The crow lives in a nest. Hoodie crow - description, habitat, interesting facts

28.09.2019

10.06.2011

Crows They live in forests of all types and, in addition, they are common inhabitants of populated areas, not excluding large cities. Most common hoodie. It is larger in size than the rook and jackdaw, but half the size of the raven. Hooded crows are two-colored birds: the body is ash-gray, the legs, beak, head, wings, front of the throat, and tail are black.

Rook-like nests crows They are built on the edge of the forest, in groves or on isolated trees on thick branches in the forks of trunks. A certain part of crows make their nests in city gardens, parks and on the eaves of high-rise buildings.

Hooded crows migrate regularly in spring and autumn. In September - October they fly to the south for the winter, and in the spring they return to their native nesting sites. For example, crows fly from the Moscow region to Kharkov and Kyiv, and fly to their place crows from Arkhangelsk. Therefore, the majority of crows living in villages and towns in winter are not the ones that built nests here and hatched little chicks, but those that migrated from areas with a harsher climate. Only old crows remain in place throughout the year and lead an almost sedentary lifestyle, migrating into nature in the spring, as far as possible from human habitation. In winter, they return to towns and cities, where they mix with alien crows, forming huge flocks together with jackdaws.

In the spring, crows build a nest and hatch new offspring. The chicks are fed with different foods: insects, bird eggs, shellfish, chicks, frogs, mice, fish, lizards, etc. 5 weeks after birth, the chicks begin to fly. For some time, the parents feed them, and then the broods of young ones gather in flocks and fly away to meadows, valleys, in search of food, returning only to spend the night in nesting places.

in autumn departure for the winter starts first with the young ones, and continues with the old crows. They move away from their native places over long distances - up to 2 thousand km. The journey is crows They perform at a decent speed - up to 50 km/h.

These birds are quite cautious and observant. Crows have a good sense of smell, vision and hearing, and are sensitive to everything that happens around them. These birds are excellent at distinguishing between people, taking into account the benefit or harm they receive from them, and behave accordingly. For example, crows flock precisely to that part of the yard in which a person appears from the entrance carrying a bucket to a garbage container - for them such a person is a signal of upcoming prey. But, at the same time, the crows will immediately disappear if the boy who threw stones at them comes into the yard. Scared crows They are afraid of the hunter with a gun, not paying attention to the person who walks with a stick.

From others crow habits One can highlight a passion for shiny objects and a desire to hide extra food in reserve.

IN severe frosts crows they sit down at night, huddling closely together, hiding their heads under the wing and fluffing up their plumage, which retains heat well.

Crows are omnivorous birds. During the years of strong reproduction of mouse-like rodents, they large quantities destroy them, also exterminate harmful mollusks and insects, pick up grains of wild and cultivated plants, preventing seedlings from infesting the crops of other crops, and depriving mouse-like rodents of food, indirectly reducing their population.

On the other side, crows damage fields, pecking grains out of ears or damaging crop seedlings; They peck at cucumbers, watermelons, and melons in the melon fields, quenching their thirst. In hunting areas, crows are an enemy of waterfowl and gray partridges, because they destroy their chicks and steal their eggs.

Thus, crows must be treated in accordance with the role they play in the economy of a given area.

Crow in captivity easily becomes attached and tamed to the owner. She loves to play pranks, but she can be taught to say certain words and phrases. They feed her meat, porridge and bread.

Birds of the crow family build nests and take care of their offspring, including the hooded crow, one of the most common species of these birds. They have been proven to understand phrases from their vocabulary better than parrots. Being smart helps crows stay alive. They can defend their territory and nests, defending themselves from ill-wishers as a whole flock. Their ability to identify in advance possible danger from other birds of prey, animals and people is also useful for survival.

Let's consider the breeding features of these birds using the example of the gray crow. It belongs to the family of corvids and the genus of ravens. The weight of the bird is about 500 g. The largest individuals have a mass of 700 g, while the body length is from 50 cm, and the wingspan is about a meter.

The color of the plumage on the body is gray; the head, wings and tail are covered with black feathers. Adult birds have dark irises, while juveniles have blue irises.

You can determine exactly who it is in front of you - a raven or a hooded crow - by the size and characteristics of the plumage. So the raven is a larger bird with black feathers that have a metallic sheen. The chicks have the same color as the adults.

The diet of these omnivorous birds includes:

small birds, their eggs and chicks;
amphibians;
fish;
insects;
plant foods;
carrion and food waste.

Distributed throughout Eurasia (Central and Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Siberia). They can live both in forests and within cities. With the onset of cold weather, in search of food they move closer to human habitation, city parks and landfills. Birds living in areas with cold winter, often fly to neighboring regions during this period.

