Crow is a bird belonging to the passerine order, the corvid family, genus O rona (lat. Corvus).

Previously, in Rus' the crow was called “vrana”. According to linguists, the name of the bird is most likely consonant with the words “witch,” “enemy,” “enemy.”

Crow: description, characteristics and photos. What does the bird look like?

Crows are the largest representatives of the passerine order. The length of the bird varies between 48-56 cm. The male is larger than the female, the weight of the male is 700-800 grams, females weigh from 460-550 grams. The length of the wing of a male crow reaches 27-30 cm; the wings of a female crow grow from 25 to 27 cm. The strong wings of most species have a pointed shape. The wingspan of a crow is about 1 m.

The appearance of the crow is similar to the rook, but differs in a denser physique.

The crow's tail is wedge-shaped, with long tail feathers. The bird's beak is powerful and sharp, conical in shape, and in some species has a characteristic high bend. The crow's legs are thin and long, with four toes: 1 facing back, 3 facing forward.

Most crow species have gray or black plumage that glows metallic, purple, violet or green in the sun. The base of the feather is usually gray, in rare cases white.

The crow's voice is high, hoarse, sometimes rough and guttural, reminiscent of laughter. The “crow language” is very developed, sounds of different tones are used during mating games, for notification of a general gathering, swearing, threats, and also alarm signals.

How many years do crows live?

The lifespan of a crow in nature is 15-20 years. In captivity, some crows live up to 35-40 years. The oldest crow's officially documented age was 59 years, which is rare.

Where do crows live?

The habitat is quite extensive: the crow bird is found in almost all countries of Europe and Asia, North America, North Africa and Australia.

Most crows are sedentary in urban, rural or natural landscapes. Sedentary-nomadic species of crows, which live at the northern borders of their range, move to areas with a more benign climate for the winter.

What do crows eat?

Solitary by nature, crows are active hunters, who sometimes team up with relatives to capture prey or organize a common feast. Being scavengers, a flock of crows is capable of accompanying feathered predators for a long time, and also for the sake of their prey or its remains. Crows are omnivores and eat absolutely anything that they think will be edible. The crow's diet includes any insects (,), worms, eggs of other bird species and their chicks, fish, small rodents (and).

All kinds of food waste are the usual and favorite food of crows, so large concentrations of these birds are often observed in city landfills. The crow feeds on insect larvae swarming in the dung.

In the absence of animal food, the crow eats plants and their seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Types of crows, names and photographs

The genus includes several species of crows:

• black crow(lat. Corvus corone)

It has black plumage, as well as black legs, feet and beak. Therefore, the bird is often confused with the rook. However, the plumage of the carrion crow has a much greener tint than that of the rook, and sometimes even a purple tint. The body length of an adult is 48-52 cm.

The species' range covers the territory of Western and Central Europe, where the black crow lives together with one of its subspecies - the eastern black crow (lat. Corvus corone orientalis), which lives in East Asia. In Russia, black crows nest in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

• Hoodie(lat. Corvus cornix)

According to one classification, the hooded crow is a separate species, according to another, it is a subspecies of the black crow. The length of the bird reaches 50 cm and weighs 460-735 grams. The hoodie differs from the rook in its larger wing width and especially pronounced beak slope. The body is painted gray. The head, chest, wings and tail of the hoodie are black with a slight metallic tint.

The hooded crow lives in Eastern and Central Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Asia Minor and throughout Russia, from the western part to the Kara Sea.

• Australian Crow(lat. Corvus coronoides)

It is the largest of three related species found in Australia. The crow's body length is 46-53 cm, and its weight is on average 650 g. The crow's black plumage has a blue-violet or blue-green sheen. A distinctive feature of all crows living in Australia is the white iris of the eyes and pronounced neck feathers. The throat of young individuals is covered with such sparse feathers that pink skin shows through between them.

The Australian crow lives in Sydney and Canberra.

• South Australian Crow(lat. Corvus mellori)

It is distinguished by its completely black plumage, long wings and a thin, strongly curved beak. A medium-sized species, the length of an adult crow is 48-50 cm. According to some scientists, the bird prefers only plant food.

The South Australian crow lives in southeastern Australia, as well as on King and Kangaroo Islands.

