Gray crow's nest. What does a hooded crow look like?

Highvoltage 16-03-2010 19:19

Spring is coming and the crows are preparing for an important period of their existence, for reproduction, i.e. nesting. During this period, the behavior of our “favorite” birds is very different from usual.
First I decided to update my knowledge about this life cycle gray crow, and then figured it would be a good idea to remind the comrades what’s what.

Hoodie nesting.

Nesting sites. During nesting time, the crow is associated with arboreal vegetation and nests in forests (near the edges), groves, gardens, and also in cities.

Nest location.
Nests are more often found on coniferous trees, less often on deciduous trees, not very high from the ground. Nest building material. The nest is built from dry twigs placed in the forks of large tree branches. The tray is lined with wool, washcloth, rags, feathers, etc.

There is evidence in the literature that hooded crows occupy the same nest for several years, reconstructing it each time. However, in Moscow and the immediate Moscow region, crows rarely occupy old nests; more often they build new ones every year, which is apparently due to their frequent disturbance and destruction of nests by people. The same reasons explain the high altitude of nests in cities. In poorly developed and rarely visited areas, crow's nests are usually located at a height of 2.5 to 6 m from the ground. But in cities, crows make nests at much higher altitudes and in more inaccessible places. Thus, within the city of Moscow, all discovered nests were at a height of 4 to 21 m, with the main part of them at a height of 10 to 15 m; in the city of Ivanovo, the average height of nests was 18 m; in the city of Cherepovets - about 13 m.

When nesting hooded crows, the distance between residential nests is very important. In slightly modified landscapes, this distance for most residential nests is 80-200 m. In such settlements, the connection between neighboring pairs is maintained, which is important when collective defense nests from predators. It's like this in the city uniform distribution the nest is significantly disturbed. In city parks, nests are located at a distance of 60-80 m from each other, and in residential areas - in separate groups, and the distance between these groups can be several hundred meters. The decisive point for locating a nest in a certain area is the availability of food in an amount sufficient for adult birds during the period of nest construction and egg laying. From April 15 to May 6, 2001, we carried out absolute counts of hooded crow nests in the northeastern, southeastern and southwestern parts of Moscow. In total, about 12 square meters were surveyed. km of urban territory, where 505 nests were noted, of which 322 were residential. The nesting density of crows averaged 60 pairs per square meter. km.

Shape and dimensions of the nest.
The nest, shaped like a compact pile, has a thick base, low edges and a fairly flat tray. The base of the nest consists of relatively thick branches, 15-20 mm in diameter, the upper part is made of thinner branches. The nest is small, considering the size of the bird, when it sits on the nest, it is clearly visible. The birds occupy the nest for a number of years, but each time they renovate it, they gradually increase its size. Socket diameter 320-660 mm, nest height 200-430 mm, tray diameter 170-240 mm, tray depth 85-140 mm.

Features of masonry.
The clutch usually consists of 4-5 pale green, bluish-green or pure green eggs with brownish spots and dots. Egg dimensions: (38-42) x (28-32) mm.

In landscapes heavily modified by humans, birds experience an increase in fertility: the appearance of additional clutches and an increase in the number of eggs and chicks that successfully complete development. If in poorly developed landscapes the average number of eggs in a full clutch is on average 3.4-4.0 eggs, then in strongly and completely transformed conditions it increases to 4.2-4.7. The number of hatched chicks in highly modified landscapes on average also turns out to be somewhat higher (3.8) than in slightly modified forest landscapes (3.2-3.5). The existence of a certain tendency towards increased fertility in urbanized populations of hooded crows is also confirmed by the number of chicks flying from the nests.