Mating season and birth of chicks

The mating season (possibly 2-5 years of the bird’s life) begins with joint flights, games and somersaults in the air. Nesting time is in the spring months. The pair builds a nest together in parks, forests, near human habitation or construction sites. It consists of branches, stems, wire with a bedding of feathers. The female lays eggs turquoise color up to 4-6 pieces, and hatches them herself for 20-25 days. The male takes care of the food of his chosen one.

A newborn crow is practically devoid of feathers and needs round-the-clock care. Adults bring food, taking turns going in searches. The chicks do not see anything around for a long time, and the process of eating can take more than an hour and a half.

Over time, the offspring of hooded crows develop brownish plumage. At the end of May - beginning of June they learn to fly independently. In mid-June, they can already forage for food and fly far from the nest. Adults help the grown-up crows get used to the outside world for about two more weeks.

How to care for a chick

Crow chicks may fall out of the nest. Parents often find their chicks and return them to safety. At the same time, they can repel some predators and even people, calling other birds to help. Birds distract attention from their offspring by scratching with their claws and moving closer to the vulnerable spots of uninvited guests, such as the eyes.

In some cases, the chick is still left alone, which means certain death for it. After all, newly born babies are defenseless, blind and need warmth.

You can feed the yellowthroat chick that you have taken under your care with a liquid mash of chopped vegetables, meat, porridge and cottage cheese. When eating, use a syringe with a rubber tip or tweezers to lower food into the pet's beak. When the crow grows up and becomes a fledgling, the mash can be made thicker.

A person's responsibility to their pet is very great. Hooded crows raised in captivity will no longer be able to adapt to life in the natural environment.

Keeping at home

Pay attention to the nuances of keeping a crow at home:

It is necessary to allocate a free area for the birds to fly, and also secure the perches. Make a floor on the floor and regularly clean the area designated for keeping the crow.
Take care of a balanced diet, drinking regime and organization of water procedures.
For taming, it is best to take a crow no more than 2-3 months old.
It is not recommended to have one pet if you have small children. Also, the crow will not get along with animals or birds that are smaller than it.

Hooded crows can make excellent pets in long time(their lifespan is about 20 years). Over time, they get used to people, recognize their owner, and after training they can reproduce individual phrases of human speech. To do this, you need to talk to the bird as much as possible, pronouncing the words clearly and loudly.

If the article was useful to you, then like it. And in the comments, write what funny stories you know about domestic gray crows.

In April, when all the birds of the raven family have offspring, you can sometimes find babies that have fallen from the nest, but are alive, under the trees. What to do with such yellowthroats? It all depends on his age. If this is a crow chick, the photo of which you see, it will not be difficult to get it out. But if he is much younger (only with stumps of feathers or completely naked), saving his life is fraught with certain difficulties.

First week of life

At this age, the crow chick is not yet able to independently maintain the body’s heat balance. The mother warms the children, and if the spring turns out to be hot, then she cools them down. Therefore, if you have decided on the almost hopeless task of saving a newborn raven, you need to build him an incubator as soon as possible. This could be a small box (for shoes or cake) or a pot. The inside of this container should be lined with a soft cloth. Make sure that the new socket is covered with a light cloth, and place an incandescent lamp above it. You can replace it with a heating pad placed at the bottom of the box, but this measure can only be temporary, since heating from below is inorganic for the raven. If the chick is shaking, increase the temperature. And if he opens his beak and breathes frequently, remove the outer fabric and reduce the heating.

What to feed a crow chick at this tender age? Adults are practically omnivores, but babies require baby food. It should consist of 30-50% grated carrots. This component is not only rich in carotene, but also helps give the food a sufficiently moist consistency so that the baby swallows a piece without choking. Another 30% is protein. Ground low-fat cottage cheese, boiled yolks, porridge. Fish and fish are very useful for the baby minced meat. Baby formula added to food will provide your child with vitamins, but we must not forget to add crushed shells to food raw eggs. This way the chick will fledge faster.

Second week of life

On the tenth day, the baby begins to develop the rudiments of future feathers. Thus, the raven chick no longer needs constant heating. Leave the lamp only overnight and turn it off during the day, but the temperature in the room should not be lower than +20 degrees C. Until the body is completely covered by the fluff, it is not recommended to remove the upper fabric from the nest. If in the first week you need to feed the chick every one and a half to two hours (with a break at night), then meals should become less frequent. You can teach the first command: emit a hoarse, loud “a” before feeding, so that the raven chick opens its beak.

When caring for ravens, it should be remembered that these birds defecate immediately during feeding, so before eating, the chick should be seated on a piece of newspaper. In the future, you need to accustom your pet to a place for the toilet. It is necessary to provide the bird with toys (preferably always new and shiny). Crows love to swim. Therefore, the chicks can be sprayed with a spray bottle, and when they learn to walk, give them a bowl of warm water for water procedures. Little yellowthroats should not be given water, as water may enter the respiratory tract. In the first two weeks, limit yourself to bread soaked in water or milk. Then, when the raven chick learns to drink, always provide him with a container of fresh water. If the bird gets used to you, you can teach it to talk and also take it for walks to stretch its wings.