• Bronze Crow(lat. Corvus crassirostris)

Originally called the vulture crow. Large representatives of the species have a body length of 60-64 cm. The beak of the bronze crow is quite large and exceeds the length of the head. The crow's coloration is completely black, with a single white spot on the back of its head. The tail of a crow of this species is characterized by a stepped arrangement of feathers.

The bronze crow lives in the mountains and high plateaus of East Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, as well as Sudan and Somalia.

• White-necked Crow(lat. Corvus cryptoleucus)

A typical representative of the genus, distinguished by the white bases of the feathers on the neck. The body length of an adult is 50 cm. This species of crow is common in the southeastern United States and northern Mexico.

• Big-beaked crow(lat. Corvus macrorhynchos)

The bird has a very large beak. The size of the crow depends on its habitat: representatives of the northern populations are larger than the southern ones, have a large beak and well-developed feathers on the neck. On average, the length of adult crows is 46-59 cm, and their weight reaches 1.3 kg. The body is covered with dark gray feathers. The wings, tail and head of the great-billed crow are black, with a purple or green tint.

The species includes 15 subspecies living in continental Asia and the Russian Far East, as well as inhabiting the islands of the Philippines, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Hokkaido, Yakushima and many others.

• Bristle Crow(lat. Corvus rhipidurus)

It grows up to 47 cm in length and is very similar to a black crow. However, the bird has a characteristically thick beak, long wings, a shortened tail and very short throat feathers. The species of bristly crows is distinguished by its glossy black color and characteristic purple-blue feathers and paws. The raven's feathers on the back of its head have a white base.

The habitat of this bird species begins in the Middle East, passes through the northern part of the African continent, along the Arabian Peninsula, through Kenya and Sudan to the Sahara Desert.

• Bangay crow(lat. Corvus unicolor)

The smallest crow of this genus, growing to only 39 cm in length. The species is characterized by black feathers and a short tail.

The least studied species of crow, found exclusively on Peleng Island in Indonesia. The species has endangered status and, according to scientists, the population today contains from 30 to 200 individuals.

White crows are very rare in nature - the result of mutation-albinism.

An albino can appear in any species group and will differ from its relatives only in its white plumage and extreme vulnerability.

How do crows reproduce?

At the age of 2 years, most crow species are ready to breed. Crows are monogamous birds and choose a mate for the rest of their lives. The mating games of a male and female crow are distinguished by intricate aerial turns, chases and somersaults. The most common species of these birds breed in early to mid-spring.

On the left is a female crow, on the right is a male crow

Crows make nests in forest parks and squares; they are laid in the forks of strong tree branches, on power line supports, cranes, and behind drains. Species that live in steppe and semi-desert landscapes make nests in crevices of rocks and cliffs. Both future parents usually take part in the construction, painstakingly constructing a nest from twigs and twigs. The crow's nest does not exceed 0.5 meters in diameter and has a height of 20-30 cm. Turf, clay, and often pieces of wire are used for fastening. The bottom of the nest is lined with feathers, down, dry grass, cotton wool and rags.

Depending on the type of bird, the clutch contains 3-6 or 4-8 eggs of light green or bluish color with dark spots. The female crow incessantly incubates the clutch for 17-20 days. The male crow feeds his companion and takes care of her throughout the entire period of hatching the eggs.

After 25 days, naked crow chicks are born, provided with food by both parents. The cubs fledge a month after birth.

You should not try to pick up a crow that has accidentally fallen from its nest. The parents make a terrible noise, calling their relatives with shouts, and zealously protect the cub. A flock of crows attacks a dangerous alien, be it animal or human.

At the beginning of summer, the crow's offspring begin to fly out of the nest, and for the first month they remain with their parents, who continue to care for them. In July, the young animals finally leave their native nest.

However, family ties remain, and sometimes the offspring of past years, instead of creating their own family, help their parents feed and raise their brothers and sisters.

It's not easy to be a White Crow. Even at school, the little person is clearly made to understand: you are not from our pack. By and large, it doesn’t matter why this happens: someone had a difficult childhood, someone expresses their thoughts strangely and has been playing chess since the age of three, someone is morally older than their peers, and someone was simply born red-haired and disproportionate. The only important thing is that the White Crow always has a chance to turn into a real Rare Bird, and instead of ridicule and suspicion, arouse admiration and a little envy.

