Interested in anything and everything I could possibly learn to help me interact with wild crows or ravens.. (1 Viewer)

[Faetura]

37 year old dog groomer of 15 years.
Used to breed to show and while I did my naive intention was to do so while breeding for health and intelligence.
Lost my best dog, my heart dog and best friend ever, and thought, I don’t want to lose a friend to geriatrics just after a decade so…Crow, raven or dolphin.
Ravens are in the mountains around here so it’s the crow.
I’m not expecting it to be like how some humans can have cats free and wander back.
I don’t expect to snuggle or play lazer games with them but just to interact and make eye contact. Offer some snacks (I have unsalted Pastacios and rare beef, raw chicken and beef liver, some cooked shrimp. If they came up to me even 50 ft away I’d lay out a platter but not interested in feeding the cats…
I can hear the crowd, like maybe 100 feet away all the time but I never see them unless they fly over.
Is it the cats? I leave food out all the time

 

[Lisa W]

Hi, welcome to the forum on behalf of the staff and moderators. I think you will find us a friendly and helpful group. I really can’t help with your question. If you have stray cats around it is not a good idea to even try and feed birds, cats kill over 2 billion birds in the US each year. The best place to learn would probably be your local library.

 

[KC Foggin]

Welcome aboard Faetura!

Cat's are a big problem with our bird wildlife. I hope you enjoy your time with us

 

[jurek]

Welcome! You could read the book "Mind of the Raven". Ravens and crows are underappreciated, very intelligent animals, possibly more intelligent than dogs. However, whether they make good pets or friends, I am not so sure.

 

[RecoveringScot]

Welcome! You could read the book "Mind of the Raven". Ravens and crows are underappreciated, very intelligent animals, possibly more intelligent than dogs. However, whether they make good pets or friends, I am not so sure.

Konrad Lorenz the 'ethologist' (whatever that is) had at least one tame Raven and got on fine. What puzzles me is why people want to have very good (not necessary 'close') relationships with animals (which by definition are rather limited in their range of sympathies) but not other humans.

 

[Scott98]

I also have a mystical reverence for ravens and crows. I've witnessed some amazing behavior from them over the years.

I wouldn't give up on seeing some ravens locally. They're mostly in the mountains here in New England, but I live near the coast of Massachusetts and they are plenty of ravens around here. I walk my dogs at the same wooded park all the time, and they're have been some ravens nesting high in the white pine trees there for 15+ years.

I often wonder if they know me and my dogs and if it's the same ravens from 17-18 years ago. They must recognize me from walking though all the time. The other day I was in the parking lot, right after I got out of the car, one of the ravens came down and landed in a branch about 15 feet off the ground. One of my german shepherds ran under the tree and looked up and locked eyes with the raven for a good 10 seconds before we moved on. What was going on? Some kind of communication. I didn't intrude, I'm guessing the wild creatures don't want me nearby most of the time.

I have noticed bald eagles & ravens seem to do a fly-by or check out my shepherds many times. Up north they share meat from wolf kills, I can't help but wonder if there's some kind of curiosity or co-awareness there. An ancient relationship.

 

[Fritz73]

Hola! Welcome to Birdforum

 

[Jimmy G]

Hi Faetura and welcome aboard (newcomer, here, too), I'm saddened to read about your loss. I can't speak to befriending corvids but they've always been a fascinating species to me since childhood (I did a report on them way back in 2nd or 3rd Grade! LOL). I do recommend catching the PBS Nature documentary "A Murder of Crows" which aired way back in 2010 and can still be found online for viewing. Keep us posted on that adventure!

Best,
Jimmy G

 

[jurek]

Yes, Konrad Lorenz books are interesting to read - even if I remember he focused more on Jackdaws and geese than ravens.

Yes, it is well known that crows and ravens recognize individual people.

 

[Dyrlege]

Both ravens and crows survive by being sceptical and careful (which is why they live longer lives than most birds). And they are quite bright.
Befriending them? Bring gifts, but don't expect instant gratitude. Bring more gifts, and lots of patience. And more. And so on. They may accept you as a probably harmless provider after some time, and yes, they do recognize individuals.
Best of luck!
Cheers
Per

 

[maplekong]

I took ravens for granted in Northern Ireland. One was there every morning when I walked to school. Good luck trying to befriend them, it will be difficult but if it works then it'll be extra special.