@ct_bergstrom my students fed the crows behind my classroom one year. They brought lunchroom leftovers. The crows came to know the kids. They started coming to the playground (on the other side of the campus) to hang out with us, even though they didn't get fed there. The crows knew what time our lunch was and would show up every day!

@ct_bergstrom how about magpies? Any experience with them? There are a lot of them around my house. I guess they're a slightly different species here in Europe than in North America, though.

@ct_bergstrom beautiful portrait. I have befriended a pair of crows who have been nesting near my house for over a decade. Have become so fond of them and they seem fond of me too. Such joy in our interactions & just watching them interact with each other, with their young, with other birds and our pets over the years. #TorresianCrow They are so very clever & playful & affectionate.

@ct_bergstrom Being kind to all creatures is never a bad thing. Being kind as its own reward is reward enough, as not all wild creatures can acknowledge kindness, but the lovely corvid can, whether or not they so choose. They can also engage in retribution for misdeeds, as well. Their ability to choose is something I find immensely endearing, a magnificent gift. I have always said "Hello Crows!" with a happy wave.
Thank you for this thread!

@ct_bergstrom Thank you

@ct_bergstrom How to befriend crows?

Share your love for winter sunsets.

@ct_bergstrom
Weeks ago I stood on our porch having my early morning coffee, watching & listening to crows. One flew into a nearby tree and cawed to another off in the distance. It was watching me. The second one communicated to a third much further away. I could hear them all responding to each other, taking turns flying to the nearby tree, as if checking me out, while all of them got closer, one by one.
I did talk to them couple times, but mostly observed in awe.
Nature is incredible.
#crows

@ct_bergstrom
Such beautiful creatures 💓

@ct_bergstrom I have always wanted to befriend some crows. Maybe I will try this summer.

@ct_bergstrom thank you so much! pretty amazing set of advices!

@ct_bergstrom I'm assuming this mostly holds true for magpies as well? I know the grudge thing does. My dog made a grave error the day he thought it'd be fun to chase the magpies 🤦‍♂️now he's toyed with daily.

@ct_bergstrom where is the thread?

@ct_bergstrom I love feeding the crows in my suburban neighborhood, but my neighbors don’t like it. I get complaints about the babies loudness in the am and the mess they make on the cars. I had to stop feeding them, but continue to talk to them as I walk the neighborhood. I felt bad for disappointing them.

@ct_bergstrom so, the Rick and Morty episode about Crows is teh true? Cool!

@ct_bergstrom The local corvids are the cool kids on the bird block, chasing raptors, warning off the King Snake, and strutting confidently across the lawns. This year I’ll try befriending them, if they’re willing.

@ct_bergstrom I love crows, and ravens. We have a few around our community that seem to be regulars, and I always leave them treats—didn’t know they liked peanuts in the shell, I normally give them unsalted ones without it. They are extremely smart, indeed! I also like their sense of community; they stick together almost as a big family.

@ct_bergstrom thank you very much for sharing. I really enjoyed the thread!

@ct_bergstrom so do I basically wait around with peanuts in my pockets until I see a crow? Because I will.

@ct_bergstrom someone said hardboiled eggs are good, but eggs are kinda expensive now, your thoughts? #corvids #crows

@ct_bergstrom Had a pair of crow friends Booj and Beej, fed them smoked trout, all was good, they loved me, until I ran outta trout, they cawwed me roundly, sneered at bread, chased the juncos from the suet, harassed the eagles. Ungrateful wretches. No pro crow! 😂

@ct_bergstrom
Thanks very much for that. I've always suspected that I could have friendly association with the ubiquitous ravens that live around me in large numbers, and I'm guessing your advice would work just as well for that slightly different species.

@ct_bergstrom really enjoyed this thread and after vacations will try to befriend some Berlin crows! ill let u know

@ct_bergstrom some of us just like being given a piece of cheese.

@ct_bergstrom This was delightful. Thank you! @marynelson8

@ct_bergstrom
Ravens here, but still...

"The more I come to know people, the better I like ravens. If I have a religious practice, it is the watching of these birds."

Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum

@ct_bergstrom Over 20 years ago I started to whistle to Raven whenever I saw or heard him call out. I love the relationship that has been established.

@ct_bergstrom my HOA had enough issues with the barn swallows that took up residence in our front entryway - I can't imagine they'd be happy about me befriending the murder that settles in the tree across the street. 🤣

@ct_bergstrom A murder of crows.

@ct_bergstrom Befriending horses is wonderful too. For #horses there is nothing worse than being isolated from friends. My wife has a horse named Lady Lu. One day we brought her back to the paddock after riding. For a moment she was separated from her herd which was still grazing out on the meadow. The rest of the herd was brought back to the paddock 5 min later for the night. But she didn't know & went mad for these 5 min, stomping around angry in a circle, until the others could join her again

An absolutely charming thread on befriending crows @ct_bergstrom

@ct_bergstrom When you don’t have a crow, work with what you have. 😀

@ct_bergstrom this thread is EPIC and I may just use it whenever I get to a place I can with respect and safety to the crows. (Do not want to make friends just for the asshole neighbors to shoot them or something stupid.)

@ct_bergstrom out of all my years of interneting, this is by far the best thread I've ever read

@ct_bergstrom There are three crows in my neighborhood. This is the winter that I befriend them. Bag of peanuts. Bag of Cheetos. Maybe a board on a post to keep the mice and rats away. Yes. We have a rat. It's a cute rat.

@ct_bergstrom I have crows coming in to eat my bird food, a long with all they other birds. They don't stay long, and they are completely welcome to come here so long as they leave the little birds alone.

@ct_bergstrom Great crow photo, btw. They r hard to photograph well.

