Crow: 17 Amazing Crow Facts and Damages that Help You Know Them Well

Crows come in different sizes. The American crow is said to measure about 18 inches in length. The most common raven is measured about 20 inches in length. A common crow weighs 12 to 50 ounces. Most crows have a distinct long tail with multi-colored bills. The crows also differ from one another regarding voices and sizes. They mostly prefer living in open areas. Some people enjoy crow meat as well.

1. Crows Have the Largest Brain-to-body Ratio of All the Bird Species

Largest brain to body ratio means the weight of brain and body. This roughly estimates the intelligence level of an animal. However, it can turn out to be accurate sometimes. This relationship between brain and body is very linear and interrelated. The brain to the body weight of crow is almost equal to that of great apes. The jet black plumage has the largest brain among all other birds. To your surprise, it is only slightly lower than humans. They are very intelligent and can count up to five numbers. These black birds easily recognize human faces and basic human language. They are also very famous for tool making and innovation.

2. Crows Can be Found on Every Continent of This Planet

Crows can be found in various continents in every habitat. The crow species of Rooks are smaller as compared to crows. It is the smallest crow and found in Europe and western Asia. When it gets colder, some crows travel from one continent to another while other crows don’t migrate. If they need they will travel to the areas that are warmer. However, they prefer living in open spaces. The only place they hate to live is Antarctica. It is a fact that where ever you go you will find crows. They are highly adapted to the environment. White crows are also found in northern areas.

3. The Scientific Name of Crow is Corvus Brachyrhynchos

The largest passerine crow species of the family Corvidae is the American crow named Corvus brachyrhynchos. These American Corvus brachyrhynchos are the new addition to the carrion crow family. It measures about 40-50cm in length. Almost half of the length consists of the tail. Male crows of American Corvus brachyrhynchos are larger than female crows.

4. Mexico’s Dwarf Jay is the Smallest of All the Crows

Mexico’s dwarf Jay is the smallest crow and attractive bird. It is known among the wonderful little crows. It is about 20 -23 cm in length. It has a grayish blue plumage and pure black face color. The eyebrows of these crows extend all above the reddish colored eye. The throat of this Mexico’s dwarf Jay is not linked with its other parts of the body. These Mexico’s dwarf Jay comes in the flock. These species can easily by identify because of its unique appearance. They weight about 40 grams. It does not grow more than 25 centimeters in length.

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5. There are Some Really Big Crows

Ravens are the biggest crows found in North America. The biggest crow is about 43 feet high. The biggest crow has an eerie and pagan old quality. Many big crows belong to Ethiopia and Thick Billed raven. They weight about 1500 grams. The voice of Big crows differs from small crows.

6. Crows are Pretty Old

Yes, it is a fact that crows are pretty old. These crows are said to be in existence for 17 million years. They are from the period of Miocene period. They are social as well as smart birds.

7. Crows are Omnivorous

Crows are omnivorous because they like to eat anything that is edible to them. They also have the rotting carcass for a meal. They eat small animals, insects and also feed on vegetables. It is also observed that crows eat garbage. These species are famous for destroying the crops. They eat the seeds of the crops. It is said that they need about 12 ounces of diet on a daily basis. Research has shown that they can eat about 1000 different dishes.

8. A Group of Crows is Known as Murder

Various crows live in solitary, but some are also found in groups. Some of them prefer to stay in large groups. A large group of crows is called a murder. This group is tending to chase their prey together. There are many reasons that why the group of crow sis called murder. Some state that it is due to their appearance. Normally, you will observe them chasing the small sparrows.

9. Crows Maintain Only One Mate for Their Entire Life

A study has shown that female crows mate only one male crow for the whole of their life. But there are chances that male crow can cheat. The reason is that male crows have no penis. They transfer their sperms in the female through their cloaca to the female cloaca. The coupling between these mates hardly lasts for 15 seconds. It is amazing that female crows are so loyal to their mates. It is true that unless or until one mate dies or leaves the couple remains loyal with each other. It is rare that if crows mate but bred is not successful. If it happens, there are chances that they may break their bond. The female crows usually prefer mating at their nest. The mating partner is said to remain for years.