Nesting dates.
They gather for nesting in early spring; the nest is built at the end of March by both parents; the female lays eggs in mid-April. Incubation - 21 days, the female incubates, the male feeds the brooding female. The type of incubation is mixed; at the beginning of oviposition, heating of eggs occurs several times a day; starting from the middle of oviposition, heating becomes constant. The chicks become flightable by 5 weeks. The chicks leave the nest in mid-June. In summer, the chicks are with their parents. During nesting and walking chicks, crows are aggressive and can attack nearby animals and even humans. Profound changes that have occurred in the ecology of urban birds are evidenced by the lengthening of the reproductive period noted in urban crows. The usual period for building nests in slightly modified forest landscapes of the central zone of the European part of Russia is the last week of March and the beginning of April. But mild temperature conditions big city ensure earlier melting of snow, here leaves on trees bloom 2-3 weeks earlier, mouse-like rodents and invertebrates included in the diet of birds become active earlier. In this regard, urban birds begin to nest earlier. Fully built crow nests in Moscow were noted in the second half of March, and at the end of this month, that is, one and a half to two weeks earlier than in natural landscapes, full clutches are already found in the city. In the 20th of April, chicks appear in the nests of city crows, and at the end of May, fledglings appear.

Material from the Rtishchevskaya local history encyclopedia

Hoodie
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animals
Type:	Chordata
Class:
Squad:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvids
Genus:
View:	Hoodie
International scientific name
Corvus cornix(Linnaeus, 1758)
Species in taxonomic databases
CoL

Hoodie(lat. Corvus cornix) - a bird of the corvid family ( Corvidae).

Description

Body length 444-510 mm, wing length - 305-340 mm. Females reach a weight of 670 g, males 740 g. The beak is convex on the upper beak, with a hook at the top. The tail is rounded. The head, throat, crop, wings and tail are black, the remaining parts are gray with dark trunk features. Rainbow is dark brown; legs and beak are black.

Young birds are distinguished by the absence of a brownish tint in the gray color and the general softness of the feathers. The iris is cloudy bluish.

Voice

In addition to the usual “kra” croak, as the mating season approaches, the crow also makes the following sounds: “kar-ro-kh... kar-ro-kh.”

Spreading

Area

The range covers Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Asia Minor, and the territory of Russia from the west to the Yenisei. Within the Saratov region it is found everywhere, including in the Rtishchevsky district.

Habitats

Hooded crows readily inhabit shelterbelt forests bordering agricultural lands or adjacent to various types of reservoirs; they nest in high densities in floodplain forests and do not avoid isolated trees on the shores of reservoirs or among farmland. Crows inhabit not only natural habitats, but also highly urbanized landscapes. In winter, most of the sedentary population (up to 90%) concentrates in cities and other large populated areas.

Lifestyle

Migrations and migrations

In many places in central Russia hoodie, although it does occur all year round, In fact migrant. The spring migration of hooded crows in the Saratov region occurs along a wide front. Birds from territories lying to the north probably fly through the region; for example, in the north of the Lower Volga region, hooded crows were found even from Leningrad region.

With the rise of young birds on the wing, birds in families roam through meadows, floodplains of river valleys, fields, and outskirts of large and small settlements, agricultural lands, where they find abundant food, and return to nesting sites only to spend the night. Hooded crows often form large flocks consisting of several families.

Already in early September, some young crows' migrations turn into pronounced migrations. The flocks become larger, their movements acquire a certain direction, and the speed of movement increases. The peak of migratory activity of local gray crows occurs in the first half of October. Obviously, already in the first half of November migratory crows from the Lower Volga population end up in wintering areas; in particular, birds ringed in the Saratov region were found in the Krasnodar Territory. By the end of November, autumn migration gradually ends.

Some individuals from Saratov and more northern regions winter in close proximity to reproductive areas or at a slight distance from them. Such birds often accumulate near large and small populated areas, joining temporary winter populations.

Reproduction

As the nesting season approaches, the number of crows in winter flocks becomes less and less and pairs, having separated from the flock, one after another retire to nesting sites. The breakdown into pairs is usually observed from the first days of February. In nesting territories in an urbanized environment, crows that migrate to the south appear already in mid-February. From this period, the determination of the boundaries of individual areas begins, and in some cases, the construction of a nest. In sedentary birds, which spend the entire cold season within their individual territory, starting from the first ten days of February, cases of demonstration of elements of nest-building activity become more frequent. Birds bring branches to the old nesting building or sort out building material directly on the nest. These demonstrations are ritual in nature and are especially evident during the thaw period.

