Conservation Corner: Deciphering the cacophony of crows

There are around 300 species of birds that spend a portion of their lives in Ohio on an annual basis, and virtually all of them emit audible forms of communication that can be detected by human ears.

The average, non-die-hard bird watcher can usually identify a dozen, maybe two, of these varieties by their vocalizations alone. The soft cooing of a mourning dove; the melodic calls of red-winged blackbirds, or the piercing shriek of a red-tailed hawk often serve as proof of the bird’s presence in absence of visual confirmation. Some birds even have voices that serve as a virtual definition of the animal itself, and perhaps none are more famous, or infamous, as the American crow.

The physical presence of a crow is hard to ignore. Standing over one foot in height, with a black-on-black wardrobe of pitch feathers complimented by obsidian legs, eyes and beak, this bird’s silhouette contrasts sharply against the landscape and sky. Beyond the visual cues, which have long been associated with various aspects of historical lore and mythology, crows are notorious for being one of the most vocal of all our local avian inhabitants.

With the possible exception of Canada geese, no bird call draws a more polarized reaction among people than the American crow. Whether it’s a pair of crows squabbling over an early morning morsel of food, or a gathering of several-hundred, laying verbal siege to an intruding hawk or owl, their raucous ‘caws’ can be heard from miles away. To the untrained ear, these hoarse, grating calls sound basically the same, but there have been over twenty different variations documented by researchers, with an untold additional number that might exist beyond our comprehension.

Crows have been touted for their extreme intelligence, and their propensity to verbalize frequently and overtly has no doubt aided this bird in surviving centuries of mankind’s attempts to eradicate them from the landscape. That’s not to say, however, that many people may not want to kill them for the very voice that has assisted their survival. Crows are monogamous and do most of their foraging and activities in pairs unless partaking in a social feeding or territorial defense event, and these pairs seem to develop an almost clockwork-like routine.

One such pair decided, several years ago, to set up camp in the rural countryside near my house. I have long appreciated crows and the marvels of feats they can accomplish but, when this particular couple developed a pre-dawn ritual of perching in a sugar maple tree directly outside my newborn infant’s bedroom and blasting the crisp morning air with their raucous crowing (no pun intended), my desire to shorten their lifespan created a test of willpower. In the end, a cooler head prevailed and the crows still gather outside our window several days a week and even get a few table scraps to dine upon when I’m feeling generous.

Many readers have probably witnessed examples of crows’ curious nature, problem-solving intelligence, and obnoxious noise-making in person, and these occurrences have either been enlightening to observe, from a naturalist’s point of view, or agonizing to endure if you were trying to take a nap. Either way, there’s no denying that crows will continue to tell their stories from trees and rooftops, it will be your choice to listen.

Tommy Springer is a wildlife and education specialist with the Soil and Water Conservation District.