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10. They Display What is Known as Cooperating Breeding

All the parental care distinguishes the social system of cooperative breeding. Crows also engage themselves in cooperative breeding. Their offspring are said to live with them for about seven years from their birth. They usually hold territories in America. The non-breeders often leave and migrate. They assist each other in cooperative breeding. The younger ones watch how their mother help feed the young babies. Some offspring wait to help the next upcoming batch of babies.

11. Both Parents Take Care of Their Children and Help Them With Feeding

The parent crows are very conscious about their young ones. They take care of their young ones and feed them for about first seven years. The young crows don’t stay at home all the time. The parent crows teach them to chase their prey and save themselves when in danger. To find a successful breeding spot they travel up to 65 kilometers. If a female crow tries to pair with a male crow, the male crow will visit other crows very often. He will not allow any other male crow in his territory, and he will not tolerate any strange or any unknown female crow near their habitat.

12. Crows are Social and Smart

Yes, it is true that crows are super smart among all the birds. They can also throw nuts on roadways to crack a car. These birds are very well known for their intelligence. They are very social and prefer flying in open places. he healthy crows also help the old crows. They are slightly less intelligent to humans. In fact, these birds are brilliant in problem-solving and using different tools. Some crows are fearless, and they are not even scared to chasing the Eagles. It is also said that if any human comes in their ways, they can throw stones on them. These are very emotion creatures. They react when they get angry or furious and express their feelings through their voices. They show both, their happiness as well as their anger. They also have an excellent memory as compared to other birds.

At a time they lay about eight eggs. They also have a highly developed forebrain. They are also very cooperative and friendly with one another. If there is an injured crow, other crows will try to comfort and help him.

13. Crows are Very Much Capable of Remembering Faces

They have a sharp memory. It is likely true that once they see a face, they can recognize it for the next time. The best thing about them is that they create their dialect. This thing differentiates them from other crows. They can easily recognize so that next time they can react to them.

14. Crows Will Crush an Ant and Rub it All over Themselves Like Perfume

Yes, it is true that the crows find ants and rub them over their bodies. They think that there is a formic acid in ants. It will help them to ward off parasites from their bodies.

15. Pet Crows Give Their Owners Name

The pet crows also give their owners some specific names. They call their owners by making a particular sound. These sounds are only for their owners.

16. Males Have No Penis

Males have no penis. They transfer their sperms in the female through their cloaca to the female cloaca. The copulation between these mates hardly lasts for 15 seconds. It is surprising that female crows are so loyal to their mates.

17. Crows Have been Reported to Eat over 1000 Food Items

A study has shown that crows can fly east over 1000 different food items. If you throw a burger of pizza on the street, the very next moment you will see a crow enjoying it.

Do Crows Cause any Damage and How to Prevent Them from Making Problems?

No, the crows usually don’t cause any harm.  Crows are very creative devils. If you want to get rid of them, you will have to become stubborn and hard than these birds. Although they are very environment-friendly, but their sharp voice usually annoys the people residing nearby. They are also observed damaging the crops.

There are different techniques to prevent them from making problems. Here are they:

• Remove water sources

You must remove all the water sources from your gardens and house roofs. If you have garbage near your house, then there must be insects and bugs as well. The crows will get attracted and remain there. If you have some water sources around your home, then they will defiantly stay there and enjoy the water in hot summers. As crows will be hanging around, they may stop if they get thirsty.

• Make loud and scary noises

If you don’t like the crow making loud and strange voices every time you see them hanging around your house. You can go out of your house and start yelling and screaming at them. If it doesn’t work, start clapping and banging something on the ground. The best method to get rid of them is by using scare crow devices. It may sound dumb, but it is very effective as well. The scare devices also include fake snakes hanging around and some unusual animals.

• Blow them the way

Killing them might be difficult. They can sometimes prove to be destructive and annoying. They can even cause damage to your property so better get rid of them as fast as you can.

Conclusion

There are more than 45 species of the crows. These birds are widely known all around the world. These species also include choughs, corbies and much more. The oldest species are found in Europe from 30 million years ago. Their ancestors were called Miocene. They are found in almost all the continents of the world.