From the second ten days of February, crows living in the Saratov region show the first elements of lekking behavior - group flights, adoption of demonstration poses on the ground and trees, species-specific calls and highly individual sounds. Sitting in trees or on the ground, males twitch their folded wings, open their tail feathers, spread their underparts, bend down and, rising, make special “squeezed” sounds. Sometimes the male sits close to the female, bows and at the same time “purrs” very quietly. In mid-March you can still find single birds, but by the 20th of this month the formation of pairs is usually completed. Most birds stop mating by mid-April, but for some pairs this process continues during the nest-building period. At the height of mating, the transition of gray crows to nesting stations is completed. They stop visiting populated areas during the daytime and from mid-March they practically never leave the boundaries of individual sites, staying overnight in close proximity to the future breeding site.

Adult hooded crows have a fairly close relationship with breeding sites. Over the course of several years, individual pairs may reproduce in the same habitat. However, old nests are rarely used by crows. Most birds prefer to build nests anew, at a distance of no more than 100 m from the previous ones. In the first days, birds spend only 2-3 hours building a nest during daylight hours, appearing at the future breeding site mainly in the morning and evening hours. During this period, laying twigs at the base of the building is, rather, an element of ritual behavior and is performed mainly by the male.

The construction of the nest is usually started by both birds, but sometimes only by the male, who later becomes only a carrier of nesting material, and the initiative in construction passes to the female. Often the construction that has begun is interrupted and no longer continues: the nest is built anew, sometimes on the same tree. In natural habitats, nest building for most pairs continues until mid-April.

The nest has the appearance of a compact pile of dry branches, laid in a fork of large trees, with a thick base, low edges and a fairly flat tray. The base of the nest is built from branches with a diameter of up to 1.5-2 cm, followed by thin twigs; nesting lining made of wool, rags, feathers, etc. Often building material for crows, wire is used, which is sometimes used in large quantities. Nest dimensions: diameter - 32-66 cm, height - 20-43 cm, tray diameter 17-24 cm, tray depth 8.5-14 cm. The nest is small compared to the size of the bird, and when it sits on it, it good visibility. Depending on the weather, it takes up to 10 days to build a nest. The distance of one nest from another is at least 1-2 km. In urban conditions, the distance between neighboring nests is much lower. In natural habitats, nests of hooded crows are placed on various trees (white willow, black poplar, silver birch, American maple, oak, pine, elm, etc.). In urbanized areas, birds are increasingly using objects of anthropogenic origin, in particular reinforced concrete power line supports, to place nesting buildings.

The interval between completion of nest construction and egg laying usually does not exceed 2-3 days. In the north of the Right Bank of the Saratov region, egg laying occurs in the first half of April, and in urbanized areas, egg laying begins earlier than in adjacent natural habitats. Weather spring period do not have a significant effect on the beginning of reproduction. The latest dates for the start of oviposition are confined to the first ten days of May. Females lay one egg per day. Often, laid eggs are stolen by neighboring crows on the same day.

A complete clutch consists of 3-6 (very rarely 7-8) eggs. Their shell is thin and fragile with a weak shine, pale green, bluish-green or pure green. Surface brown and internal gray with a purple tint specks and grains are scattered throughout the egg. Egg size: 38.5-42 × 28-30.5 mm. Incubation lasts about 17 days and begins in most couples after the first egg is laid. The period when chicks appear usually takes from 4 to 6 days. Chicks emerging from the first two eggs weigh on average 14.5 g, from the third and fourth - 13.5, from the fifth and sixth - 12.3 g. The greatest differences in weight are found in the period from the 14th to the 22nd day of life. The difference between chicks of the same age sometimes reaches 270 g. last days Before departure, the mass of crows is leveled.

