r/crowbro • u/PenilePulverizer • 1d ago

Tips for befriending some crows/ravens? Question

If it matters at all, I'm in rural Minnesota.

All I know about this sorta thing is that it can help to give them a platform, they like peanuts, and I've heard that you can deter other animals from taking the peanuts by coating them in chili powder, but I'm not 100% sure about that one.

No particular reason I want to do this other than I like crows and ravens, and the idea of befriending a wild animal is cool.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

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u/Busy_Collection819 1d ago

Start with hard boiled eggs which are conspicuous from the sky. They pnly eat the yolk. Put any other offerings close by. Then you can switch to scrambled and other offerings

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u/AIcookies 1d ago

I whistle shake a fist full of dog kibble and throw it on the ground. Then I whistle and point while looking at the crow and the food.

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u/NSRA510 1d ago

I just started feeding some crows about a week ago. I got a bag of unsalted peanuts and started throwing them in my yard when the crows were out. After about two days they started following me on my walks in the morning and now I take a bag of peanuts and feed them along the way. Now anywhere from 15-40 will follow me when I go out.

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u/Much-Chef6275 1d ago

Dog or cat kibble. Few birds take it. I shake mine up and down in a container as a call to the crows.

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u/Sh3reKhan 1d ago

I've been feeding two magpie couples for around 3 years. They are also in this "corvid" species so behave similar to at least Grey Hooded Crow. These birds are curious and attentive, they really look at people and if they notice you look at them, they might become nervous, but once you drop a handful of "things" on the ground, it definitively intrigues them.

Second part, crow birds are hugely territorial, so if you want to befriend some, find a couple that live in a certain area. They will guard this area against other crows, and are usually in a couple.

Once you decided this couple is one you want to befriend, I'd just start regularly trying to look at them so that they notice that you are paying attention to them, and once you have eye contact then put some stuff like peanuts (i give mine peanuts and cashew mix, they like both, make sure it has no salt I've heard its not good), and then walk very far away.

These birds are extremely cautious by nature, so don't expect them to be trusting immediately and be ready for it to take some time.

For reference, when I got back home after spending christmas with family, I had not seen the magpie couple for almost 1 month and its winter. When they saw me today, they were both going absolutely crazy, swooping around me and following me and sitting near me. Now I can come within hand-reach of them and they still flinch if I make sudden moves etc., but over time they become more safe around you. Personally I do not try to teach them hand feeding but if you want to do this I think you need a loooooot of patience. They know that humans can easily hurt them if they aren't careful.