White Crow vs Rare Bird

White Crow is very different from others. There was no place for her in existing social institutions, and she feels in accordance with the situation: superfluous, abandoned, misunderstood.

Rare Bird compares favorably with others. There was no place for it in existing public institutions, and Rare Bird independently created either a new place or a new institution. She feels well and quite comfortable.

The White Crow opposed itself to society, or society opposed itself to it. From time to time they can get closer, but only when absolutely necessary and for a long time. Society never - never! - will not accept the White Crow.

The Rare Bird, in her youth, got rid of attacks of misanthropy and realized that comparing human individuals on the basis of “better or worse” is a thankless thing and can only captivate the White Crow. Rare Bird is liked by society. She is not like others, and this dissimilarity attracts and enchants.

The White Crow is most often called an outcast, a strange and suspicious bird. Sometimes she’s crazy, more often she’s crazy.

The Rare Bird is called strange, abnormal, and crazy. Sometimes. More often, she hears flattering epithets addressed to her. She is called unique, extraordinary, original, incredible, and sometimes even brilliant.

White Crow is embarrassed by her oddities. Either she tries to mimic the rest of the article and feels extremely uncomfortable in someone else’s clothes, or she withdraws into herself and quietly hates the whole world.

The Rare Bird is proud of its eccentricities. She does not hide her opinion and does not try to live up to standards. Sometimes she even flaunts these oddities and demonstratively exaggerates, but only occasionally: otherwise the Rare Bird will turn into a provocateur and shocker.

White Crow believes that she is a white crow.

The Rare Bird believes that it is a rare bird.

Evolution of the White Crow

Release your "I"

Free yourself from the nervous tension that has accompanied you all your life, from childhood to this moment. Stop suffering from sidelong glances and parental sighs. What worries you, what makes you pull your head into your shoulders and blend in with the crowd: laugh with everyone at a mediocre joke, smile tensely at a noisy party (which you really didn’t want to go to!), pretend that you are in a pack, with everyone, like All. Allow yourself the luxury of being yourself. To be misunderstood, rejected by someone, ridiculed by someone. This will pass. Only after the constant tension disappears and attempts to squeeze into some norms of behavior stop, will you begin to be respected and accepted with all your oddities. Not before.

Find your way to express yourself

Every person is prone to creativity, and even more so the White Crows. And not at all because their unusualness is so attractive to muses. It’s just that their lonely childhood gave them time and the opportunity to properly understand themselves; as a result, the White Crows are more immersed in their inner world than others. Find your own path in creativity, even if it seems that you lack talent. Creativity is not only painting and poetry.

Learn to make snub-nosed plastic dolls, draw sketches of Oscar-style evening dresses, write a novel about the reincarnation of John Lennon. Or better yet, do both. Don't imitate, don't copy someone else's successful style. Draw and write as if your inner voice speaks for you. Self-expression works wonders: White Crows transform before our eyes, they have bright plumage and a confident gait. In addition, the more hobbies and abilities people have, the more attractive they look in the eyes of others.

Find a use for your quirks

It happens that the White Crow differs from others not only in character traits, but also in violation of generally accepted standards of a “normal, healthy person.” Find a use for these oddities and use them as the basis for your own style.

Klaus Joule has been unable to write correctly since childhood; he is physically unable to create coherent texts. He speaks the text into the recorder, then his assistant transcribes the recording. The result is light, unlike anything else, books that resemble a leisurely conversation.

Brautigan seemed to have no idea what literature should be. He wrote neither poetry nor stories, but something formless and, at first glance, meaningless. Critics invented a new genre in his honor.

Janis Joplin became a rock star, despite her hoarse, broken voice.

Renata Litvinova, with her intonations, seemed to have nothing to do either in the cinema or in the theater. At the beginning of their creative careers, they were all considered marginal, people who were absolutely superfluous and incomprehensible. In the end, it was the oddities that became the “calling card”.

