I saw this tree full of birds as I was driving. I wasn’t in a position to stop, so I filmed a video over my shoulder as I drove past, and just took the best stills I could get from it after the fact.
I feel like this scene would have been harder to capture if I’d taken the more traditional approach. Sometimes it’s fun to record short blind videos and see what can be gleaned from them!
Here is an animated gif from the original footage :)
They look to me like American Crows, which are prevalent throughout much of our continent. Depending on time of day and year, this gathering could be a few things. During fall and winter most crows will roost together in large numbers in a safe location at night. They gather in large groups, sometimes stopping on their way to the roosting destination, making it a pre-roost. They can't see well to fly at night, so these roosters usually get together late afternoon and early evening.
Flocks of crows will gather if there is a good feeding opportunity, if one of their own is in danger or dying, if they see a dead crow (crow funeral), or if they want to haze and hassle predators like hawks, owls, raccoons, etc. They also converge for reasons not yet known to researchers, but it is believed to be a kind of socializing, as crows have a very structured society and culture, and are crazy smart.
As for it being a "murder," groups of crows are scientifically referred to as flocks. The term murder is also correct, but this term was chosen based on fear and lack of understanding. In some pro-crow groups the term is no longer PC, but it's still big in the dark art world.
-super-interesting information from comment by @corvidae ; seemed worth adding :)
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Hi! I'm your local neighborhood crow lady and I'm here to show you our latest line of crowsmetics and creams. Do you have a minute?
Just kidding.
But I am the crow lady.
I see you're in Maryland. Was this where you saw the crows? They look to me like American Crows, which are prevalent throughout much of our continent. Depending on time of day and year, this gathering could be a few things. During fall and winter most crows will roost together in large numbers in a safe location at night. They gather in large groups, sometimes stopping on their way to the roosting destination, making it a pre-roost. They can't see well to fly at night, so these roosters usually get together late afternoon and early evening.
Flocks of crows will gather if there is a good feeding opportunity, if one of their own is in danger or dying, if they see a dead crow (crow funeral), or if they want to haze and hassle predators like hawks, owls, raccoons, etc. They also converge for reasons not yet known to researchers, but it is believed to be a kind of socializing, as crows have a very structured society and culture, and are crazy smart.
As for it being a "murder," groups of crows are scientifically referred to as flocks. The term murder is also correct, but this term was chosen based on fear and lack of understanding. In some pro-crow groups the term is no longer PC, but it's still big in the dark art world.
Hope you don't mind me vomiting my #procrowpropaganda all over your post. I can never resist an opportunity to talk about them to anyone who seems remotely curious.
Not only do I not mind, is is the kind of awesome info I was hoping someone might share! I hope you don’t mind, I added excerpts from your comment to the original content!
Seriously, thank you for this, I really love learning about our feathered friends!
…and yep, these were spotted in Maryland :)
Yay!!! Birds are amazing. And crows, well, crows are addictive. They also make great friends. :)
I have seen a huge amount of crows come together specifically to attack and murder a bird of prey as well as take down larger prey.
Highly efficient highly intelligent highly mobile.....
And on top of it extremely hard to kill. I should know out of all of the birds I have shot I have only gotten one crow.
Actually I shot one and looked and was amazed to discover that with the small body and large amount of feathers most of my shots that I thought hit would just pass through the feather layer leaving the crow completely unharmed. All those laws of average eventually caught up to one crow though.
Please do not talk to me about the crows you have shot. Would you like if someone talked to you about the german shepherd they killed?
GROW SOME SENSITIVITY. I'M THE FUCKING CROW LADY.
fucking murderer.
LoL.
Facts are just that.
And they are considered pests and dealt with as such.
Oh I've got other stories. About the flocks that would murder the endangered hawks that lived in our trees...
Whatever. LoL
Actually that is the primary reason why a flock of crows gets together.
This one time I was watching a bunch of crows attacking a bald eagle and they flew pretty much right up to me and the eagle spread his wings in front of me kind of like saying check this out.
Then he does this crazy kick and nails one of the crows with his talons.
After that he just kind of took off and climbed in elevation losing the crows like they weren't even following him.
That is pretty crazy how intelligent crows are and in an entire pack they definitely are exceptionally skillful at killing things.
Beautiful creature highly intelligent.
Damn, that’s wild! I’ve learned a lot about crows today :)
They are really cool critters. The other day I opened a bag of chips for them that they were fighting. They could have the chips not the bag...
HAHAHA!! That’s awesome - helpin’ out some Crowmies!
Right?
And they have led me to places. Never know what you will experience when you accept other living creatures being intelligent.
Dude that’s legit!
Fair enough I love my life.
in broad daylight!
HAHAHA!!! Legit made me LOL :)
Amazing
Thank you!!! 🙏
Yay! 🤗
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good friends always show good pictures, I really like the pictures and writings that you share, have a nice day.
Well that is an extremely nice thing to say. Thank you!
Yes Friend.
LOL! Thanks!
We have Crows but no where near this many.
Murder of crows gallant old fashioned saying, stone the crows another, also name of a group from when we were a wee bit younger.... something poetic about crows!
!LUV
@joanstewart(3/10) gave you LUV.
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Stone the crows was a band? I was a big fan of counting crows :)
Some old saying and yes a band as well, we don't have enough to count although do see a couple fly past every so often.
HAHAHA! Yeah counting them is either challenging because there are too few, or too many - rarely is it in between :)
Have you transgressed? Crows judge and punish, lost art!
Probably, lol!