The earliest dates for chicks hatching are in the first ten days of April. In the first ten days of May, chicks are observed in most nests, where they usually spend about a month. If disturbed, the brood can leave the nest even at the age of 25 days. Immediately after departure, many fledglings end up directly on the ground. Only after 2-5 days do they begin to “fly up” and climb the trees. In the first 5-10 days after departure, the fledglings stay hidden in an area usually not exceeding 1-4 hectares. From about 40 days of age, the young begin to gain experience in finding food and, trying to follow their parents, gradually expand their habitat. At the age of 50 days they begin to forage on their own. Already 30 days after departure, many broods move away from the nests at a distance of up to 1.5 km. From this time on, some broods end their sedentary lifestyle and begin family migrations. At the end of July - beginning of August, young crows at the age of 80-90 days finally switch to an independent lifestyle and separate from their parents.

Sexual maturity in hooded crows occurs at the end of the second year of life; reproduction does not occur in the pre-adult stage. Established couples can persist for several years until the death of one of the partners.

Nutrition

The hooded crow is an omnivorous bird. In its diet in different seasons, those food groups that are most accessible and plentiful at that time in the world predominate. natural conditions. In the feeding regime of the hooded crow, several periods can be distinguished:

1. winter - mainly waste from garbage dumps;
2. transitional spring - by mouse-like rodents, as well as seeds of agricultural plants and insects;
3. the period of feeding the chicks with insects;
4. united flocks - mainly agricultural plants, also insects;
5. transitional autumn - agricultural plants, also mouse-like rodents and partly waste from garbage dumps.

The diet of adult gray crows is dominated by animal food, which is dominated by insects, mainly beetles. Fish, amphibians and birds are rarely caught by adult crows. Settling near bodies of water of various types, crows often hunt for river mollusks (toothless clams, barley mussels, etc.), pecking at their shells, usually on the same perches. At the same time, individual individuals sometimes amaze with their resourcefulness: they seem to demonstrate elements of intelligent activity. Having taken a mollusk in its beak, the crow vertically flies up to a height of 15-20 m and throws it onto the stones. The crow repeats these actions until the shell opens or breaks. Plant foods include bird cherry and elderberry fruits, as well as sunflower seeds, corn, oats and weeds.

The food spectrum of hooded crow chicks is extremely diverse. It includes invertebrate and vertebrate animals, plant components, as well as waste collected by adult crows near human habitation. Leading place The diet of nesting chicks consists of animal feed. The group of invertebrate animals is dominated by insects (male beetle adults, species of the family Tipulidae, ground beetles genera Carabus And Calosoma, weevils, winter moth caterpillars, oak budworm ( Tortrix viridana) etc.), spiders and terrestrial mollusks are less common, the proportion of earthworms and nooses is extremely small.

Vertebrate animals in the diet of chicks are also represented by a large number of species; these types of food are not inferior in volume to invertebrates. Fish, amphibians and reptiles (lake frogs, fast lizards) are relatively common in the food of young birds. Adult hooded crows most often of all vertebrates brought chicks and eggs to the nest of birds, which are predominantly ground-nesting species, inhabitants of bushes and lower tiers of forests (garden bunting, forest pipit, blackbird, gray warbler, common redstart, garden warbler, common turtle dove, etc.), including corvids (magpie and jay). In addition, crows destroy the nests of lentils, skylarks, yellow wagtails, marsh warblers, shrikes, and fieldfares. Unlike other corvids, hooded crows eat eggs and chicks of other birds not as random food, but specifically make systematic attempts to search for residential nests. Mammals (speckled ground squirrel, pygmy wood mouse, common vole) are rarely caught by crows. On the contrary, carrion, poultry egg shells, bread, and other food products were relatively often found in food extracts.

Vegetable food in the food of nesting chicks is represented mainly by seeds of cultivated plants (wheat, rye, corn, buckwheat, barley, sunflower and peas).

Shedding

The full annual molt of adult birds occurs between July and September. The young (partial molt) molt from June to September.

Status

Common breeding, nomadic, partially sedentary and wintering species.