Get Recognition

Now stones and accusations will fly at me, depending on other people’s opinions... The White Crows demonstratively turn away from the world, suffer, but do not take a step away from principles. Unrecognized geniuses are White Crows. Recognized - Rare Birds. It is not at all necessary to apply for the Booker and a vacant place in the Louvre; it will be enough if those around you begin to hear and listen to you. In addition, no matter what they say, only a socially realized person can become truly independent of the opinions of others. Make a career, open a shelter for homeless animals, show your sketches of evening dresses to an aspiring designer, put dolls up for sale and send your manuscript to publishing houses.

Don’t hide your “whiteness”—emphasize it!

The Rare Bird is the White Crow who has embraced her oddities and declared them as virtues. Why be disingenuous, most often these oddities are even exaggerated, and there is nothing unnatural about this either. A Rare Bird is a White Crow “squared”, treating its wondrous essence with respect and even secret admiration. The only thing is to avoid the other extreme - unhealthy egoism. “I’m not like everyone else” does not mean “I’m better than everyone else.”

The secret of John Kehoe and Captain Vrungel

Several years ago, the famous psychologist John Kehoe (the same one who, on the verge of poverty, developed his own “psychology of wealth” and three years later became a millionaire), participated in research on creativity. Many psychologists have conducted hundreds of tests among creative people and those who do not have creative thinking. They sought to find some key factor that distinguishes one from the other.

After spending several months and hundreds of thousands of dollars, psychologists finally found him. The only difference between creative and non-creative people was that the former considered themselves creative individuals, while the latter believed the opposite.

All! Kehoe was amazed. You and I know that this truth was discovered by Captain Vrungel: “Whatever you call the boat, that’s how it will float.”

Consider yourself a rare bird, call your eccentricities sophistication, and your suspicious difference from others - an advantageous difference. I’m willing to bet: within a couple of weeks you will notice something unusual in your appearance, and in your behavior - the habits of a Rare Bird...

The gray crow (Corvus cornix) is one of the most recognizable birds in the Moscow region. This is a very smart bird that becomes attached to the person who raised it.

Description

Hoodie(corvid family) is a fairly large bird, from 44 to 51 cm long, weighing up to 700 g. The wingspan is about one meter. The hooded crow's plumage is gray or dark gray (except for the black crown of the head, bib, tail and wings). The black beak is slightly hooked and has a slightly convex beak. The hooded crow's legs are black. It is the presence of gray coloring in the plumage that is one of the important distinguishing features of the gray crow. Young birds are slightly darker than adults. The voice of the gray crow is a hoarse “karr-karrr.” Many ornithologists consider this bird to be a subspecies of the black crow and admit the possibility of crossbreeding between black and gray crows. “In their way of life, the gray and black crows are almost indistinguishable from each other. Both represent sedentary, less often nomadic birds, living in pairs or united in a large society.” (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

Nutrition

Hooded crows are omnivores. “They eat everything - they clean the railway tracks from what falls from garbage bins and carriage toilets, they swallow mice, lizards and frogs, seeds of spruce and field bindweed...” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”). The menu is replenished with various small rodents, birds, beetles, worms, eggs of other birds, food waste, carrion, fruits and grains. Crows have learned to obtain food for themselves in a variety of ways. “For a month, the birds, not sparing their bellies, saved the lands of the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve from pests. They did not dig the ground at random, but stuck their beaks exactly where, at a depth of 5 - 10 centimeters, the larvae of the cockchafer were tormenting the roots of the plants.” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”).

The omnivorous nature of the gray crow leads to the fact that it often feeds in landfills, garbage containers and other similar places. It is not uncommon to see the mess crows make near trash cans. They take with them crusts of bread and bones with the remains of meat in order to be satisfied in a more convenient place. For example, on the roofs of houses.
The crow is classified as a bird of prey, as it hunts smaller birds (especially chicks), rodents and other animals. In some parks, squirrels suffer from hooded crows. “Sometimes there are raids on hares that for some reason find themselves in a clearing during the day. A flock of crows skillfully blocks the Oblique's escape route. Sometimes the crows adopt the vile manner of the skua - they terrorize the small gulls that have grabbed the fish until they spit out the silvery body.” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”).

