This time around we’ll be covering a bird that many wild bird watchers aren’t exactly fond of, but are so common they deserve some discussion – even if a lot of it’s going to be about keeping them away.

General: The American Crow is one of the most successful species from an adaptive point of view but it can be extremely annoying, too. Part of its often irritating nature comes from the fact that it’s related to other songbirds – they’re all part of the passerine order – but crow “songs” don’t sound that great to human ears. The proper American Crow is called Corvus brachyrhynchos but there are in fact many crow species. Their similar colors and habits often make them hard to tell apart. Ravens are simply larger examples of this family of species, and many crow sightings are actually of the larger, related Common Raven.

As everyone knows, American Crows have iridescent black feathers, but some population groups they tend toward brown or blue. Some of them even have white spots. They’re bigger than other backyard bird species, with an average body length of 16 to 20 inches. Bill size and shape varies widely between breeding populations.

Diet: Crows will eat pretty much anything: insects, seeds, others birds’ young and eggs, garbage – you name it. For most wild bird aficionados the question is really, “How do I keep crows from stealing all the food and driving away other birds?” A plastic owl will scare crows at first (owls prey on crows), but since they’re really smart birds they’ll eventually notice that it’s fake and pay it no mind. A better bet is to pick a feeder they don’t like. The secret is to take advantage of the crow’s larger size. The Twirl-a-Squirrel Bird Feeder is a good choice because it’s weight activated. Crows are agile, but they prefer sure footing as much as any bird. This feeder annoys them but doesn’t affect the lighter birds you’d want to attract. Mesh feeders like our Nyjer (Thistle) Feeder are often too fine for a crow to poke his beak through.

Environment: Crows have one of the largest ranges of any wild bird. Intelligent and adaptable, they inhabit almost every part of North America, though the West and Southwest host others species than the American Crow.

Behavior: Crows are known for their wide arrange of calls. Crow “songs” can be loud and annoying, but the “caws” actually consist of dozens of distinct songs that communicate warnings, greetings and announcements that food is nearby. Some crows can even be taught to talk, just like parrots. Crows are often maligned because they’ll steal eggs and kill youngsters from other species, but according to Cornell University the survival rate of other birds with and without crow predation is about the same. Young crows like shiny objects, but older ones usually lose the habit.

Crows gather in very large roosts – sometimes even in the thousands – to sleep. Scientists speculate they do this for mutual protection from owls and to socialize. The species is primarily monogamous, though like human couples, crows argue and have been known to cheat on their “spouses.

It’s getting colder and soon the leaves will turn. Fall is almost upon us, and that means it’s time for you to think about how you’ll be feeding wild birds from now right through into the winter. If you make a few simple changes the backyard birds will keep coming. We can divide these into five basic tips:

Clean Up Your Backyard Bird Feeding Sites

First off, give your feeders and the surrounding area a thorough cleaning. Start with the feeders. Get rid of dirt, wild bird food that’s gone bad and insects. Birds prefer clean feeding spaces. Not only do they have an instinctive sense of hygiene, but a clean area doesn’t look like it’s too crowded for new birds to come visit. Wild birds that already go to your feeder will still do so. Consider getting a winter-proof feeder like our All Weather Bird Feeder.

Encourage Winter Wild Bird Feeding Now

By the time autumn rolls around, wild birds are scouting out feeding spots for the winter. That means you should start putting out high energy bird food (see below) and food that wintering species prefer. See our Bird Feeding Chart and read the rest of this blog for bird food preferences by species.

Use High Energy Wild Bird Foods

Wintering and migrating wild birds both need extra energy to stay healthy. As we mentioned in the last point, both types of birds are already looking for good feeding spots. Like other animals (including us) birds want two kinds of energy out of their food: sugars and carbohydrates that translate into quick energy and proteins, and fats (for birds, usually seed oils) to provide long term fuel. Most birds try to put on a little fat over the cold months. Fruit provides an immediate energy boost; you can find it in our Nuts and Berry Suet and Fruit and Berry blend. To help birds gain weight for the months ahead, our Suet Cakes, Superior Seeds and Super Sunflower formulas are ideal. All of these keep birds healthy over the cold months. Suet is an especially good idea - in many ways, fall and winter are "Suet Seasons."

Keep Fresh Water for Your Wild Birds

Now is the time to set up a reliable supply of fresh, liquid water for your wild birds. Once winter comes good water is hard to find; birds have to rely on snow melts that trap local grime. Consider getting a heater for your bird bath or just keep fresh water near a warm spot on your property. Fresh, easy to drink water is one of the biggest attractors of birds during cold weather. Prepare early, since as we said, the birds are already looking for good spots.

Get Your Backyard Ready for Winter Birds

Lastly, make sure your property will be appealing to backyard birds right through to spring. Plant new shrubs for cardinals now, while it’s warm enough to get them in the ground. The key to success is to provide a clean environment, but not one that’s mostly open, flat ground. Let your grass grow out too. Ground feeders will appreciate it right through to the first heavy snow, both for cover and to keep their feet from getting muddy.

Back in the Cardinal Wild Bird Profile two readers asked similar questions about some irritating cardinal behavior. Diane has a cardinal constantly flying into her windows. Ozzie’s truck is getting some unwelcome attention from a red bird too.

Both behaviors may have a common origin. As I noted in the profile, cardinals are territorial birds. And like virtually every other bird, a cardinal can’t distinguish its reflection from a real bird.

So what happens when a cardinal looks at a reflective surface (like a window or mirror) and sees what it thinks is another cardinal budging into its territory? Well, it gets pretty mad . . . .

To answer both questions then, the issue probably isn’t nearby fruit, but reflections. The male cardinal sees what he thinks is another male who’s probably big enough to give him a hard time (who looks exactly the same size, in fact!) and tries to chase him away. The little red bird flies forward and either hits the window (not too hard, fortunately; cardinals aren’t power fliers) or lets loose some . . . displeasure, leaving you with a bit of a mess.

This article explains the phenomenon in a bit more depth. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to deal with. First of all, place your feeders some distance away from a reflective surface so that the cardinal doesn’t see a "competitor" when it visits to eat. Next, keep your hedges cleared and your brush trimmed, especially around your car, so that you don’t accidentally put windows and mirrors too close to a prime roosting location. If the behavior presists, see what you can do to reduce or break up the reflection. Cornell University’s All About Birds site has some suggestions — and a nice picture of cardinals at a window!

I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if you have more!

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The quality of Rich’s products are excellent.  I cannot find an equal product shopping locally or elsewhere in catalogs or internet.  I could purchase a lesser quality product but it is all at a far higher price. Since purchasing Rich’s products, I have attracted a wider range of birds and my bird watching (and feeding) has become so much more enjoyable.  Trust me - compare product and pricing (not to mention the fastest delivery - I don’t have to go to the store and lug the big bags home anymore -Rich’s does that for me too!)and Rich’s beats them all!

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