A couple of days ago, I went to the local corner store for a couple of things. It’s only about three blocks away, and is an easy walk.
Halfway to the store, there is a birch tree. A crow sat up in the branches, cawing. Not unusual, since crows are common here. But what was uncommon, at least on the hundreds of walks to the store I’ve taken in the past fifteen years, was what happened next.
The crow attacked me! If I hadn’t ducked at just the right time, it would have hit my head. As it was, it sailed on by. It tried a couple of more times, too, and I ducked every time. Finally, I reached the store, got what I needed, and left. I crossed over to the other side of the street for the walk back, and was left alone.
But tonight, on a trip to the store, and walking on the other side of the street, I was attacked again, by the crow in the birch tree.
I guess my walks to the store are postponed for now; at least, until the end of mating season. I imagine there’s a crow nest in the birch tree, and there are eggs or young, and the crow sees me as some sort of threat. Why, I don’t know. But there’s nothing at the corner store that I cannot get elsewhere when I’m out and about in my car, so I’m okay on that front.
Has anybody else experienced this from a crow? Why did it happen?
Almost certainly what you surmised - crows are highly territorial in nesting season, which this roughly is. Particularly so when the babies are fledging and have just left the nest. Could have been you inadvertently walking by a bush that had a recently fledged crow or two in it and the parents weren’t having any of that Mr. Large-Potential-Predator.
This is what I was going to advise, cause it’s the only thing that worked for us. 10 miles seems to have worked, plus I’ve learned to put bribes out for them. Crows love cheap cat kibble BTW.
That’s not going to happen. Moving is not an option right now. But like I said, there’s nothing I need that cannot be found elsewhere, when I’m out in my car.
And should I need something from the corner store when I’m not out and about in my car, I’ll just drive. Driving my SUV three blocks would have some environmentalist friends in a tizzy, but I’m not about to risk my head in order to save the planet.
I have no idea what I did to attract its attention, but once a crow or raven or something started following me around, hopping from tree to tree, stalking me. It was creepy. I headed where there were no trees, and got the hell out of there.
This is what I was going to suggest. Give peace offerings and hope for the best. Don’t they like shiny things as well? Offer them kibble and small inexpensive shiny things (nothing they could use as a weapon though).
But what if they’re morally outraged by the bribery attempt? “You think KIBBLE is going to buy me off after what you did to me!??” You might be making things much worse.
Have you noticed/asked if the crow attacks anyone else?
It might be worth trying to change your appearance. Wear a big hat - or don’t if you were wearing one before. Wear a different jacket which changes your profile/color. It is possible such a change may make it so that you don’t “trigger” your nemesis.
Around here, redwing blackbirds are the most common avian culprits of such behavior.
Oooh - and while I’ve got you going - try hopping backwards on one foot while whistling…
Huh. I’ve often felt the crows in my backyard are talking to me. Not just making generic warning calls like other birds, but asking me if I’m there to hassle them. I’m rather fond of crows, and I’ve always replied to them that they should carry on, and i don’t intend to bother them.
Once or twice I’ve put out an old fat can (where i store fat I’m eventually planning on discarding) and cawed at them to let them know.
Maybe I’m not anthropomorphizing. Maybe they really are talking to me.
Years ago I lived in Edmonton. One sunny morning on my way walking to somewhere, there was an injured crow at the base of a huge tree. It looked like its wing was broken or injured in someway. I went over to try to grab him to take him to the animal rescue place. He was still very active and was hopping away and I was chasing him and trying to cut him off.
During the whole thing, his family was having an absolute fit, screaming at me and dive bombing me. The crow managed to hop from branch to branch, back up the tree and out of reach so I wasn’t able to get him.
For the next SEVEN years, that crow family assailed me every time they saw me. Other people would be just calmly walking along the sidewalk and I’d be flailing my hands and ducking attacks as I quickly ran past. All I had to do was step outside my building and the “Caw! Caw! Caw!” would start.
In the early '80s I was walking across a fairly large green space at Beacon Hill park in Victoria BC when that happened to me. It was a one-off thing and bizarre, annoying, and sort of embarrassing as, about 20 yards away were family groupings and various dudes tossing footballs etc, while I was in my own little bubble of bird attack.