crows - Page 2 - Pigeon-Talk

Pigeonpal2002 · #16 16th March 2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victor

Crows? Blackbirds? I am confused. I had what appeared to be a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" (minus the pigeons!) .There as maybe a couple of flocks of a black bird variety feasting out of my backyard today. They are long billed (white billed) black feathers but have the purple irrecandesent color around their necks that shine so beautifully in the sun, So, what are they?

Hi Victor,

Can you describe these "black birds" more? How big are they, how long is the tail and what shape. Eye colour? Sounds like they might be magpies but did you mean "white billed" or white "bellied"? Magpies are members of the crow family and are quite large with a very long tail. There is the black billed magpie and the yellow billed magpie here in North America.

TAWhatley · #17 17th March 2006, 09:29 AM

Hi Victor,

The birds may be grackles: http://www.enature.com/flashcard/sho...dNumber=BD0339

Terry

Victor · #18 17th March 2006, 10:36 AM

Grackles, yes I believe the specie to be that. I did some research last night on my break at work, but the pictures were not as full as Terry posted.

Brad, the bills are pointed like the picture with an off white color. They are very sketerish, but I will try and sneak a peek thru my binoculars next time. But then again, may have been black?

Right now there are none romping or feeding in the back yard. I am wondering if maybe they were just a flock or two passing thru?

Now this morning on my middle school bus route, I did see many large black birds, definately crows. Geez they are some big ones!

So many interesting birds out there, ya know that?

Thanks for the response Terry and Brad.

Pigeonpal2002 · #19 17th March 2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victor

Brad, the bills are pointed like the picture with an off white color. They are very sketerish, but I will try and sneak a peek thru my binoculars next time. But then again, may have been black?

Now this morning on my middle school bus route, I did see many large black birds, definately crows. Geez they are some big ones!

So many interesting birds out there, ya know that?

Thanks for the response Terry and Brad.

Hi Victor,

Hmmmm...Grackles don't have "off white" beaks... but juvenile starlings kinda do. If you could describe these birds more, tail lenth, body size, eye colour, I could probably narrow it down

As for the crows, yep....some of them are quite large....about the size of my runts really, only my runts are about twice the weight

Crows are sometimes called "Black chickens"....to those that love and care for them and runts are sometimes called "chicken pigeons"

Victor · #20 17th March 2006, 03:27 PM

Yep, I looked at them today. Black bills. Terry was right.

Pigeonpal2002 · #21 17th March 2006, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victor

Yep, I looked at them today. Black bills. Terry was right.

Hey, LOL...You were the one that said that they had "off white" beaks....I was going by YOUR observations

Victor · #22 17th March 2006, 05:30 PM

Now,now Mr.Brad, I did state...."may have been black..."

so, there!

Camrron · #23 17th March 2006, 10:58 PM

Just off track a bit here,...

But have you guys ever been to the Canadian Rockies by any chance and seen the Ravens there? They are, (I swear it), as big as an eagle, as bold as a Whisky Jack, as smart as a crow and as social as any friendy human being. They are truly an exceptional creature! I have seen them in Banff and Lake Louise. Beautiful and huge.

Anyone else seen these incredible Rockies Birds?

Cameron

ohiogsp · #24 18th March 2006, 09:26 AM

Oh, the grackles we have here by the thousands. The really cool ones are the red winged ones. I think they call them red winged black birds not grackles, but these birds look just like grackles not black birds (starlings). I have one question about crows I have a wildlife propaganda permit and this alows me to keep all kind of native animals such as fox, coyotes, native birds, just about everything. I am not positive, but crow may be on the list. Am I wrong?

pigeonlover01 · #25 18th March 2006, 09:27 AM

on my other link i posted (injured squab) i have a young squab with a wing problem that i am uncertain of. who ever read this link if you could please check out the link and give me advice.

thanx

kittypaws · #26 18th March 2006, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

Crows and Mockingbirds are truly fearless with hawks and will charge, dive bomb, and do their best to drive the hawks away.

Terry

I saw a bad crow this morning, fly straight into a Woodpigeon sitting on my fence and knocked feathers flying - so he must has tried to grab him a bit with his claws. Naughty thing.

Also they tend to mob grey herons - poor old herons flying around with a couple of crows circling around around him.

Tania

Pigeonpal2002 · #27 18th March 2006, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittypaws

I saw a bad crow this morning, fly straight into a Woodpigeon sitting on my fence and knocked feathers flying - so he must has tried to grab him a bit with his claws. Naughty thing.

Tania

Hi Tania,

That's an interesting thing you witnessed! Did the crow purposely go after the wood pigeon and didn't the wood pigeon fly away? Wood pigeons are quite large birds, I'm really surprised that a crow would go after an adult!

kittypaws · #28 18th March 2006, 12:49 PM

Hi Brad,

The pigeon flew away as soon as the crow hit him but he didn't appear to realise he was foing to get attacked - there were a few feathers dropping away from the crow's feet as if he had taken a grab of the pigeon. The pigeon was adult - the crow then flew down onto my grass where he began to eat some of the food that I put out for the pigeons, but I don't normally get crows do that - must be one with a different personality.

I wondered if he was trying to push the pigeon away from a food source.