Literature

• Dementiev G. P. Passerines (Complete guide to birds of the USSR by S. A. Buturlina and G. P. Dementieva). - T. 4. - M., L.: KOIZ, 1937. - P. 27
• Malchevsky A. S., Pukinsky Yu. B. Birds of the Leningrad region and adjacent territories. - L.: From Leningrad University, 1983. - P. 548-554
• Mikheev A.V. Bird's nest guide. Textbook manual for students of biology. specialties ped. Inst. Ed. 3rd, revised - M.: Education, 1975. - P. 164
• Birds of the north of the Lower Volga region: In 5 books. Book IV. Composition of avifauna / E.V. Zavyalov, V.G. Tabachishin, N.N. Yakushev and others - Saratov: Saratov University Publishing House, 2009. - P. 213-228
• Birds Soviet Union. T. V / Under the general editorship. G. P. Dementieva and N. A. Gladkova. - M.: Soviet Science, 1954. - P. 25-29

Birds of the Rtishchevsky district
Units	Families Kinds
Storks
Passeriformes	Passeriformes House sparrow · Field sparrow Corvids Gray Crow· Jackdaw · Rook · Magpie Finches Greenfinch · Chaffinch · Linnet · Goldfinch Blackbirds Fieldfare Larks Crested lark Swallows Shore Swallow · City Swallow · Country Swallow Flycatchers Bluethroat · Black redstart · Wheatear · White-necked flycatcher · Pied flycatcher · Gray flycatcher · Meadowchat Oatmeal Reed oatmeal · Common oatmeal · Garden oatmeal Nuthatches Common nuthatch Waxwings Waxwing Tits Moskovka · Great tit Starlings Common Starling Slavaceae Willow Warbler Shrikes Common Shrike Wagtails White wagtail · Yellow-headed wagtail · Yellow wagtail
Pigeonidae
Anseriformes	Duck Mallard · Red-headed pochard · Teal
Woodpeckers	Woodpeckers Green woodpecker · Greater spotted woodpecker · Lesser spotted woodpecker · Middle spotted woodpecker · Gray woodpecker
Crane-like
Cuckoo-like	Cuckoo Common cuckoo
Coraciiformes	Hoopoes Hoopoe Bee-eaters European bee-eater
Charadriiformes
Owls
Falconiformes	Accipitridae Harrier · Pygmy eagle · White-tailed eagle · Buzzard · Greater spotted eagle · European tewik
Swift-shaped

Flora and fauna of the Rtishchevsky district
Flora of Rtishchevsky district
Mushrooms of the Rtishchevsky district
Fauna of Rtishchevsky district

Jonathan Swift has lines that have something to do with the thieving representative of our fauna. The writer tells how one morning the chief secretary for secret affairs of the great empire of Lilliput told Gulliver about the terrible disasters caused by the fierce decree of the emperor. The decree required that chicken eggs be broken only from the sharp end.

“This decree embittered the population to such an extent that... it was the cause of six uprisings, during which one emperor lost his life and another his crown... There are up to eleven thousand fanatics who went to death penalty for refusing to break eggs from the sharp end. Hundreds of huge works devoted to this issue have been published. However, the books of stupid people have long been banned, and the party itself is deprived of the right to hold public office.”

Swift is silent about how the crows lived in Lilliput. Meanwhile, according to the imperial decree, they should have been executed: the crows clearly gravitated towards the disgraced party of stupid people. For the eggs stolen from chicken coops were and are preferred by the feathered fanatics to be broken at the blunt end. Seagulls and other robbers, having climbed into someone else's nest, immediately crack open the eggs, and the crow is perhaps ashamed - it absorbs the contents of the egg far from the place of theft: the crow first transports the stolen goods. The cheat has no pockets; string bags and briefcases are not held in high esteem by her either. And the bulky chicken egg is about to fall out of the beak. In order not to make a mistake, the crow punches a hole at the blunt end (it’s easier to do here), inserts the upper half of its beak into the hole and, holding the fragile food from below with the lower half of its beak, escapes from the chicken coop.