Habitat

In our country, the gray crow is common in the European part and in Siberia. In the east (up to the Yenisei) the color of the crow's plumage is more gray. This bird is found in forests, wastelands, landfills, small towns and cities. The bird is not afraid of the abundance of people. The hooded crow manages to build nests not only on trees, but also on buildings. Crows gather in huge flocks to spend the night. They often spend the night in parks or cemeteries. They are often joined by rooks and jackdaws. One part of Moscow and Moscow region gray crows remains in their former places for the winter, the other part migrates to other regions and even to European countries. The total number of birds is not decreasing, as crows fly to us from the North.

Hatching chicks

With the arrival of spring, the mating season begins. At this time, it is interesting to watch the males performing incredibly complex turns, takeoffs and other aerobatics in the air. The hooded crow nests in pairs. Sometimes nests are located nearby. Crows are very sensitive birds. They are well versed in environmental issues. In polluted areas, the hooded crow rarely builds a nest. She only flies there in search of food, and builds a nest in a cleaner place so that the offspring are healthy.

In March - April, the construction of a nest on a tree or building begins. Building material is whatever the crows are able to find and bring. These are branches, hay, rags, various pieces of iron and pieces of wire. The clutch consists of 2 - 6 bluish-green eggs with dark brown spots and streaks. The eggs laid first are more intensely colored than the last eggs. At the very end, the female lays pale blue eggs with almost imperceptible speckles. Family responsibilities are distributed as follows: the female incubates the eggs, and the male provides her with food. “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.” (S.F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”).

The chicks hatch after about three weeks. It is noted that the first crow to hatch is the “boy”. As soon as the chicks are born, the female hooded crow starts searching for food. Birds guard the nest with chicks in turns. Growing chicks need food that is easily digestible and has enough calories. The best food product is the eggs of other birds. Crows mercilessly rob other people's nests to feed their chicks. They also hunt the chicks of smaller birds. “Sitting on a perch stick (and who invented that?) or on the overhanging roof of a birdhouse, the crow waits for the chick to look out the window. Grabbing him by the beak, she drags away the foolish ones one by one. But this is not the height of robbery: some crows uncork birdhouses like a bottle of beer. At the Zvenigorod Biological Station of Moscow State University, a burglar, using her beak as a lever, threw off the lids from eight birdhouses in one morning. Putting her beak between the lid and the side wall, she widened the gap until the lid gave way.”

Habits of the Hoodie Crow

Crows are surprisingly agile, although they walk slowly due to their close-toed toes. This bird loves fun. For example, it glides with pleasure, gaining a height of several tens of meters. Swings boldly on the wires. At our dacha, crows noisily roll down the metal roof, having previously folded their wings. Smart birds are incredibly smart. “If they can’t break a strong shell with their beak, they fly into the sky and throw the shell on rocks or on the highway. Once, crows used the Tashkent airfield as nutcrackers. In the mornings, when there was relative calm at the airport, a flock of crows bombed the concrete strip with walnuts gathered from neighboring gardens!” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”). There are many facts confirming the abilities of crows. “They famously count to five in their heads. They organized a round-up of crows... If five people entered the shelter, the flock did not return until all the hunters lost patience and went home. If, say, nine people climbed into the shelter, and six or seven came out, the observer crows lost count and, deciding that everything was in order, gave signals to return.” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”).

The crow has its worst enemy - the eagle owl. He kills birds at night when they are sleeping. Crows are vindictive. They remember and can attack the dog that chased them a year ago. Occasionally, birds mistake people's fur hats for old offenders and peck them furiously.

The daily routine of the gray crow

The famous Alfred Edmund Brehm described the typical daily routine of crows this way. “The daily life of crows is something like this. They begin to fly before dawn and often gather on a particular building or large tree before scattering across the fields. Until noon, they are actively busy looking for food: they walk through fields and meadows, guard mouse holes, look out for bird nests, and rummage through gardens. ... By noon, crows flock to a dense tree to sleep in its foliage after lunch, and then go back to feed. Before settling down for the night, they gather in large numbers, apparently with the goal of mutually exchanging impressions of the day.” (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

Hand crow

A crow living in captivity quickly gets used to humans. Especially if she came into the house as a chick. Everyone notes that this is a very smart bird. True, thievish. “Here, for example, is how zoologist Yu. Romov complained about his tame bird. His pupil, who lived freely, stole everything she could carry. At the table she behaved in the most indecent manner - she emptied the host and guest's spoon before they could even reach their mouths. As soon as I gaped a little, the spoon itself disappeared. Neither swearing nor slaps on the head helped.” (S. F. Starikovich “Menagerie at the Porch”).