A bird like the hooded crow is the most common and recognizable species of bird. Note that this type birds differ from their relatives in their quick wit, lively mind, as well as the possibility of taming and subsequent attachment to their owner.

Description of the species

The hooded crow belongs to the corvid family and is a fairly large bird, body length up to 51-53 cm, maximum weight reaching 700 g, wingspan up to 1 meter.

The characteristic color of the plumage of representatives of the species is gray (with the exception of the crown, tail, wings and shirtfront of the bird). The crow's beak is blue-black - with a characteristic curved tip and a prominent convex beak. The legs of representatives of the species are black. Availability gray in the color of the crow's feathers, in fact, is the main difference from other subspecies. Note that young individuals have more dark color plumage. The characteristic sounds made by the bird are a hoarse and loud “karr-karrr”.

According to most ornithologists, the hooded crow is a subspecies of the black crow, and the possibility of crossing representatives of both species is possible. The lifestyle of the species is practically the same - birds lead a sedentary lifestyle, as a rule, living in pairs or small groups (crow communities).

Nutritional Features

Such a common bird species as hooded crows is an omnivorous bird. The diet of birds is very diverse - from small rodents, insects to food waste obtained in garbage containers and landfills, carrion, and various vegetation (fruits and plant grains).

As a rule, gray crows, who live mainly in urban environments, take the food they have obtained to the roofs of houses, where they feed in a calm environment.

Hooded crows are classified as predatory bird species, as they are capable of hunting small birds for their food; the bird especially often destroys nests with newly hatched chicks. The crow also likes to eat some small animals and rodents. Hooded crows often hunt squirrels in urban park areas. Large flocks of crows are capable of raiding hares, skillfully blocking the escape route of the fleeing animal and driving it into a dead end. Often these birds adopt the characteristic behavior of such birds as the skua, which is manifested by terrorizing small gulls hunting fish in the coastal zone.

Habitat

The population of hooded crows is most widespread throughout Eurasia. This bird can be found almost everywhere: in cities, in forests, in landfill areas and wastelands. Note that the crow is not at all afraid of people. Birds place their nests in any place convenient for habitation - not only on tall trees, but also on buildings. As a rule, representatives of this species of birds gather in fairly large groups or flocks to spend the night. Often cemeteries or park areas are chosen as places to spend the night. Often jackdaws and rooks join flocks of hooded crows.

Features of reproduction

The breeding period of hooded crows begins with the onset of the first days of spring. Males of this species perform complex figures in the air to attract females.

The hooded crow nests in pairs, with the nests of representatives of the species located in close proximity to each other.

Crows are considered very sensitive birds, this is especially evident in environmental issues. A pair of birds will never build their nest in an area that is too polluted or smoky. A crow can visit such ecologically unfavorable places solely in search of food necessary for sustenance. That is, the nest is built in a clean area, which is explained by concern for future offspring.

The exact time at which crows begin to build their nests is March-April. As building material birds use almost everything they come across - from a variety of materials and rags to dry vegetation. Maximum quantity clutch - 6 eggs, having a bluish tint with brown specks and fuzzy strokes. The female is in charge of incubating the future offspring; the raven’s task is to provide the mother of the family with the necessary food. During the period of incubation of eggs, the bird often ventilates it, which is expressed by its characteristic behavior - it stands on its paws, raising its body above the tray, after which it begins to quickly sort through them for several tens of seconds.

The duration of the incubation period is about three weeks. Many observers have noticed that, as a rule, the male chick pecks first. After the birth of all the offspring, the female begins to help her partner in solving such a task as searching for food both for her own food and for feeding the chicks.

The main condition for feeding the growing crow is the availability of easily digestible and high-calorie food; for this reason, in order to feed their offspring, crows often destroy the nests of other birds, taking their eggs to feed their chicks. Often, for the same purposes, they steal chicks of starlings or other small birds.

Habits of the species

Hooded crows are fairly mobile and active birds that love to walk leisurely from side to side. This bird also loves a variety of entertainment, for example, its favorite attractions are: gliding in the air, swinging on wires, sliding down the inclined surface of roofs.

Also, these representatives of the species are very smart; for example, if they cannot cope with the opening of a fruit, they simply rise to a great height, from where they throw it off.

Hooded crows, like any birds, have their own worst enemy- This is a bird like an eagle owl. The latter attacks them at night, when they are fast asleep.

Another feature of the crow is its excellent memory. Hooded crows can also be called vindictive; for example, they can attack a dog that scattered the flock several years ago. Sometimes birds mistake people's fur hats for their offenders, which is why there are often cases when a bird swoops down on a person and begins to furiously peck at his headdress.

