firstly, we recommend calling the raven so, he could easily call himself, for example, Karl. Secondly, when entering and leaving, say the standard phrases ("Hello", "Bye"). Start by teaching the raven to say these words, then you can move on to phrases.

He remembers whole sentences no worse than a parrot, but pronounces them (this is confirmed by experts) more consciously. To do this, the owner should talk to him.

Instead of a conclusion

Agree, there is something special, noble in the crow - one of the most difficult birds to keep at home.

A crow chick is not a spineless toy, it is a friend for an adult, making adjustments to the rhythm of his life. But if you really manage to grow a friend out of him, he will adequately answer you with love and devotion for many years.

The Gray Crow (Corvus cornix) is one of the most recognizable birds of the Moscow Region. This is a very smart bird that becomes attached to the person who raised her.

Description

Hoodie(Crow family) - enough large bird length from 44 to 51 cm, weight up to 700 g. Wingspan - about one meter. The plumage of the gray crow is gray or dark gray (except for the black top of the head, shirt-front, tail and wings). The black beak is slightly hooked and has a slightly convex mandible. The legs of the gray crow are black. It is the presence of gray color in the plumage that is one of the important hallmarks gray crows. Young birds are slightly darker than adults. The voice of the gray crow is a hoarse "karr-karrr". Many ornithologists consider this bird a subspecies of the black crow and admit the possibility of crossing between the black and gray crows. “In their way of life, gray and black crows almost do not differ from each other. Both represent sedentary, less often nomadic birds living in pairs or united in a large society. (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

Food

Gray crows are omnivores. “What they don’t eat is they clean the railroad tracks from what falls from the dustbins and car toilets, they swallow mice, lizards and frogs, the seeds of spruce and field bindweed…”. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch"). The menu is replenished with various small rodents, birds, beetles, worms, eggs of other birds, food waste, carrion, fruits and grains. Crows have learned to get their own food different ways. “For a month, the birds, not sparing their belly, saved the lands of the Barguzinsky Reserve from pests. They did not dig the ground at random, but stuck their beak exactly where, at a depth of 5-10 centimeters, the larvae of the cockchafer tormented the roots of plants. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

The omnivorous nature of the gray crow leads to the fact that it often feeds on landfills, dumpsters and other similar places. It is not uncommon to see crows making a mess near garbage cans. They carry away with them crusts of bread and bones with the remains of meat in order to get enough in a more convenient place. For example, on rooftops.
The crow is classified as a bird of prey, as it preys on more small birds(especially on chicks), rodents and other animals. In some parks, squirrels suffer from gray crows. “Sometimes there are raids on hares that for some reason found themselves in the clearing during the day. A flock of crows skillfully blocks the oblique path to retreat. Sometimes the crows take on the vile manner of the skua - they terrorize the small gulls that have grabbed the fish until they spit out the silvery body. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

Habitat

In our country, the gray crow is common in the European part and in Siberia. In the east (up to the Yenisei), the color of the plumage of the crow is more gray. This bird is found in forests, wastelands, landfills, in small settlements and cities. The bird is not afraid of the abundance of people. The gray crow manages to build nests not only on trees, but also on buildings. For the night, crows gather in huge clusters. They often spend the night in parks or cemeteries. Often they are joined by rooks and jackdaws. One part of the Moscow and Moscow region gray crows remains for the winter in their former places, the other part migrates to other regions and even to European countries. The total number of birds does not decrease, as crows fly to us from the North.

Breeding chicks

With the advent of spring, the mating season begins. At this time, it is interesting to watch males performing incredibly complex turns, takeoffs and other aerobatics in the air. The Gray Crow nests in pairs. Sometimes nests are located nearby. Crows are very sensitive birds. They are well versed in environmental issues. In polluted areas, the gray crow rarely builds a nest. She only flies there in search of food, and builds a nest in a cleaner place so that the offspring are healthy.

