Bird fight!

[Kiwibird]

Kiwi was not involved but I thought I'd share this story with everyone:

Yesterday I was out on the patio and heard a bunch of crows just screeching up a storm flying close (but somewhat blocked by trees so I couldn't really see what they were all so po'd about). These crows flew back and forth for a good 20 minutes just screeching, I'd never seen anything quite like it (by the time I could see them better, I counted at leaf 12-15, maybe more). Finally, they flew directly overhead and I heard for the first time a distinctly 'injured bird' call. So similar was it to a parrots injured call, I actually ran in to grab some binoculars to see what was going on and see what kind of bird was making that horrible pained noise. Much to my surprise, those crows were savagely attacking a hawk! I never knew hawks made such similar distress calls to parrots. The hawk was really getting beat up. One has to wonder what it did to piss of the crows so much? Perhaps took one of their babies? The mob eventually 'drifted' out of eye and ear shot, but after such a prolonged attack, I have to wonder if they eventually killed the hawk. It was really screaming in pain. What a thing to witness though! I've never seen crown gang up and attack like that (and for such an extended period of time). I'm glad I didn't happen to have Kiwi outside at that time, or he would have been freaked out:52:.

 

[Birdman666]

Hawks raid crows nests and eat babies... so they see a hawk in their territory they will mass and attack.

Unfortunately, Sally, my red lored amazon was on the receiving end of one of those attacks one day. I was free flying her at a park in Berkeley, and she apparently flew too close to a nest, because they massed and went after her...

She managed to evade them, and get way, way, way back in the branches at the top of a 50 foot tree, where they had to come after her one at a time (because the branches wouldn't support them) and she could protect herself with her beak while hiding between branches.

I ended up having to climb the stupid tree, because she was not coming out for nothin' or nobody... She was very happy to see me when I reached the top of the tree, and was pretty shaken up by the experience. Stuck close to me the rest of the day.

I've seen a couple of hawk/crow wars in NorCal.

One of the other more amazing things that happened in NorCal. There was one morning when every single bird in the house was going absolutely bonkers, and I could not, for the life of me, calm them down, or figure out what was upsetting them...

Then I went outside and about half a block down, I saw it. The hawks were raiding the nests, the crows were trying to fend them off, and the babies were screaming.

I couldn't hear it. But they could! And it has to be terrifying...

 

[Christinenc2000]

I've seen that before. The Hawk was close to there nest I bet.

 

[Birdman666]

I saw about 200 Grackles chase off a falcon the other day...

They are very territorial, and don't take kindly to predators in their area.

I watched one of the "flock sentries" dive bomb the neighbor's cat the other day, and chase him under a car. Then he sat in a tree just outside the car, calling... letting the cat know he was still there, and daring him to come out, and letting the rest of the flock know there was a cat staking out the bird feeder in the yard.

About six "sentries" showed up right after that. No matter which way the cat decided to come out, he was gonna get dive bombed. The foragers then went back to work at the feeder, almost daring the cat to do something...

It was actually quite fascinating to watch.

 

[labell]

Crows do love a good fight, when they hear the fight call they will come from every where to assist. I have been trying to order a fight call for a while to get them on my property to feed them but it is always out of stock.

A crow was my very first bird love and pet and the one that started it all. All of my most cherished childhood memories involve that crazy bird who would fly over head the 1/2 mile down to the bus stop to get us off to school and would fly down every afternoon and sit in a tree waiting for us to get off the bus. He didn't do it on weekends or summer vacation, he was wicked smart. He also knew that the neighbor girls were afraid of him and would delight in dive bombing them to the point of practically parting their hair, he loved their screams and would cackle loudly over this game.

Nothing shiny was safe and we would constantly find his stashes of shiny objects that he had heisted from every where. He lived many years on our property and was very loved. One day a hunter came down our private road and shot him off the power-line right in front of our house. I had never heard my mother curse until that day! Heckel was an amazing childhood friend who set me on my path to always loving birds. Later in my early teens I trained a wild black capped chickadee to eat out of my hands. Which later led to me playing Snow White in our local parade...another cherished memory.

 

[RavensGryf]

April, that must have been something to see right there practically on your doorstep! Poor hawk! Thank goodness Kiwi was safe and sound .

Wow Laura, what wonderful memories! He didn't come to the bus stop on weekends or summer vacation, and knew who liked him and who was afraid... that is amazing. Everything I hear about Crows and corvids in general leads me to believe they're at least as smart as parrots, if not more!

 

[Christinenc2000]

April here is a story you will like.

8-Year-Old Girl Gets Gifts From Crows She’s Been Feeding For 4 Years

 

[labell]

THANK YOU April!! Because of this post I thought to check availability and FINALLY got my crow call. It has real recordings of actual crows with many different type calls including
- MacDaddy
- Crow Distress
- Crow/Owl Flight
- Crow Frenzy
- Hawk Attack
These sounds should entice them in so I can start feeding them...HAPPY HAPPY!!!!

 

[RavensGryf]

Christine, thank you for posting that link. Awesome story.

 

[Christinenc2000]

I had read it sometime back. I Love they have pictures with it
You are so welcome

 

[SoCalWendy]

Wow, what a story... sometimes we get up to 40-50 crows in our trees at one time, just fussing away at something. They fly from tree to tree, calling out like they are saying "over here, over here" and they respond. Kinda reminds me of a scene from the movie "the birds" kinda creepy. We have several Hawk nests close by, about 4 pairs of Red Tail Hawks. Never have I seen a crow or a bunch of crows attack one. But I have watched plenty of times a crow being attached by some smaller black birds even in mid air. Dive-bombing the poor thing.

We have a huge flock of crows that stay around a mall in Chula Vista. Hundreds of them, they leave for the day and around dusk you can see them flying over the skies in huge groups and thats where they seem to go. The 40-50 that hang out near my home I assume at part of that flock. Birds are so wonderful.

 

[Kiwibird]

Laura- what a wonderful childhood friend your crow was, and smart too! All it takes is one special bird I guess to set off a lifetime of fascination/admiration of them

Christine- thanks for the article! What a wonderful story that highlights just how smart they are! I can hardly believe wild animals are leaving 'gifts' for the family I guess they have good manners too

 

[Birdman666]

This reminds me of my three wild blue jays, though the only "presents" they ever left me were the kind that came out the back end...

I haven't allowed myself to interact with the wild birds like that anymore, though I do feed them.

 

[Doublete]

How cool that article is.
I didn't know crows were capable of that kind of stuff.

Laura I would have shot the hunter with a BB gun.... In the you know what's...