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how to befriend crows!

one of the things i look forward to every morning is hearing my crow friends and spending time with them! a lot of my friends have asked me how i became A Friend of the Crows, and i think it's sad that more people don't have animal friends, so i figured i'd write how i did it! please note this isnt the be all end all, and some of my information may be wrong! i am not a scientist or a wildlife professional or anything by any means... PLEASE do your own research, i am not the Arbiter of Crow Knowledge!!

also, please don't break any rules by feeding crows- some places have rules against this so research is encouraged on this topic as well!

you will need:

food, this may include:

very small cat or dog kibbles
eggs
unseasoned meat scraps- no deli/lunchmeat
low salt + unprocessed cheese (no feta or american!!)
bugs
unsalted peanuts (this is my go to: easy to buy in bulk!)

a high-ish spot to place food (like a perch- this is not 100% needed- i throw food out into my yard lol- but could be helpful especially if you're in an apartment or something)
local crows
a LOT of patience

ok.. what now?

in my experience (which is very small, i've only been doing this for about 8 months hahaha) wide open spaces work best. so if you have a yard, throwing peanuts or whatever out there is a great start. i wouln't put a bowl on a balcony edge, for example, unless it's solidly secured. crows don't like to be watched while they eat, especially by strangers, so it's best to set it and forget it. later you can work up to sitting very still and quietly while they eat. now that my neighborhood murder is more comfortable with me, i like to softly talk to them. not sure if that's doing anything though lol.

that's it??

basically, yeah! the best way to develop a relationship is to be regular. so go outside at the same time and drink your coffee with a bag of peanuts to throw out when they come by. they won't come around every day, especially at the start, but having a routine is good for the relationship. be sure to not run up to them, they're very skittish! if they want you to be in their bubble, they'll come up to you. make sure they aren't reliant on you for food!! especially in the wintertime, it's tempting to give them all the food you can, but they are wild animals first and 100% not your pets. they need to be self reliant to survive.

anyways yeah that's how i became friends with the local crow family in my neighborhood! it has gotten me some weird looks from the neighbors, but whatever, i have fun :P again, i encourage further research, i have a bunch of stuff linked at the bottom of this page and i plan on keeping this updated with more resources when i come across them

resources:

r/crows guide
baby bird guide
june hunter article