- Cozy up to your favorite girl crow.
- Claim the tallest evergreen tree for the nursery.
- Insure you are situated close to a yummy food source.
- Caw up your designated helpers.
Spring is in the air and if you watch carefully you will see #1 of the Crow Checklist happening above in the trees and on the wire. Here is a picture I took today in my Trader Joe’s parking lot. Bet this pair have #3 covered too with this territory staked out.
#2 is a little harder to spot. After several years of Crowstalking I am attuned to this behavior. The pair or one of them will go from fir or pine tree to tree burrowing around in the deep upper parts looking for the sweet nest site. Once they decide on their tree, they take turns guarding it from other crows and birds. I usually don’t catch the very beginning of the process but rather see them carrying sticks into the chosen spot.
A good food source (#3), be it a fast food restaurant, a crow friendly family with handouts or a busy street with frequent road kill is a bonus for any crow raising a family.
Lastly, crows have a large extended family. They will include older parents, youngsters from last years clutch and any other flock member who isn’t breeding this season. The pair will caw them up to insure a successful nesting experience.
Baby Crows will be here soon. If you use the checklist too, you might be treated by the sight of a goofy little one this spring.
Crows of Arroyos 