In March - April, the construction of a nest on a tree or on a building begins. Construction material- everything that crows can find and bring. These are branches, hay, rags, various pieces of iron and pieces of wire. The clutch consists of 2-6 bluish-green eggs with dark brown spots and strokes. The eggs laid first are more intensely colored than the last eggs. At the very end, the female lays pale blue eggs with almost imperceptible speckles. Family responsibilities are distributed as follows: the female incubates the eggs, and the male supplies her with food. “Through binoculars it is clearly visible that there is a noticeable movement in the nest. The bird rises a little and for a few moments, as it were, half-standing, quickly moving its legs, which makes the wings and the whole body tremble. These strange, at first glance, actions of the bird contribute to the ventilation of the nesting tray. It lasts from a few seconds to half a minute and is repeated so often that the bird, in fact, never sits quietly on the eggs. (S.F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

Chicks appear in about three weeks. It is noted that the crow-"boy" hatches first. As soon as the chicks are born, the female gray crow is connected to the search for food. Birds guard the nest with chicks in turn. Growing chicks need food that is easy to digest and high in calories. Best Product food - eggs of other birds. Ravens ruthlessly plunder other people's nests to feed their chicks. They also hunt for chicks of smaller birds. “Sitting on a stick (and who just invented it?) Or on the overhanging roof of a birdhouse, the crow waits for the chick to look out the window. Grasping him by the beak, she drags away the fools one by one. But this is not the pinnacle of robbery: some crows uncork birdhouses like a bottle of beer. At the Zvenigorod biological station of Moscow State University, a burglar, acting like a lever with her beak, dropped the covers from eight birdhouses in one morning. Putting her beak between the lid and the side wall, she widened the gap until the lid gave way.

The habits of the gray crow

Ravens are surprisingly mobile, although they walk slowly due to their close toes. This bird loves to have fun. For example, it plans with pleasure, gaining a height of several tens of meters. Boldly sways on the wires. At our dacha, crows noisily roll down metal roof, having previously folded the wings. Smart birds are incredibly smart. “If it is not possible to gouge a strong shell with their beak, they soar into the sky and throw the shell on stones or on the highway. Once, crows used the Tashkent airfield as nutcrackers. In the mornings, when the airport was relatively calm, a flock of crows bombed the concrete strip walnuts tied up in neighboring gardens! (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch"). There are many facts confirming the ability of crows. “They famously count to five in their minds. The crows were rounded up ... If five people entered the shelter, the flock did not return until all the hunters lost patience and went home. If, say, nine people climbed into the shelter, and six or seven came out of it, the observer crows lost count and, deciding that everything was in order, gave signals to return. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

The crow has its worst enemy - the owl. He kills birds at night when they sleep. Crows are vindictive. They remember and can attack the dog that chased them a year ago. Occasionally, birds mistake the fur hats of people for old offenders and peck them furiously.

Gray crow daily routine

The famous Alfred Edmund Brehm described the typical daily routine of crows in this way. " Everyday life Raven is like this. They begin to fly before dawn, and often gather on a particular building or large tree before they scatter across the fields. Until noon, they are actively busy looking for food: they walk through the fields and meadows, guard mouse holes, look out for bird nests, rummage through the gardens. ... By noon, crows flock to a dense tree to sleep in its foliage after dinner, and then go for feeding again. Before settling down for the night, they gather in in large numbers, apparently with the aim of mutually exchanging impressions of the day. (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

hand crow

A crow living in captivity quickly gets used to a person. Especially if you got into the house as a chick. Everyone notes that this is a very smart bird. True, thieving. “Here, for example, how the zoologist Yu. Romov complained about his tame bird. His pupil, who lived in freedom, stole everything she could carry. At the table, she behaved in the highest degree indecently - she emptied the spoon of the host and guest before she had time to bring it to her mouth. It was worth a little gape, as the spoon itself disappeared. Neither swearing nor cuffs helped. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

"Both kinds of crows can be done without much hassle for a long time keep in captivity; they are tamed and learn to speak, if only the teacher has the patience. But still, they are not suitable for the room because of their untidyness and the smell they spread ... ". (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”). A tame crow has been living near a person for years. She gets used to the house and all family members so much that she can lead a free lifestyle, but eat and spend the night with people.

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