Mystery of a lone crow (1 Viewer)

We have a group of five crows who have been hanging around our house for at least a year. We feed them unsalted, unshelled peanuts, and keep the birdbath in the back filled year-round for them and the other birds and critters. In the last few days, the crows seem to have disappeared, except for one lone crow. He/she will just sit on the ground in the back of the house by the birdbath, or on a lawn to the side of the house. He/she can fly, and otherwise seems healthy.

What is going on here?

• Is it the unusually hot weather we've been having?
• Do crows go somewhere else away from their accustomed territory at this time of year?
• Could something have happened to the crow family? Were they poisoned? Shot? There is a 300-acre wildlife management area, AKA hunting area, behind our house, but nothing is in season right now.

I'd very much appreciate any ideas from someone who knows crows.

I live in coastal northeast Massachusetts.

Ted R

Possibly not a member of the flock but a stray which moved in after the former had departed for unknown reasons? Crows are naturally gregarious but the flocks tend to be quite clannish and unwelcoming to unrelated newcomers. Interesting to see how the situation develops with your crow. . ..

Succumbed to an outbreak of west nile virus? Crows apparently particularly susceptible to it.

That sounds quite likely, Nutcracker. West Nile was just found in a town not too far north of us, and the mosquitoes have been horrendous the last couple of weeks. Here's an article that describes many of the symptoms I observed:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/how-can-i-tell-if-a-sick-bird-has-west-nile-virus/

Update on lone crow

The one remaining crow came the last time on the day after my first post. The next two days we could hear it in the distance, but we haven't seen or heard ANY crows in the area since then. I think there's a horrible outbreak of West Nile around here.

It's either it got separated. Hard to say there's an outbreak of west Nile. I hope not.