Friday my crow serendipity came at me full force in the form of triplet baby crows. They were out of the nest and romping through the trees outside my window. I didn’t know there were three for a while. I was so excited to have the gift of a baby crow sighting. I concentrated on taking photos because the moment could end any time and they will be gone the next day. Then after I back off a little from my excitement I saw there were two of them. It wasn’t until they had traversed four trees; two pine and two maple; that I realized there were three. What a thrill.
For those that have never seen a baby crow or didn’t know they did, here are the tips you need to identify them. The reason you don’t see them is they are the same size as an adult crow when they leave the nest. There are some telltale signs to watch for though.
Clownish behavior that border lines on rather simple-minded. Like a human baby, they must be taught about how to interact with the world and what dangers lurk for them.
They have blue eyes that change to black after a few months.
The other feature to look for is the pink mouth. You may not see it in all it’s glory unless they open their beak to beg. However, the corners are pink and sort of puffy.
These little guys were having a great time. This next photo shows you a less zoomed picture with the baby playing peekaboo and investigating his new world
Parents get a little crazy this time of year. Who won’t be worried about their children entering the big bad world. Sorry to say baby crows do have a pretty high mortality rate. Not good for a crow mom or dad but imagine we would be knee-deep in black birds if they all lived.
They are vigilant about watching their young. You might have encountered one but thought it was just a mean crow. They are just protecting their own. Imagine if a giant tried to see your child?
Lastly, these three babies had a lot of fun. Well, maybe the youngest was struggling a little. He had a hard time keeping up with his two older (by a day or so older makes a big difference) siblings. Here they are in the maple hanging out and a video of him trying to fly and jump his way to them.