The Perm Pedagogical Institute decided to find out why chicken, crow and other eggs do not lie haphazardly in nests, but are folded with sharp ends inward. Only the blunt ends point outward or upward.

What is it for? Here's what it's all about. When the bird, clinging to the shell, incubates the clutch, the air in the lower part of the nest stagnates and the carbon dioxide content increases five to nine times. As you know, you can’t inhale carbon dioxide: embryos need oxygen. This is where the dog is buried - oxygen penetrates into the egg more easily from the blunt end: there are more microscopic pores here and there is usually an air sac under the shell. That is why eggs nest in a cup-shaped tray with their blunt ends facing outward: this makes it easier to take in oxygen.

To prevent the eggs from accidentally turning over, their center of gravity is shifted to the sharp end. Thanks to this, birds can turn eggs from side to side. And the whole process of incubation - some kind of motionless word - is in fact full of movement. Here is the naturalist’s description: “Through binoculars you can clearly see that there is noticeable movement in the nest. The bird rises a little and seems to half-stand for several moments, quickly moving its legs, causing its wings and whole body to tremble. These seemingly strange actions of the bird help to ventilate 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.”

For the gray crow, ventilation takes seventeen days - until the chicks hatch. (They will spend another month in the nest, opening their beak every now and then). In order not to lose her athletic form, the female “ventilates” for real. Leaving the nest in the care of dad, he will stretch, tidy up his feathers and exercise - fly over nearby trees or roofs. One way or another, the crow's nest does not remain unattended. It’s not for nothing that people say: the bird that doesn’t like its nest is stupid. And the crow is truly an avian genius. But more on that a little later.

In the Arkhangelsk region, in the nests of gray crows, an average of three chicks “open their mouths”, in the Moscow region - 4.8, and in the fertile Krasnodar region - five chicks each require food.

V.A. Bakhmutov, who observed crow’s nests in the lower reaches of the Ob, noticed that the eggs laid first had a greenish-olive shell with clear specks. Then the colors weaken, and the color of the last eggs varies from pale green with barely noticeable specks to transparent blue. This diversity can probably be explained by the fact that the release of pigment in the female’s body decreases towards the end of the clutch. This means the crows are running out of steam. An interesting detail: the crow, the male, is usually born first. Is there some connection between the time of pipping, the sex of the chick and the color of the shell?

In general, it’s time to sort out the crow dyeing shop, and not get away with the phrase, they say, “the described species is interesting because, based on the color of the plumage, it falls into two groups - gray and black.” The black crow, as the name implies, is all black, and so much so that it has a metallic sheen. But the gray also has a lot of dark things: head, throat, wings, tail, beak and legs. The black one chose the eastern regions of the country, the gray one - the western ones. Their hybrids are found in the Kazakh steppes and along the Yenisei. However, black crows also live in Central Europe.

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 is the hooded crow. In size, a crow is larger than a jackdaw or rook, but practically half the size of a raven. The hooded crow's body is ash gray, and the head, wings, tail, beak, legs, and front of the throat are blue-black. Crows' nests are very similar to those of rooks. They usually make them in the forks of a thick tree trunk, but sometimes a crow's nest can be seen in city parks or gardens. Some crows can build a 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 that crows make regular migrations in spring and autumn. In the fall they fly to more southern regions and return in the spring. So, for example, crows from the Moscow region fly to Kharkov or Kyiv, and Arkhangelsk crows settle in the Moscow region. Therefore, the crows that we encounter in winter are not those that originally built their nests here and raised their chicks, but those that flew from places with more severe frosts. However, only young crows make flights. The old ones fly away from human habitation in the spring, and in the winter they return again and join flocks of visiting young crows and jackdaws.

In captivity, the crow is very easy to tame. This bird has a rather easy temperament, but loves to play pranks. She does this cunningly so that the owner does not notice. The crow is easy to train. She can be taught to speak not only words, but also small phrases. In captivity, she is fed porridge, meat, bread and other common foods.