“Both species of crows can be kept in captivity for a long time without much hassle; they are tamed and learn to speak, if only the teacher has enough patience. But still they are not suitable for the room because of their untidiness and the smell they spread...” (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”). A tame crow lives near a person for years. She gets so used to the house and all family members that she can lead a free lifestyle, but eat and spend the night with people.

There is a popular misconception that a raven is a male and a crow is a female of the same species. In fact, the raven is not the raven’s “husband” at all. Raven and crow are two different species. Sexual differences among individuals of almost all species of corvids are only in size: as a rule, males turn out to be somewhat larger than females.

Male ravens are among the largest birds in the family, because most others are inferior in size to representatives of this species. An adult raven sometimes reaches more than 60 centimeters in length and weighs about 1.5 kg!

But large size is not the only difference between ravens and other corvids. An important feature of the species is the wedge-shaped tail, which gives crows a resemblance to birds of prey, especially in flight. The wingspan of a raven reaches 120 centimeters. The pointed feathers of the crop form a kind of “beard”. The color of the feathers is monochromatic - black, but the plumage of adult individuals becomes shiny and shimmers in the sunlight with all the colors of the rainbow. Therefore, the flight of a raven in the rays of the sun is a magnificent sight!

Dahl, in his “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language,” cites a number of proverbs that characterize the attitude of our ancestors towards this bird: “A raven croaks at a church - to a dead person in the village; croaks in the hut - to the dead man in the yard”; “Through which the yard the crows flew, cawing, there will be a dead man”; “Every raven should caw on its own head”; “The old raven will not caw in vain”; “Like a raven waiting for blood.” The Catholic Church cursed the bird, considering it a product of dark forces. In fact, the largest member of the family does not deserve such a bad reputation. In the legends of many peoples, ravens are the personification of wisdom. This is a strong, beautiful and smart bird

Crows prefer to live in deserted places, although sometimes they live in small settlements, mostly in rural areas. Occasionally, small populations of ravens are found even on the outskirts of large industrial cities, although this, of course, is rather an exception: these birds prefer ecologically clean areas. More often they settle in mountains or forests, sometimes they can be found on the coasts, but crows remain small in number, never forming large colonies. However, having found a suitable place to live, the family often stays there for life. In this case, the family can either consist of a single pair with chicks or be a group of adults.

Crows tend to build their nests higher up, in inaccessible places: on the tops of ancient trees, cliffs or rock ledges. The material for construction is usually thick, durable branches and twigs; soft bedding is provided on the inside. In early spring, bluish-green spotted eggs appear in the nest one at a time, every day or two. In total, from three to seven pieces are usually deposited. Incubation begins when approximately half of the eggs have been laid. Sometimes future parents take turns doing this, but more often the male is busy getting food for himself and his brood mate. The chicks are born after about twenty days, and by summer they have already flown out of the nest, although they still need the care of their elders for a long time and stay close to their parents at least until the fall. Young crows start their own families at the age of two years, having reached sexual maturity.

As for the raven’s diet, it can rightfully be classified as a feathered orderly: the main “dish” is a variety of carrion. However, the raven is also an avid hunter. Therefore, mice, small birds, their chicks and eggs, and large insects, preferably beetles, are regular additions to the diet. And if it lives near a body of water, the raven also shows itself to be a good fisherman, deftly catching shellfish and small fish.

As for keeping it in the house, you should definitely either choose a small chick or abandon this idea altogether: adult crows cannot be tamed and can bring a lot of trouble to a frivolous “owner”, creating real bedlam in the house in a matter of minutes. However, a baby crow brought into the house will also cause a lot of trouble at first. But it’s worth it: after all, this is the most intellectually developed bird of the domestic fauna.

