malc@cs.unr.edu (Malcolm L. Carlock) (06/06/91)
As I walked past one of the buildings on our campus the other day, I
heard a crow begin cawing loudly, seemingly in my direction. This voice
was soon joined by another. I'd soon spotted both the birds, one in a
nearby tree and another perched at the edge of the (two-story) building's
roof, and indeed they were both glaring at me as they scolded. At this
point, one and then the other began taking turns swooping over my head,
sometimes within inches o' me puir tender pate.
Even before they began their swooping act, I looked around to see if I
could spot a baby crow or something that they were trying to scare me
away from. I didn't spot one, but then it could have been hidden in
some shrubs that were growing against the building (most of the baby crows
around here seem to have grown up a month or so ago in any case.) They kept
up their swooping act for a good ten minutes, chasing me for a good 400-500
feet before giving up and returning to their perch (ambush point?) on the
original building.
I returned the same way an hour or so later. The crows were still there,
and immediately upon spotting me (no pun intended) began scolding and
swooping. The dastards reserved their loudest and most egregious insults
the times when I was watching them... descending in utter silence toward the
back of my head in the moments (few, toward the end) when I didn't have
my eye on them. I felt lucky to have made it back into my building
without having been attacked or crapped upon (it seems likely to me that
crows might be particulary noxious in this regard.)
Having been thus terrorized, I've been wondering what motivated these
damned bozo crows to pick on me. I thought it might just be something about
me they didn't like, but this morning they similarly harassed and actually
snagged the hair of a woman who works in the same building as me, and I've
since heard from some other people who've had this happen to them (even
some reports from last year.) I have two theories (clears throat with
loud harrumph, lights pipe): One, that these crows are a mating pair who
lost a baby at some point and now hate all humans, and Two, that these
crows, being members of a species known for its high intelligence, are
bored and have learned to play "freak the humans" to great effect, and are
having loads of fun at our expense.
Anyone have some insights into what's going on here? Has anyone else out
there had such an experience? Was my first mistake paying attention to
them at all? Should I ignore them from now on, or consider carrying
a water-filled fire extinguisher with me next time and knocking the
bastards out of the air?
Thanks... (whimper)
--
Malcolm L. Carlock Internet: malc@unr.edu
UUCP: unr!malc
BITNET: malc@equinoxJ.M.Spencer@newcastle.ac.uk (Jonathan Spencer) (06/10/91)
At this time of year young crows are fledged and leaving their nests. Unlike other species, crows canot fly upon fledging. Thus they hop out the nest and spend several days on the ground being tended - and protected - by their parents. This is the most likely situation. If you were to put a gundog through the shrubs, it would most likely come out with a young crow in it's mouth. My GWP did this yesterday evening and found a jackdaw. (I let it go.) However, I think it's rare that the parents actually attack, they normally just make a hell of a racket. --Jonathan