Despite the fact that crows have nests, it is sometimes very difficult to answer the question of where crows sleep in winter. 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, they choose quieter places for this, away from heavily lit areas or busy highways. At other times of the year, crows fly to the forest or plantings to spend the night. By observing the crow, scientists found that if it is not disturbed, it will visit the same tree every year to spend the night. Quite often, the roosting site can be very far from the place where the crow spends time during the day.

On a note

In spring, the male and female build a nest together, in which the chicks are hatched. The babies are fed a wide variety of foods. These can be mollusks, insects, lizards, and fish, earthworms, frogs, mice, bird eggs and even the 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 the nesting sites only to spend the night. In autumn, crows begin to fly to wintering areas. They can fly from their native places to a distance of about two to two and a half thousand kilometers. The flight speed, in this case, reaches fifty kilometers per hour, although in ordinary life the crow is quite sedate.

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

The behavior of crows in the natural environment cannot be called imprudent, since they are very careful and observant. People who make mistakes are often called crows, but this does not at all correspond to the behavior of birds. Crows are very good at reading people. Their attitude towards him depends on whether a person can benefit or harm them. Let's say they flock in a whole flock to the place where they noticed a person carrying a trash can to the container. If they notice a child throwing stones or sticks at them, the entire 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, ravens are also distinguished by their passion for savings and frugality. They will never leave the remaining food. Usually they try to hide excess food in their favorite place so that they can return for it later. Moreover, they can remember this place for quite a long time. Crows of any type have a passion for everything shiny. As soon as she sees some shiny object or a candy wrapper, she begins to circle around it. She will watch the thing that interests her until she can drag it away.

In conclusion of the article, it should be noted that a person’s attitude towards crows should be in accordance with the role these birds play in the economy of the area in which they live. If they cause great harm, many farmers try to get rid of them.

This type of bird, such as hooded crows, belongs to the genus crow, family Corvidae, order Passeriformes, phylum Chordata.

The hooded crow is one of the bird species belonging to the genus crow. As a rule, the black and hooded crow are classified as subspecies of the same type, since they differ only by its color. These types of crows can be crossed with each other and raise completely healthy chicks.

Characteristics of the gray crow

What is a gray crow? It is not difficult to guess that the color of this bird is gray. The top of her head is dark, her legs are black. On average, body length can reach 50 cm, weight - approximately 500 grams. Usually, the hooded crow looks slightly larger than the rook. Its wingspan reaches a meter. The beak is high, curved and strong. Juveniles are usually darker than their ancestors, have dull blue eyes and a pink beak. Makes sounds like a hoarse "carr". It moves along the ground with large and clumsy steps. Sensing a dangerous situation, he begins to gallop.

Crows are very active and vindictive birds. They can remember the dog that offended them a year ago and attack it in packs. Sometimes gray individuals can recognize as the offender fur hat person. The worst enemy of this bird is the eagle owl, which kills them at night while they sleep.

When cold times come, birds fly away for the winter to colder warmer climes and, after the cold weather ends, they return. Those crows that remain for the winter find prey in ponds and forests.

How long does a gray crow live? This question is quite relevant, since there are myths that they can live about 300 years. However, this is absolutely not true. This bird can live 20-30 years, but there are exceptions. There are claims that among these birds there are long-lived people who can survive twice their average age of death.

The habitat of the gray crow is quite extensive:

• Central and Eastern Europe;
• Asia;
• Western Siberia.

The place of residence is chosen as follows:

• Forests;
• Landfills;
• Fields;
• Small villages;
• Villages.

The abundance of people does not frighten her at all, on the contrary, it provokes her. Deprive summer residents of the berries and vegetables they grow? Yes, easily!

Diet and daily routine of the gray crow

This is probably common bird species, which eat absolutely everything: from food in garbage cans to rodents and fruits. The menu of an adult bird consists of various small rodents, beetles, worms, birds, food waste, carrion, eggs, fruits and grains.

