Crow catches Large Fish (1 Viewer)

BrianWH · Mar 12, 2015

I was at Carsington the other day in the Wild Life Centre, when there was sudden excitement among the Rangers and Visitors. This Crow had just pulled this fish from the water.
The fish was swimming close to the surface by the bank. The Crow was browsing along the shore and spotted the fish and grabbed it and pulled it onto the bank. The shot shows the fish still struggling to return to the water, but the Crow kept pulling it away again. He eventually pecked at the head until the fish gave up.
As the Fish was on the surface it may well have not been well anyway, but still a large catch for the Crow.

See Gallery

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/522021/ppuser/121449

Has anyone known a UK Crow to catch fish before?

delia todd · Mar 12, 2015

That's an amazing tale Brian and a super picture too.

I'd be fascinated to find out if this behaviour has been seen before.

Gretchen · Mar 12, 2015

That is impressive. I guess that corvid intelligence allows them to take advantage of unusual opportunities like this. Did other crows come to join in eating the fish? That's too much fish for one crow I assume.

BrianWH · Mar 12, 2015

Gretchen said:
That is impressive. I guess that corvid intelligence allows them to take advantage of unusual opportunities like this. Did other crows come to join in eating the fish? That's too much fish for one crow I assume.

There was one other Crow there when I left awaiting his turn. They were not feasting together like other scavangers.

I have other shots if anyone is interested.

Kits · Mar 12, 2015

Me! I'd like to see the other shots, please, Brian!

BrianWH · Mar 13, 2015

Kits said:
Me! I'd like to see the other shots, please, Brian!

Here you are then Kits.

1. Crow stopping Fish struggling
2. Crow not knowing what to do next
3. Crow eating fish with another waiting his turn

Andrew · Mar 13, 2015

Amazing. A few years ago, I watched a Crow/Rook (I forget which) eating frogs on the bank of the lagoon at Bowling Green Marsh and like your scenario, there were others waiting close by for their turn at the scraps.

Regards,
Andrew.

James_Owen · Mar 14, 2015

Hi Brian, glad you enjoyed the action.

In the wildlife centre we watched for the rest of the afternoon, by the end the two crows had only gotten through about half the fish. It looked like a pair to me, they closely associated, weren't territorial, but typically for crows wouldn't actually share the food item at the same time. One has to wait for the other, when it comes to food it's like there is always a calculation going on within what is otherwise a very strong pair bond.

kennethwfd · Mar 16, 2015

this video shows a bird using bread as bait

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10201667663243500

Peewit · Mar 16, 2015

It shows that Corvids are bright, and they know what side their bread is buttered on. :-O

I wonder how much of the fish he/she ate, and if his/her Crow friends joined in

Interesting video with the Heron using bread as bait :-O

Regards
Kathy
x

Côg · Mar 16, 2015

Peewit said:
It shows that Corvids are bright, and they know what side their bread is buttered on. :-O

Regards
Kathy
x

Do you mean Battered 3

Amazing video.

BrianWH · Mar 16, 2015

kennethwfd said:
this video shows a bird using bread as bait

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10201667663243500

But has anyone in the UK seen a Crow catch a Fish?

Peewit said:
It shows that Corvids are bright, and they know what side their bread is buttered on. :-O

I wonder how much of the fish he/she ate, and if his/her Crow friends joined in

Regards
Kathy
x

The two crows ate half the fish that afternoon, see James Owen reply above.

Tiraya · Mar 16, 2015

So its a fish crow right?

BrianWH · Mar 16, 2015

Silverwolf said:
So its a fish crow right?

Not a fish crow, we don't have them in the UK, this is a Carrion Crow, native to Europe.

Andrew · Mar 16, 2015

BrianWH said:
Not a fish crow, we don't have them in the UK, this is a Carrion Crow, native to Europe.

Ah, so it didn't catch the fish. It was already dead? :t:

Kits · Mar 16, 2015

BrianWH said:
Here you are then Kits.

Thanks, Brian! Sorry to be late responding, but I've not been here.

Excellent shots. Clever crow!

crazyfingers · Mar 18, 2015

kennethwfd said:
this video shows a bird using bread as bait

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10201667663243500

Is that a green Heron or close relative? They are known to bait fish

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/green_heron/lifehistory

Philip C. Howell · May 4, 2021

During a recent stay in Wales I was fortunate enough to watch a crow fly over the lake, then drop to the surface of the lake on five different days / occasions and on four attempts the crow caught small fish. On the fifth occasion, I can't say for definite that the crow caught anything. On each catch occasion the crow took the fish to the bank, killed it, then I presume flew off to a nest?

Crow catches Large Fish (1 Viewer)

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