[Tweeters] Raptor/Crow interaction

[Mark Borden]

Hi Jim,

Crow’s definitely have territories, though if a reliable food source is no longer producing, they can give up a territory and relocate. 

The flock of about a dozen crows that is often present in my pasture was/is reliably identifiable by one member with a leg injury. They spend their morning hours flipping through piles of horse manure looking for insect larvae. They also go into the neighbors yard at intervals to check for scraps that she puts on a platform. In the evening they join a larger group and head down toward the Port Townsend Ferry to roost. 

Even a large Merlin Falcon poses no significant threat to a crow.  The Merlin is sometimes colloquially referred to as the “Pigeon Hawk,” though they rarely capture and consume “Pigeons” (as Rock Doves…Columbia livia are often erroneously called) A Rock Dove is a real handful for a Merlin, though manageable by a large aggressive falcon (female). 

Other factors are at play as well.  A crow is a very long lived, sturdily built bird, whereas a dove is much easier for a falcon to kill, pluck, and eat, not to mention much tastier.  A Merlin prefers to pluck and eat in a treetop.  Thus small passerines, up to and including starlings and robins are preferred.  A male (Jack) Merlin will not normally capture prey larger than a starling. A large Merlin falcon is hard pressed to carry a Mourning Dove to any height. 

Carrying is a problem for the falconer, as you can imagine, and the strong tendency to carrry is one of the things that makes hunting with a Merlin a challenge. 

A dove or pigeon meal is a peaceful one for a raptor, whereas eating crow is difficult since the whole flock is incensed and will literally try to tear a raptor apart if he/she is anchored to the ground by the weight of a crow. 

Mark Borden
Coupeville, WA. 

Sent from my iPhone


> On Sep 12, 2023, at 12:05 PM, tweeters-request at mailman11.u.washington.edu wrote:

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>   1. Re: Raptors at Play ... and crows (jimbetz at jimbetz.com)

>   2. August 2023 TVU report (Diann MacRae)

>   3. formatting issues on Tweeters list (rrowland)

>   4. USA TODAY: New 'hybrid' hummingbird with unusual    glittering

>      gold feathers puzzles scientists (Dan Reiff)

>   5. Alki West Seattle Pygmy Nuthatch (Samuel Terry)

>   6. Re: Alki West Seattle Pygmy Nuthatch (Michael Hobbs)

>   7. Great Blue Herons defending their feeding grounds (Nancy Morrison)

>   8. Re: Great Blue Herons defending their feeding grounds

>      (Dennis Paulson)

> 

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> 

> Message: 1

> Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:55:27 -0700

> From: jimbetz at jimbetz.com

> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu

> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Raptors at Play ... and crows

> Message-ID:

>    <20230911125527.Horde.5SFeQWCCOVCpWlcx5WoFITy at webmail.jimbetz.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed; DelSp=Yes

> 

> Hi - continuing the thread ...

> 

>   Late last week there was an 'encounter' between what was probably a Merlin

> and a Crow.  The crow was mobbing/harassing the Merlin which was  

> sitting on the

> roof ridge right below our house.  Finally the Merlin moved but the crow

> continued to hassle it.  Then the Merlin went after the crow ... which flew

> into a tree and the Merlin broke off and perched in the same tree several

> branches below.  The crow then took flight and turned and went after the

> Merlin (below).  The Merlin took off and chased the crow.  Back and forth

> two more times for 3 or 4 total 'encounters' (exchanges) between these two

> birds.  Finally the Merlin left the area and the crow didn't pursue.

> 

>   I interpreted this as "territorial" ... although it makes little sense

> since there are no active crows nests in the area.  (Sorry, couldn't

> resist using "Crows Nest" - my nautical background kicking in.)  But

> crows do -seem- to be territorial from time to time without an active

> nest.

>   In fact, I saw a pair of crows in New Westminster just yesterday and I'd

> swear on a stack of bibles that it was the same two birds I'd seen at the

> same location (street in front of home in residential area) months ago.

> The "bibles" comes from the way these two 'related' to each other with

> one clearly the dominant and the second 'fawning' to its object of

> interest (the dominant one) and following it around and doing the same

> stuff it did months ago at the same location.  Both times I was parked

> on the same street in the same location and there were two crows that

> were 'messing about' (not courting - just "doing stuff") and were

> clearly 'together'.  Perhaps a more accurate description would be that

> one was following the other around and the one being followed was

> tolerating the other.  But then, every once in a while you would see a

> "bill clattering" between the two of them.

> 

>   Q: Do crows take up residence in an area that is fairly specific?  And

>      stay there/reappear there over a period of months?

> 

>   The encounter(s) reported above did not -seem- to be play.  They seemed

> to be "reciprocative mobbing" in the first case and 'hanging out together'

> in the second case.

>                                                              - Jim

> 

> 

> 

> ------------------------------

> 

> Message: 2

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:08:16 +0200

> From: Diann MacRae <tvulture at gmx.com>

> To: tweeters t <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] August 2023 TVU report

> Message-ID:

>    <trinity-0ad86151-365d-456e-b1da-67a5376ee1d0-1694470096256 at 3c-app-mailcom-bs10>

>    

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> Message: 3

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 05:47:36 +0000 (UTC)

> From: rrowland <bobr3531 at yahoo.com>

> To: <Tweeters at mailman11.u.washington.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] formatting issues on Tweeters list

> Message-ID: <1434659910.105125.1694497656341 at mail.yahoo.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

> 

> Hello,

> Is there anything that can be done by the people that post messages that are basically unreadable.

