14 replies to this topic

[BlackBirdFlyyy]

About 3 or 4 crows have been lingering in a tree that has a starling nest right by the level they fly to. The mama starling patiently waits until the crows leave before she tries to feed her babies because the crows dive at her? Whats up with that?

[BlackBirdFlyyy]

whoops! ahh! I meant GRACKLES NOT STARLINGS! Crows harrasing the grackles...

[BarnSwallow]

Crows will harass pretty much any bird they can. Other animals, too. Some of the mobbing behavior is done to protect the crows' territory - nests and food. However, studies have shown that they mob eben when it's nowhere near their territory - just for the hell of it, it seems!

[jblakelock]

Saw a couple of Crows harassing a squirrel the other day.

[creeker]

I saw a crow harrassing another crow today.

[spyonabird]

I saw a Crow and a Mockingbird duking it out in a parking lot this weekend.

[BlackBirdFlyyy]

wow thanks guys, just typical crowns then, While I was driving in my neighborhood I see 6 crows fly around a large distance

[rogerVA]

Why are grackles (or another species of blackbird) always chasing hawks and giving them hell? The last three hawks I've seen, including one last night, were being bombed and harassed by blackbirds. Last night's hawk could care less, I guess they were like mosquitoes to him

[cwj2323]

whoops! ahh! I meant GRACKLES NOT STARLINGS! Crows harasing the grackles...

Good for those crows! It's time something harasses the grackles. A pair of Brown Thrashers were building their nest when Grackles tormented the birds for a couple days causing the Thrashers to abandon their efforts. The Thrashers found a new tree and the Grackles are at it again. I wish those Gracks were not protected here...

[horseface]

Do crows harass Nighthawks? Cause I saw my first ever nighthawk this afternoon and there were a couple crows close behind it. Could they have flushed it out of wherever it had been sleeping?

[Gwanatu]

Good for those crows! It's time something harasses the grackles. A pair of Brown Thrashers were building their nest when Grackles tormented the birds for a couple days causing the Thrashers to abandon their efforts. The Thrashers found a new tree and the Grackles are at it again. I wish those Gracks were not protected here...

That's so surprising to me to hear that a Grackle is protected anywhere! They are a dime a dozen here in FL!

As for the topic, I don't usually see them harassing anyone, if anything it's the Mockingbirds harassing the Crows here and chasing the Crows away!

[BarnSwallow]

Most birds are protected, regardless of their numbers. I believe feral pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are not protected - they're all introduced species. Gamebirds are also allowed to be hunted, of course, in season. Think of passenger pigeons. There were so many that the flocks would block out the sun. It would take 3 days for a flock to fly past. They thought they could never make a dent in the population. The last one died in 1914.

[JimBob]

Yeah Rock Pigeons, House Sparrow, and European Starlings aren't protected.

[meghann]

The grackles torment the crows mercilessly at my husband's house. They have good reason, though.



Crow with grackle egg by midgetinvasion, on Flickr

He has both Fish and American crows up there. Which one is more likely to steal grackle eggs, or are they both suspect? I didn't hear this one calling, obviously.

[Gwanatu]

The grackles torment the crows mercilessly at my husband's house. They have good reason, though.



Crow with grackle egg by midgetinvasion, on Flickr

He has both Fish and American crows up there. Which one is more likely to steal grackle eggs, or are they both suspect? I didn't hear this one calling, obviously.

Dang what a picture!