The crow will deftly steal shiny things from guests, hunt chickens and ducklings or other small birds, offend neighbors' dogs and cats, tear up furniture and wallpaper, turn books and clothes into useless pieces, and break dishes. At the same time, very soon he will become attached to the person who fed him, so that he will never betray him, completely not recognizing the rest of humanity. There are cases when tamed crows tried to help if the owner became ill, and even died of grief on the same day as their loved one.

In nature, adult crows make rather monotonous sounds, by which they can be easily distinguished from other birds: “Crook.” Young people more often pronounce this unfinished “kar”: “Kaa”. But raven chicks quickly learn human speech, pronouncing words clearly and clearly. Moreover, their level of intelligence allows them to use words and phrases strictly for their intended purpose, turning the bird into a real interlocutor. The raven will be able to communicate its needs (“I want to eat,” “I will sleep,” etc.) and answer simple questions. Problems with tame crows only occur during puberty, when, like any teenager, the chick strives to leave its parental home and gain independence. However, the transitional age passes, the raven matures and can remain with the owner all his life: at home, crows can live up to seven decades.

Perhaps not a single bird in our fauna can compare with the raven in intelligence. He can solve complex problems that life puts before him. A raven can easily distinguish a hunter from other people, a man from a woman, whom he is less wary of.

You can feed a raven almost everything that a person can eat.

This will be obvious even if you just look closely at the photo of the crows. These are different species of birds, albeit from the same family. Moreover, these birds even quarrel with each other. The raven belongs to the passerine order and is its most prominent representative.

Description, appearance of birds

In particular, the body length of ravens can reach 70 cm, and the massive bird sometimes weighs up to two kilograms. The dimensions of the female are somewhat smaller. It has a large, thick beak and a wedge-shaped tail, which the same crow cannot boast of. The coloring also attracts attention: the bird has black plumage with slight variations in shades near the neck, while the abdominal region has a glossy, metallic tint.

Young birds:

Young chicks have a matte coloration, with brown or gray tints.

The raven has a wingspan of one to one and a half meters. The bird has pointed throat feathers, and under the beak, with age, they form in the form of a “beard”. Like the plumage, the beak and legs of ravens are also blue-black. The claws on the feet are curved. Iris of a Raven's Eye coffee shades.

Similarities with other birds

Similarities can be found with rooks, but the raven is much more massive and differs in a number of characteristics. Is it possible that crows have a monochromatic body color, like rooks or black crows? The bird's voice has a low, guttural "kru" or a loud, short or drawn-out "kra", also known as a croak. It is believed that crows can imitate sounds, imitate the voices of other animals.

Spread of ravens

They have spread almost everywhere in the so-called Holarctic region, which covers most of the globe. From the far north of the Russian Federation, Alaska and Greenland to the northern part of the Sahara Desert, Arabia, northwestern India. Where they definitely cannot be found is in South America. However, despite such a vast distribution area, the bird is losing its numbers every year.

Raven's habitat

From the previous paragraph it is clear that crows can choose almost any landscape as their habitat, from plains to mountains, from desert to tundra. However, they avoid dense coniferous forests. Birds prefer deciduous forests or, if this is the north, bushes near ponds and swamps. In the southern regions of its range it prefers mountains to steppe plains. They even live in the Himalayas, at great heights.

Lives in deserts!

The bird does not shy away from arid deserts, be it the Sahara in Africa or the Mojave in the USA.

Crows, as a rule, do not settle next to humans. Although recently it has been noted that the black crow has begun to appear in the suburbs and abandoned villages. In large cities, seeing it is rather an exception to the rule. However, sometimes a photo of a raven gets caught in the lens. In cities, the bird can nest in uninhabited multi-story buildings. Ravens may be attracted to available food in landfills, meat processing plants, or barnyards.

Bird nesting place

Ravens often nest in forests, near a water source. If it is found in open areas, it is more likely to be where it is rare to find a living person, for example, in cemetery groves. It is extremely rare near any busy roads, if there is an edge and food there.

Choosing a bird nesting site, given the sedentary lifestyle of the raven, is very important for him. Rarely a raven decides to fly long distances for the winter. That’s why the bird chooses remote places, hard to reach for humans, with dense trees. As a rule, a raven chooses a strong tree with a high fork in the trunk for a future nest, for which pine trees, oaks, and lindens are suitable.