Daily routine

Hooded crows wake up before sunrise, gathering in small flocks on the roofs of houses or perching on the branches of a large tree. As a rule, the first half of the day is occupied by birds searching for suitable food to eat. Closer to noon, the crows again gather in a flock to rest on their favorite large tree or beautiful building. After lunch, the birds again go in search of food. Before spending the night, they actively communicate, sharing their impressions of the past day.

A species of bird such as hooded crows, living in captivity, becomes very attached to the person raising their feathered pet. Especially if a representative of this species came into a human home at a young age – as a chick.
Most bird owners note that crows are very smart birds, however, they have one significant drawback - crows are not only smart, but also thieving.
A tame crow can live next to a person for many years.
A bird like a crow is, in fact, a professional accomplice. The peculiarity of the body of this species of birds is that concentrated acid is formed in the bird’s stomach, which prevents infections from spreading so that the bird does not eat it. That is, this is one of the species of birds from which a person cannot catch any infectious disease.
Crows often hide their prey, doing it in such a way that no one can see. If the crow notices that someone has followed it, the prey hides in another place, and the bird will have to make sure that no one saw it.
Crows are able to communicate with each other own language, which is extremely developed and, accordingly, has a rich supply of sounds to indicate various situations.

Video: Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

The gray crow is a cunning and quick-witted bird. A bully and a playgirl. A source of trouble for smaller birds. One of our close neighbors in the cities.

Hoodie (Corvus commix), corvid family. At one time, it was described by C. Linnaeus as an independent species, just like the black crow. However, later studies showed that gray and black crows can have common offspring, which in turn can also have chicks. This indicates the evolutionary closeness in nature of hooded and black crows. They were combined into one species - the crow, giving each the status of a subspecies, retaining the names given by C. Linnaeus: Corvus corone corone ( black crow), Corvus corone cornix (gray).

black crow
Canon EOS 600D + Canon EF-s 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (ISO1600 1/400c f/5.6 focal length 200mm)
©Kassesinova Ekaterina

What does a gray crow look like?

This is a fairly large bird. Body length is approximately 45-50cm. Live weight ranges from 450 to 600 grams.
The plumage on the head, throat, wings and tail is black. The body is gray. The beak and legs are black.

What does the gray crow eat?

This bird is omnivorous. Eats plant foods (seeds, agricultural plants). It also eats snails, frogs, lizards, and small rodents. It pecks at the eggs of smaller birds and eats the chicks. Does not disdain food waste and carrion.

Range of the Hoodie Crow

Hooded crows live in countries Eastern Europe, Asia Minor. Also lives in Scandinavian countries.
On the territory of our country, crows live from the west to the Yenisei.
There are both migratory and nomadic populations, as well as sedentary ones. The latter applies mainly to synanthropes living in cities where human activity creates favorable living conditions.

Hoodie nesting. Feeding chicks

The nesting period begins in March-April, depending on the area (earlier in the south, later in the northern regions).
Birds living in major cities, begin to nest 2-3 weeks earlier. The reasons for this are milder temperature conditions and an abundant food supply.
The materials used to build the nest are dry branches, grass, clay and turf. And, in addition, cotton wool, synthetics, tow, and in some cases aluminum wire. Hooded crows make nests in the branches big trees in forests, groves. And also in forest parks and squares. Crows' nests have also been found on power poles, behind drainpipes and on construction cranes.
The female lays 4 to 6 eggs. The incubation period lasts approximately 18-19 days, only the female incubates the eggs, and the male brings her food. When the chicks hatch, they are fed by both parents.
The chicks fly out of the nest somewhere in mid-June.
The intelligence of gray crows
These birds are endowed with high intelligence and are very smart. There are well-known cases where crows used simple tools, in the form of sticks, to extract food. It is believed that they are able to distinguish a person walking in the park from a hunter.
Many hooded crows living near people have learned to soak pieces of dried food in water. In order to crack the nut, some birds place it on tram rails or under the wheels of cars.
Many of them like to slide down the steep roofs of residential buildings. Just like children sliding down ice slides. Such games cause dissatisfaction with utility services.
When kept as a pet, hooded crows can easily learn human speech.

Hoodie in the city

On the one hand, gray crows cause undoubted harm. They steal, vandalize, damage monuments and architectural structures. Their actions cause harm public utilities. But, on the other hand, they destroy carrion and food waste. In addition, the number of small rodents such as mice and rats is reduced. Perhaps the number of these birds is a living indicator of the sanitary condition of the city.
In this regard, in some large cities, attempts have been made to reduce the number of hooded crows by shooting and trapping them. And also using pesticides. In addition to the fact that these methods highest degree They are not humane, they are also not very effective.
It would be possible to reduce the number of crows in the city by eliminating unauthorized landfills, using tightly closed containers, that is, by limiting the food supply...