I was mowing our neighbors lawn and did not notice a fledgling was in the corner of the yard. Next thing I know I am getting dive bombed by two crows. I immediately retreated away and was able to escape. Now anytime I go outside I am getting attacked. Looks like so far I am dealing with at least two adult crows and their baby. They live in a tree in our backyard and never had any issues till now. I put up reflective streamers all around the yard and even played some crow deterring sounds. Works great till I walk outside then we left for a week on vacation but I know crows are extremely smart so I know when we come back I am sure I will swooped on again. I ordered a falcon decoy and even a dead crow model and plan on hanging it upside down from a pole in the middle of the yard. Since they are in the trees I was thinking of setting up a water hose and turning it on when they rest in the tree. Might not reach them but may scare them. I've looked at ultrasonic Bird machines but the reviews are bad. I can get them with a bb gun but really don't want to go that route. Houses are close by but I could pick them off from inside because I would be shooting down and into the lawn. Local animal control says they can't do anything till the crows cause major property damage.

What are best ways to deal with this?

12 ga. 2 3/4 #8 shot.

The BB gun seems like a solid option.

They want to take care of their baby. They only are trying to help their baby. You could move it somewhere safe nearby and they will leave you be.

Swooping ain't gonna kill you.

Feed them and you will have friends for life.

As for you other two assholes, people like you are what is wrong with the world. Shoot first and show no kindness. I had to deal with the results of your kind on a daily basis with all the gunshot hawks and owls.

Replace crow with dog and watch the response.

You make all gun owners look like Fudds.

I can't add much to Mars' post, except to suggest a truce might be in order. If they're nesting in your yard and have fledglings, they don't have the option of moving on right now.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
They want to take care of their baby. They only are trying to help their baby. You could move it somewhere safe nearby and they will leave you be.

Swooping ain't gonna kill you.

Feed them and you will have friends for life.

As for you other two assholes, people like you are what is wrong with the world. Shoot first and show no kindness. I had to deal with the results of your kind on a daily basis with all the gunshot hawks and owls.

Replace crow with dog and watch the response.

You make all gun owners look like Fudds.

Sure, crows can be pests, I've seen the havoc they caused Bugs Bunny back in the corn fields in the movies, but there is no way on earth that I would deliberately hurt a baby bird of any kind, especially a crow or any corvid. My Great Uncle Ted had a lady raven living with him for the best part of twenty-five years, so me and corvids generally see eye to eye.

Here in UK we tend to care for bird babies if and when we find them, mostly by just doing nothing but ignoring them, as their parents more often than not come back for them when you're not around. One local guy in our village is fostering his latest crow, called Harry [they are ALL called Harry] - one in a long line of saved and released birds over the years.

Harry had been hit by a passing car, but is making a good recovery. I'm going to see him tomorrow, and I'll pass on your good wishes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tacfoley,

quote:

Replace crow with dog and watch the response.

Not that I don't agree with what you are saying but if a dog charged/attacked me in my back yard we would have a problem

You could foster a cat.

Having lived underneath a flock of 20,000 crows for a time (yes...you read that right...20,000 ( NY crows )), I can tell you that the only way to rid yourself of them is to start killing them. They are smart, so the owl and other predator bird decoys are useless, as are the hazing techniques. The only way to get them to move out is proper motivation. And hanging the dead crow decoy will only piss them off.

Sorry if that offends the tender sensitivities of bird lovers, most (I would guess all) of which have never had to deal with the problems crows bring.

ETA: We are at the top of the food chain. As such, we have a responsibily to manage wildlife...including birds. Thinning the herd is a necessary evil. No different than managing deer, elk, bears, or wolves. Somehow, though, I don't expect any outrage for the latter.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Feed them and you will have friends for life.

This is what I'd try before anything else.

Crows are exceedingly intelligent. The recognize faces. They've even been known to defend human friends. I would try to befriend them.

We've a bunch of crows in and around our yard. One of these days I'm going to research it and see if I can't make friends with them.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:

As for you other two assholes, people like you are what is wrong with the world.

From one asshole to another, guess you don't recognize sarcasm when you see it.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Having lived underneath a flock of 20,000 crows for a time (yes...you read that right...20,000 ( NY crows )), I can tell you that the only way to rid yourself of them is to start killing them. They are smart, so the owl and other predator bird decoys are useless, as are the hazing techniques. The only way to get them to move out is proper motivation. And hanging the dead crow decoy will only piss them off.

Sorry if that offends the tender sensitivities of bird lovers, most (I would guess all) of which have never had to deal with the problems crows bring.

ETA: We are at the top of the food chain. As such, we have a responsibily to manage wildlife...including birds. Thinning the herd is a necessary evil. No different than managing deer, elk, bears, or wolves. Somehow, though, I don't expect any outrage for the latter.

Auburn just west of Syracuse gets hammered with crow. Even the falcons brought in just get tired and sit to watch.

I wonder if the op is confusing crows with blackbirds. Sounds to me he is dealing with blackbirds perhaps the redwing variety. They are about the size of a Robin who will also swoop on you if you get close to a fledgling. Crows are much larger and generally don't nest in residential neighborhood trees as far as I know. Crows will be seen in a neighborhood but generally nest in larger wooded areas.

I'm for live and let live unless it's a infestation of my home of some sort like feral cats living under my three season house. That was dealt with in a more permanent way. Something like what the op describes is easily dealt with without harm coming to the bird family.

I guess that is possible, but unlikely unless he has below average visual identification skills.

I have six pairs of barn Swallows under my front porch. They are messy, loud and will let you know really quick you are too close, but we enjoy watching them raise their babies.

One of the earlier babies has established a nest and knows Tabitha. She is the ONLY person tolerated on the front porch. In fact when he isn't feeding babies, he's on her chair chattering with her. He will sit there and call her out to come and see him.

They will be gone by September and the pressure washer will take care of any mess they left.

I have a mob of crows on the property that we feed every day. They all show up when the pizza guy does, so I have to buy them their own pizza now.

I highly anticipate when they bring this year's young by to meet us.

Last summer we had a pair of broad winged hawks build a nest about 30' off our driveway. Once the baby was born, we were treated to the dive bombing and screeching on walks to the mailbox. It was actually pretty neat. They would get close enough to feel the air and occasionally a wingtip would ding the top of your head. A few weeks later, the hatchling was out of the nest and learning to fly around the trees, so the parents settled down.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I have to buy them their own pizza now.

Potential YouTube gold!

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I have six pairs of barn Swallows under my front porch. They are messy, loud and will let you know really quick you are too close, but we enjoy watching them raise their babies.

One of the earlier babies has established a nest and knows Tabitha. She is the ONLY person tolerated on the front porch. In fact when he isn't feeding babies, he's on her chair chattering with her. He will sit there and call her out to come and see him.

They will be gone by September and the pressure washer will take care of any mess they left.

I have a mob of crows on the property that we feed every day. They all show up when the pizza guy does, so I have to buy them their own pizza now.

I highly anticipate when they bring this year's young by to meet us.

but surely you realize you like birds a lot more than most people do...

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:

but surely you realize you like birds a lot more than most people do...

Which is why I assume he asked the question.

It seems you witnessed a murder.
Or. You have a murder on your hands.