Life in the mountains:

In mountainous regions, ravens build nests right in the rocks, under an overhanging canopy.

If the raven has chosen a cultural landscape as a nesting site, then the choice of place is limited to abandoned high-rise buildings, water towers or old churches.

Lifestyle, behavior characteristics of birds

The raven is extremely intelligent, with a well-organized nervous system. Older birds pass on experience to the young ones, and the memory of those birds allows them to remember everything and repeat the behavior habits in the future. That is, we can say that, along with unconditioned ones, they also have conditioned reflexes. These birds can be distinguished from others like them even in flight.

The bird makes much less flapping of its long wings, which resembles its larger fellow predators. Also, a specific feature of the bird can be called the start of a raven before takeoff, since it makes a certain run-up. And in general, the raven feels good on the ground.

Beautiful flight!

In the sky, the bird is capable of complex aerobatics.

At night the raven sleeps in its nest and is always busy hunting during the day.

As a rule, these birds form small flocks closer to autumn, and before that they live in separate pairs. It is also interesting that the raven is different in that, like people, it fights for territory. The bird attacks each other in flocks in an organized manner, if necessary. A powerful, wedge-curved, large beak helps them in the fight. A flock of winning ravens settles in the conquered territory and obtains food within its boundaries.

Crows feeding

The raven is practically omnivorous and does not disdain carrion. The bird has also been spotted destroying the nests of other animals. Much depends on the time of year. The raven has excellent eyesight, so when there is no easily accessible food in the form of carrion, it looks out from the sky for small living creatures - from field mice to insects. If the raven suddenly interrupts its lunch and flies a short distance away from the food, as a rule, this means that the owner of the place has returned or arrived, be it an animal or a person.

Meat lovers!

However, leftover meat or offal suits them quite well, and they are ready to wait patiently.

Raven and diet features

Domestic animals are rarely attacked. It is interesting to watch the ravens that settle along the banks of the river foraging for food. The raven catches a toothless shell on the shore, and then lifts it high into the sky, from where it throws it back. And so on several times until the shell breaks to get the slug out.

Crows have also been observed eating grain and various plant foods. Despite the rather low socialization, birds tend to share large prey with their brothers, about which a loud signal is given. This especially applies to young animals.

Reproduction

As is the case with flock behavior, those crows that have formed a pair will certainly take ownership of some territory and jealously guard it. The distance between the lands of all such marriages is several kilometers (the only exception is the anthropogenic zone).

Sometimes the attachment of ravens to a place allows them to maintain such a union until the very end of their lives, which is why they received the definition of monogamous. By the way, puberty begins after the second year of life. It's time for the crow to prepare the nest.

Reproduction:

According to statistics, the breeding process usually begins in February, when it is still winter.

Mating games are distinctive in that male crows begin to perform aerobatic maneuvers in the sky or, like a peacock, walk in front of the female with a “flowing” tail. If the female agrees, the pair begins to clean each other's feathers and prepare the nest.

Raven and offspring

During the construction of the nest, materials (these are twigs, branches, scraps of skins for laying, moss, lumps of clay, etc.) are brought by both “spouses”, but only the female is in charge of the nesting, and then hatches the eggs there. This continues for up to 3 weeks, until the structure inspires confidence in the bird: the diameter of the nest is on average about a meter, and the height is half a meter.

Often, a pair of ravens sets up several nests at once within their territory, just in case, and periodically changes their location. But, despite the number of nests, there is never more than one brood per year.

On average, a clutch of ravens contains up to 6 greenish eggs. During incubation, which is about three weeks, the male raven is engaged in obtaining food.

The first time after hatching, the female raven continues to warm the down-covered chicks in the nest. Then the raven and his mate simply feed them. A newborn chick eats everything its parents eat. A little over a month later, the chicks begin to fly, and within a year the bird will be living independently.

How long do crows live?

If in the wild a raven lives on average about 15 years, then in captivity a bird can live several dozen. In general, the raven is considered a long-liver. How long crows live depends on living conditions and quality of food. If the chick is taken out of the nest, it becomes possible to tame it, but subsequently the raven recognizes only the owner. And then, after a year or two, the bird tends to fly away, just have time to take a photo of the crow.