Crows and Ravens (anyone concerned?) (San Diego, Concord: condo, house, live)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

What a population explosion.

They are starting to scare the jays away.

I wonder how bad it needs to get before the "authorities" start to take serious action (sterilization, hunts, etc)?

[18Montclair]

Really?

I have noticed crows for a while now but I didnt know it was a huge problem?

[tstieber]

Hm, never thought about it, but I'm in San Diego half the year and now that I do, I have been seeing way more of them here too. They flock in trees by the dozens and are LOUD!

[Gentoo]

What you're observing is the post breeding gathering of crows. Ravens don't do this. Crows return to being gregarious in summer after their young have fledged. tsieber mentioned being in SD, they're doing that here now as well. They tend to gather in certain areas and it changes from one year to the next. You are probably in the area they chose this year. Usually it's an area with a lot of tall trees for roosting. They jays will be fine, part of the same family as the crows so they're tough birds too.

Ravens generally only gather in family groups. They tend to be much less gregarious than crows and are usually in pairs or at times solitary.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

What you're observing is the post breeding gathering of crows. Ravens don't do this. Crows return to being gregarious in summer after their young have fledged. tsieber mentioned being in SD, they're doing that here now as well. They tend to gather in certain areas and it changes from one year to the next. You are probably in the area they chose this year. Usually it's an area with a lot of tall trees for roosting. They jays will be fine, part of the same family as the crows so they're tough birds too.

Ravens generally only gather in family groups. They tend to be much less gregarious than crows and are usually in pairs or at times solitary.

Interesting.

+1

[mayorhaggar]

There's a ton of scrub jays around where I live, very squawky birds but also very pretty. Several other kinds of noisy birds. At the CVS on 51st there's a bunch of cute small birds with red heads (not sure what species they are) that have built nests up in the roof outside and they and their babies squawk all the time, I've seen them at a CVS in Concord too. I haven't really noticed any crows being annoying or hanging out in big numbers lately.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

There's a ton of scrub jays around where I live, very squawky birds but also very pretty. Several other kinds of noisy birds. At the CVS on 51st there's a bunch of cute small birds with red heads (not sure what species they are) that have built nests up in the roof outside and they and their babies squawk all the time, I've seen them at a CVS in Concord too. I haven't really noticed any crows being annoying or hanging out in big numbers lately.

Likely House Finches

House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus photo - Gentoo photos at pbase.com

[twins4lynn]

We were outside late yesterday afternoon watching the crows gathered in a tree near our backyward, cawing loudly, and we could hear other crows in different trees on our block also cawing. They are beautiful big birds and sure hang around in large groups .

[mayorhaggar]

Nope. I'll try and take a picture if I go there any time soon. They are really cute with the way they've set up a little condo complex in the eaves of the CVS, and they sit in the openings to their little nests and chirp at each other. I really hope the CVS doesn't do something to remove them.

They look kind of like chickadees, but with red on the head instead of black, kind of like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/...0a0c28355b.jpg

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Nope. I'll try and take a picture if I go there any time soon. They are really cute with the way they've set up a little condo complex in the eaves of the CVS, and they sit in the openings to their little nests and chirp at each other. I really hope the CVS doesn't do something to remove them.

They look kind of like chickadees, but with red on the head instead of black, kind of like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/...0a0c28355b.jpg

ah behavior is key. Sound like either Cliff Swallow

cliff swallow - Google Search

or Barn Swallow

barn swallow - Google Search

The former is the species famous at the Mission in Capistrano.