They obtain food for themselves in completely different ways. They are very inventive. Cases have been observed when an adult female came across a walnut and brought it to the road. After the car runs over the nut, it eats it. Callous bakery products crows soak in puddles.

Often people witness how a flock gray birds stuck around a trash can or landfill. Birds can carry leftover food from there to a more secluded place, which is why disorder and chaos remain near garbage containers.

For the love of smaller birds and rodents, the raven called bird of prey . She is not averse to feasting on squirrels and hares living in forests and parks. Also, the diet of this gray bird includes fish and small seagulls.

The daily life of these gray birds begins with their awakening. Even before dawn they gather in flocks and begin to fly. They gather on some huge tree and then scatter across the fields in search of food. By lunchtime they return to the tree, take a short nap, and then go back in search of food. Crows spend the night in entire flocks, and may be joined by jackdaws and rooks. They usually spend the night in cemeteries and parks.

Reproduction of hooded crows

Reproduction, as a rule, occurs at 2-5 years of age. The maximum age for incubating and laying eggs is 20 years.

The bird builds nests in trees and buildings. The pair builds a new nest each time. The mating season, which begins with the arrival of spring, preceded by mating games of the couple, somersaults in the air, swinging on wires, as well as the performance of figures by males aerobatics in the sky.

Usually crows' nests are located close to each other. Despite the fact that individuals of these birds love to feed on landfills, they will never build a nest in any dirty place. Parents are very sensitive to environmental issues and the health of their future children.

Around March-April, the parents begin to build a nest. It is built from hay, branches, rags, and various pieces of iron. Hoodie crows lay two to six bluish-green eggs with dark spots. Moreover, those crow eggs that are laid first will much more intensely colored than the latter. While incubating the chicks, the male is busy getting food for himself and his partner.

During incubation, strange actions of the mother bird were noticed: she almost does not sit quietly on the eggs, every now and then she spreads her wings and stands on her feet. These actions are associated with ventilation of the nest.

The chicks hatch after 20-35 days. Initially, they are completely helpless and need constant care and regular feeding. It is noteworthy that the boy chick is born first. The mother also begins to get food for the chicks. The crows are guarded by their parents in turns. The most popular food for chicks is eggs, which are stolen by the parents of the crows. Hooded crows also kidnap the chicks of other birds to feed their own.

In mid-June, the chicks begin to fly out of the nest. At first they are with their parents, who feed them. In July, the chicks begin to live their full lives.

How to have a crow at home

IN modern world You can see unusual animals in people. More and more often, people keep a crow in their house. However, keeping an adult crow that has already lived an independent life in the wild is a very big mistake.

But if a gray crow was tamed as a chick, then it will very quickly get used to its owner. Those who keep birds that are so unusual for their home note that crows are very smart and quick-witted. True, stealing something will not be difficult for her.

A crow that has lived in a house gets so used to it that when it is released, it can return home to its owner. You can tame crows even teach you to speak, however, this will require a lot of time and effort from the teacher. In order for the bird to remember the words, it is necessary to repeat them often and loudly.

It is not recommended to keep a crow in a cage because it loves to move. If a raven has lived its entire life in captivity, it cannot reproduce the sounds of its fellow tribesmen. But he will easily catch and reproduce all the sounds that he hears in the house.

A raven chick should be tamed when it is a maximum of 2-3 months old. An adult bird will be very difficult and almost impossible to tame. After a few years, the bird will want to leave the house and fly away. If she was raised properly, she will feel great in freedom; if not, she will die.

It is worth considering that when taming a bird such as a crow, you should pay a lot of attention to it for several months. And even then, when the bird grows up, it needs the attention of its owner. The owner will have to devote at least a couple of hours to his new pet.

Material costs, having such unusual bird, will be bypassed. The only thing that will require money is to furnish her home. A gray crow can live with a person its entire life. Lifespan domesticated hooded crow not much different from the life expectancy of the wild. But, due to the fact that a domesticated crow does not waste its energy searching for prey, it can live several years longer than its wild friend. The owner only needs to carefully study the diet of the gray crow and she will please him with her long life.