> For example from a day or so ago:------------------------------------------------

> =E2=80=9CConstruction of the proposed new border barrier system would b= e expected to take up to two years,=E2=80=9D the proposal stated. =E2=80=9C= Maintenance would be expected upon completion of construction.=E2=80=9D=20

> =20Thanks to everyone who is willing to comment on this.=20

> =20Jon. Anderson=20OlyWA=20festuca at comcast net=20As I was going over the bridge between Bottle Beach and the coast, I saw 5 G=

> reat Egrets at Brady=E2=80=99s Oysters. One flew off as we were driving in, b=

> ut all were confirmed as GREG. =20

> Great start to the day!

> Karen Wosilait (she/her)

> ------------------------------------------

> Thanks for any possible solution.?Robert?

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> Message: 4

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 06:09:18 -0700

> From: Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com>

> To: Tweeters <tweeters at uw.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] USA TODAY: New 'hybrid' hummingbird with unusual

>    glittering gold feathers puzzles scientists

> Message-ID: <3929C0EB-783B-4B79-A494-F7E7FF0387B3 at gmail.com>

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> Message: 5

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 10:19:10 -0700

> From: Samuel Terry <samgterry at gmail.com>

> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] Alki West Seattle Pygmy Nuthatch

> Message-ID:

>    <CAGBiMZF-ZFGtPy-HDaeSYWbvBcu47YDsX5pe7UTm3aiPifCcTA at mail.gmail.com>

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> 

> Hi tweeters -

> 

> I just found a Pygmy Nuthatch in the pines on Benton Place SW by the

> treatment plant at Alki in West Seattle. It?s possible there?s two birds

> but not sure. Hanging out with a couple of RBNU and OCWA. Vocalizing on and

> off - which is how I found it. Tough to see but i was able to get a couple

> good looks.

> 

> Good birding,

> 

> Sam Terry

> Seattle

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> ------------------------------

> 

> Message: 6

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:27:35 -0700

> From: Michael Hobbs <birdmarymoor at gmail.com>

> To: Samuel Terry <samgterry at gmail.com>

> Cc: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Alki West Seattle Pygmy Nuthatch

> Message-ID:

>    <CAPO=BqvWjX=bDO68ujh9UMZA_JjoNY21aH877XLwEUMGSteOBQ at mail.gmail.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

> 

> Pygmy Nuthatch still present on Benton Place near the Alki STP.  Last seen,

> towards the end of the street.

> 

> - Michael Hobbs

> 

>> On Tue, Sep 12, 2023, 10:20 AM Samuel Terry <samgterry at gmail.com> wrote:

>> 

>> Hi tweeters -

>> 

>> I just found a Pygmy Nuthatch in the pines on Benton Place SW by the

>> treatment plant at Alki in West Seattle. It?s possible there?s two birds

>> but not sure. Hanging out with a couple of RBNU and OCWA. Vocalizing on and

>> off - which is how I found it. Tough to see but i was able to get a couple

>> good looks.

>> 

>> Good birding,

>> 

>> Sam Terry

>> Seattle

>> _______________________________________________

>> Tweeters mailing list

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> Message: 7

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:35:56 -0700

> From: Nancy Morrison <weedsrus1 at gmail.com>

> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu

> Subject: [Tweeters] Great Blue Herons defending their feeding grounds

> Message-ID:

>    <CAGUv7SqHSMU+GNc0nN+7NugCu2a_pcwcSVQ9PDT_-tCYmqqd+w at mail.gmail.com>

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> 

> I was in the Sammamish River Slough recently when I witnessed two Great

> Blue Herons doing this wonderful slow motion dance. I have since learned

> that this is how they defend their feeding grounds. In all my years of

> watching GBH, I had never seen this display before. My apologies, but I

> could not avoid the temptation to put it to music.

> 

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tii_We-3izs

> 

> Nancy Morrison

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> ------------------------------

> 

> Message: 8

> Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:53:03 -0700 (PDT)

> From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>

> To: Nancy Morrison <weedsrus1 at gmail.com>, tweeters at u.washington.edu

> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Great Blue Herons defending their feeding

>    grounds

> Message-ID: <361547777.368801.1694544783899 at connect.xfinity.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

> 

> Nancy, that is just wonderful; thanks for the music. In all the years I've been watching Great Blues, I've never seen that either. I have seen a lot of overt aggression instead of that beautiful display.

> 

> Dennis Paulson

> Seattle

> 

>> On 09/12/2023 11:35 AM PDT Nancy Morrison <weedsrus1 at gmail.com> wrote:

>> 

>> 

>> I was in the Sammamish River Slough recently when I witnessed two Great Blue Herons doing this wonderful slow motion dance. I have since learned that this is how they defend their feeding grounds. In all my years of watching GBH, I had never seen this display before. My apologies, but I could not avoid the temptation to put it to music.

>> 

>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tii_We-3izs

>> 

>> Nancy Morrison

>> 

>> _______________________________________________

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