@ct_bergstrom I befriended the crows in our local park. All was lovely until the day I forgot to bring their treats. Then they crashed into my head to express their disappointment. Not their fault but mine for imagining myself a Disney Snow White.

@ct_bergstrom Very much so. Crows are smart; they have theory of mind, and can understand the need to co-operate to solve a puzzle. Also, dinosaurs!

@ct_bergstrom Thank you for this thread and for changing my attitude toward crows. I grew up on a farm and crows were considered nuisances and pests. I’ve since become indifferent, but thanks to you I can now appreciate the most abundant species in my neighborhood.

@ct_bergstrom living in Aotearoa, I don’t have the fortune of making friends with crows. Instead, we have a couple of kooky cockatiels that love with us.

Still wish we had crows or an NZ analogue.

@Ciaraioch Don't you have a crow buddy these days? Lovely thread.

@ct_bergstrom spending time with my crow friends is the usually highlight of my day. They showed up just now while I was reading your thread. (I think they were jealous that I was thinking about your crows. 😂).

@ct_bergstrom
It's also a way to minimize the garbage. Crow eat just about anything, so scraps from the table, they love it all. We put it all in the driveway and the crows come swooping in like Nazgul and clean it up completely. Chicken bones, meat trimmings, bread, leftover French fries. About all that's in the garbage these days is stuff that can't be recycled. Been doing it for going on 40 years. I figure I've kept a few tons of stuff out of the landfill.

@ct_bergstrom thanks for sharing your crow story, reminds me of a young crow we found and nourished, I must have been 12-13. She would come flying when I called her name ‘Gerrit!’. I might reacquaint myself with these fascinating creatures in my neighborhood again.

@ct_bergstrom
Thoroughly enjoyable thread on our black-feathered corvid friends.
My son (17/yo) has been schooling me on crows. We live in town, in a medium-sized community. We like to feed the birds (I have a feeder right out by the street!)
There is a group of 3–5 crows who stop by to eat on the ground under the feeder. Today we put out peanuts. I will forward your thread to him.

@ct_bergstrom this is so cool. I will make it my mission when I go back to work to befriend the crows on the playing field I cross between the sites I work in 😊😊😊

@ct_bergstrom Just wonderful ❤️

@ct_bergstrom the crows in Australia aren’t popular because of their call. There is an aboriginal legend that explains it and long story short, they are doomed to squawk and be devoid of colour because of a misdemeanour. They are incredibly intelligent birds and fascinating to watch.

@ct_bergstrom this is the most wholesome thread I have ever seen.

@ct_bergstrom beautiful thread about befriending crows!

@ct_bergstrom Befriending crows is not murder, its just who your new friends are. If there is a death in the family, crow's will have a funeral and mourn the loss.

@ct_bergstrom
I’m not sure what’s the best way to answer to threads but this one is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!

@ct_bergstrom Truly amazing, thank you for sharing this. What a pleasant surprise to read this. I'm -i guess- in the early stages of "befriending" a crow. Seems to recognize me, I talk a little to him/her, give food while giving enough space, comes back, seems to signal it wants food, etc. There's a pattern and some interaction. Not much, but I was yet honestly amazed by how the crow observes and demonstrates its intelligence. Thank you for the valuable tips ✨🪶

@ct_bergstrom this reminds me to learn more about the concept of “local information” and how flocks of birds react to the movements of one another

@ct_bergstrom thank you; I have been afraid of crows since moving to Vancouver eight years ago, largely because of the annual local news stories about people being attacked during nesting (I have never been attacked). This thread is consolatory and a practical help.

@ct_bergstrom Love this threat. Here the corvid equivalents are Magpies and Butcher Birds. I struck up a friendship with a magpie and butcherbird who always hung out together, and would happily eat from my hand or take granola I'd leave on my desk. They would be sociable even if I didn't feed them. Later Maggie would bring her fledgeling to visit - the fledgelings make a terrible noise as they try and learn how to sing.

@ct_bergstrom

Reddit has a sub called r/crobro I think, it's all about this.

@ct_bergstrom I have always wondered how to befriend our handsome birb neighbors!

@ct_bergstrom A crow divebombed my picnic plate and stole my Korean BBQ ribs 15 years ago. I'll never trust them. I shall be suspicious of crows for all my life.

(I'm joking, I'm joking! :D)

@ct_bergstrom Well, I'm picking up a bag of peanuts this week. I love crows and ravens and would love to have them frequenting my sill. Even if it would blow my cat's mind.

Although there are few things creepier than several trees full of them at midnight...

@ct_bergstrom what a beautiful photo

@ct_bergstrom this is so great. i have on occasion seen a crow in my neighborhood but way up high. it's only because i live on a hill that i'm able to see it. any advice on how i might be able to make friends with such a crow? i don't believe i've ever seen them closer to the street level but, instead, soaring over trees.

@ct_bergstrom Dude #crows are dope! i would love to have a pet #crow!! they are as smart as 7 year old humans and they hodl grudges againstmother fuckers for like 5 years haha.

@ct_bergstrom

I have befriended a crow at my park. Love meeting them.

@ct_bergstrom thank you for sharing this. It warms my heart.

@ct_bergstrom when I lived in Southeast Alaska I used to talk with ravens. Perhaps @SilverSalmonAK can attest they can be very curious and friendly. I had one that I saw daily and he took a shining to me but was he was disappointed when I didn’t like his gift of regurgitating food for me. Marie Laws and Terri Rofkar told me all about #Raven #Tlingit #corvids

@ct_bergstrom I’ve been feeding him for 7 years but it won’t come near me

@ct_bergstrom Fascinating. Thanks for the great thread. I never knew how responsive and intelligent they were. Animals and birds are more aware than us humans give them credit for. Great pics too.

@larry pretty cool. wish there were still crows around my pop's place