A question about Corvids

[MonumentalLentil]

I thought the various sizes of identical looking birds in the garden were crows. They have a lighter patch on the back of the neck.

However, there are now some really, really big black birds with big black beaks which I think are ravens, no lighter patches, beautiful birds and they bounce along sideways.

(There are also blackbirds which I know are not Corvids (thrush family) and I know they are really blackbirds).

I have looked them up but it seems I am not alone in this failure to identify correctly.

Assuming the big ones are ravens, can someone help with the crows or are they rooks or what?

Isn't that a Stonehenge Rook? With the grey face/beak?

Choughs are clearly the best corvid.

I love crows. My plan is to befriend the lot I see on the school run by feeding them peanuts. So far I have forgotten to take the peanuts with me every day this week.

But next week I shall start the plan and the crows shall be my friend. I will hopefully then be followed by them everywhere I go. I will be Crow Lady.

I think what you have is jackdaws and a pair of crows.
Here's a clifftop raven, crappy picture but I think he was trying to lead me over the edge.

😂

I love the description of the jay. "Clearly totally different"

Rooks and jackdaws will often roost together. There's a spot near where I live where you often see them hanging out feeding together too.

ravens are very rare. I think you would know if you saw one.

they are impressive. and big (about the size of a chicken).

and intelligent. the ones near us are able to open wheely bin locks to get at the contents.

There's a spot on the beach near here that regularly has rooks, grey crows and jackdaws all feeding together. Mostly they get along fine, but there is 1 pair of crows that I've twice seen murdering a jackdaw.

Wow, I didn't expect to find all these replies this morning! Have a had a look through them but not in detail yet.

Today I missed the early shift at breakfast, fed them and waited. Yes, the smaller ones are Jackdaws, I looked at the head shape along with the lighter patch. Only a couple there as they usually all arrive around 11.00 because that's when I used to put food out for the Woodies, before this lot arrived, have counted 18 once (last year). Woodies try to keep away from them but one was always out there with a pair of Woodies and they would arrive together for afternoon tea while I sat and watched them, all the other birds would fly off when I was there.

I also saw one larger plain bird, completely black but not huge. I have purchased a big tub of mealworms and a bag of sunflower hearts in the hope that the poor Woodies will stand a chance of getting some food, otherwise the Corvids take it, dip it in the birdbaths and fly off. Last year one of them dropped a small egg in the water, I think it was a collared dove egg, I tried to hatch it but sadly it wasn't viable.

There is a heron (there are ponds around the area) who gets blamed for taking the birds, and a hawk that I know takes the pigeons, which I hate, I think it is one of the pest control hawks. Corvids are lovely birds, but I really love pigeons, hate to see them bullied by the other birds.

I do sometimes see a bird with a little white patch, and it eventually goes, can't remember who mentioned it, sorry.

There's no need for complex analysis of tail shape and beak detail for ravens, they are the size of a bloody goose! And with a call that wakes up the bit of your brain that warns you you're being stalked by a dinosaur.

Based on the number of times I’ve heard people call a crow a raven, I beg to differ. I come across ravens regularly where I live, but unless they actually make a sound, I like to check a few of the signs before calling them ravens. It’s really not that easy to tell them apart, unless you’re very close to them.

My own fun raven anecdote is that once, when I was up in the mountains, I came across two ravens doing all sorts of aerial acrobatics. When I turned round to go home, they followed me for a few miles and made me part of their game. They flew either side of me in a zig-zag pattern and used my location as the reference point for where to cross. I tried walking faster, I tried walking slower and each time I did, they adjusted their flight pattern to make sure they were still crossing exactly above my head. When they finally got bored, they flew off into the distance, pulling off some more impossible looking “raven moves”

KilljoysMakeSomeNoise · Today 10:28

But next week I shall start the plan and the crows shall be my friend. I will hopefully then be followed by them everywhere I go. I will be Crow Lady.

A neighbour of mine feeds crows and starlings. The crows follow him through the park, then he goes to the links and feeds the starlings, which crowd round the bench and actually sit on him.

good luck with that! let us know how you get on - I've tried for months to befriend crows in the past.. they decided no thank you!

Based on the number of times I’ve heard people call a crow a raven, I beg to differ.

Yes, well - if you're going by what people call things you can't really be more definite than 'bird'. I have geniunely heard someone misidentify a myna as a cassowary.

What a lovely thread!

Mumsnet once had its very own raven - Mortimer - which turned up injured in a MNer's utility room. We were regaled with its exploits for ages. I think it eventually went to a sanctuary so that it could have some of its own kind for company
www.mumsnet.com/talk/pets/1236699-I-have-a-baby-crow-in-my-utility-room?reply=25903024

@CobraChicken I salute your username!

Nice footage of a crow using a lid to snowboard down a roof. Wonderful birds.

@KilljoysMakeSomeNoise there are loads of crows in the park near me. They remember which people feed them and will fly over as soon as someone they recognise appears. I can now have around 15 following me whenever I walk through. It's great unless I have my dog with me as he hates them coming so close.

A fat ball feeder will keep the jackdaws (and magpies) happy.

If I didn't chase off the woodpigeons from our garden none of the other birds would get a feed.

Giggorata · Today 12:50

Nice footage of a crow using a lid to snowboard down a roof.

I've seen that before, it's excellent! When I was in my 20s, I came across some sliding on their backs, headfirst down a snow covered heap of gravel. I stopped cycling to watch, all but one flew off casually. The last one rolled about like a dog, then spotted me.

I swear it was sheepish as it sloped away and then flew off.

A wiser head than me thought they were doing it to get rid of parasites.

decemberagain · Today 12:51

The guy I wrote about has a Golden Lab and they're fine with her. I also have a Golden Lab and they sometimes leave their trees and circle me, before realising I'm not the Hooman With Food.

They have been ignoring the feeder for a while, I think it's the fatballs they aren't keen on because they used to hang off the feeder that I bought especially for small birds which is supposed to stop the bigger ones from getting at it, and it would be gone within a day. I have different fatballs to try.

Pigeons keep away from the Jackdaws, the little collared doves would see them off though, sadly one of the current pair has vanished and his mate looks very lost. They were so sweet, always together.

The stock doves I loved have all gone, such pretty birds.

And of course there was the Christmas that mumsnetters flocked (hah) to buy the Argos raven! What can I buy from Argos for £4ish to win a bet? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/3402882-What-can-I-buy-from-Argos-for-4ish-to-win-a-bet

Argghhh knew I’d got it wrong 😂😂

Reading the pet raven thread (up to P3 so far) has reminded me of the lad with a pet jackdaw. I was 8 and a lad a couple of years older found a damaged squab of some sort, with a broken wing.

It went everywhere with him, on his shoulder. It could fly a bit, but not enough to survive and it learned to talk. By, could Jacky swear! "Fuck off!" and "Bollocks to that!" seemed to be it's favourites.

That's a little strange, the thread just ended with a question to the OP. I wonder whatever happened to Mortimer.