Getting rid of crows

There are a flock of crows that have starting to live close to us. They are unbelievably noisy especially early in the morning. Is there a way to get them to move to a different location?

[BK2005]

Try placing a large, brightly colored stuffed toy in the area where the crows congregate.  Often they are frightened by the size of the stuffed toy and by the bright colors.  We did this when we had a  bunny hutch filled with six tiny bunnies in our front yard.  A flock of crows kept trying to get at the bunnies, so we stuck a large, bright pink & purple stuffed cat near the hutch and the crows disappeared  and the bunnies survived.

Hope this helps.

BK

[SarahWilson]

if they have a target in mind, in that case the bunnies. (Creative solution, BTW). But if they are starting to roost nearby? I don't know if that will help or not - certainly worth a try.

Have you tried calling your local Audubon on this one? I'll think they might have suggestions as well.

[ireneo]

Short of using noise makers (which is guaranteed to annoy your neighbors) there is no way to scare off the crows. They congregate in large family groups for protection. Did you know the young from the previous year help to raise the new babies? Think of them as a happy family taking care of each other. They will "talk" in the morning or if there's an owl or hawk nearby and again at night while they settle in. During the summer listen for the higher pitched caws and you'll know that's the babies calling for Mom and Dad.

[wait2long]

i have crows...love them, i actually saved on last summer...
i just dont understand this wanting this get rid of nature thing? its beyond me...?

this is a bird forum for people that LIKE birds...this really isnt the place to talk of them like they are pests and ask for advice on how to get rid of them???
move your house...LOL!  theres my idea...

[ireneo]

That would be a great improvement over squawks. I'm always amazed at how differently animals react to things I consider benign. I'll check out the website and add it to our list of safe deterrents at work. We get so many people calling in with complaints about woodpeckers banging on the side of the house, crow families raising a ruckus in area, raccoons tearing up the yard, etc. Wonder if it would work on woodpeckers too? Thanks for getting back to me.

[lakerike]

Here is what I did and it took less than an hour to put together. Download owl sounds and burn them to a disk and play the disc around the area. I have not seen any crows in months. I now play it every once in awhile to just keep it going. I also have a fake owl that I move around time to time.
So find a plastic owl,make your own owl cd and just play it. Of course, if you have a large farm you would need a loud sound system but for small crow problems this helps. The crows were getting into the garden and I put this plan together by reading a book about crows. Try this becaue its cheap and very effective. Maybe I should market the cd and give the 'crow be gone people' a run or their money? Laker IKE

[ireneo]

Interesting that it would work. Usually if there's an owl or hawk in the area, crows will band together and "mob" the predator. They'll dive bomb and squawk like crazy. Then again, they're pretty intelligent and will figure out a plastic owl quickly as do most birds.

As for the owl sounds, many owls are nocturnal and active when crows are asleep. I have screech owls in my back yard that hoot at night. But it sure doesn't stop the crows from coming by for a visit during the day. Different circumstances I guess.

[adam794]

Bird control and pest control is a fickle beast.  Nothing short of physical barriers will work for all situations (which are expensive and laborious to install and not realistic on large properties).  Consumers need to have realistic expectations about what they are trying.  Yes, audible deterrents work for a lot of people.  And yes, they don't work for a lot of people.  Persons who play a CD, or audible repellent and think that there is some magical way to eliminate all birds from their property need to readjust their expectations.  In reality, sound deterrents are one step, and a great option for people who want a humane, chemical free solution to birds.  
You may want to visit www.bird-x.com for some alternate options as well.

[ireneo]

Good suggestion. At work we recommend many of those products - the netting, the artificial predators, especially the bird spikes that work well with pigeons that stand on flat edges.

One thing I don't see on the site are glue traps. Those are probably the most inhumane things invented. First of all they don't discriminate between annoying birds and little song birds. Too many times I've had to attempt pulling a swallow or some other tiny bird free from that nasty plate of glue. Most often it doesn't work and the bird dies from the trauma. The glue traps are meant to trap the birds in the goo and then just throw them away. In my opinion, that is sickening.

[banjo41]

I have a pair of cardinals that are building a nest in a rhododendron bush....this makes the third time in this bush. The first time....triplet baby cardinals fledged...all was well. Last year.....triplets...2 days old and a crow swooped down and got those little ones....I notice several crows flying over-head...like they are scouting out the place....Wonder if that bright stuffed animal detail mentioned above....would deter the culprit ??? cathy

[ireneo]

I lost 2 Robin fledglings to crows. The Robins nested in my carport, the babies fledged and toddled into my backyard. They were exposed, not staying under the bushes, and the crows just took them away. I also get small hawks occasionally and they could have just as easily taken the babies. It's a rough world out there in bird land.

We've recommended putting something light weight a foot or so over the nest if it's exposed. I've used a mesh laundry bag that's easy to clip on to the branches. It's mesh so the air still circulates freely but it blocks the few from above pretty well. The bags I buy are a drab green so it doesn't stand out and look gross. You could also try a piece of cardboard. The main thing is to have it planned out and not disturb the parents too much. You don't want to do anything drastic that would scare them away as well.

After the babies fledge, staying out of the way is one of the lessons they have to learn. Many don't make it due to other birds or cats on the loose. BTW putting a bell on a cat doesn't help much. Birds don't recognize bells as dangerous. And young birds can't fly yet so they can't escape.

[Jaybay]

Interesting thread.  Count me in as one who likes crows.  :-)  I admire their intelligence and their fierce defense of their young.  Crows aren't the only birds who eat other baby birds.  Blue jays will do the same thing.  I figure they're all part of nature, and they do what they do.  I can't judge the behavior of any wild animal based on human standards of right and wrong.  As for noise levels, carolina wrens are just as noisy as crows and never seem to stop.  I swear they justu like the sound of their own voices.  LOL!  We have a nesting pair right by our bedroom window and they get tuned up with the first gray streaks of dawn.

As for "pest" birds, I'll take the crows over the hoards of whitewing doves we've had for the past 5 years.  We call them the Flying Hogs because they'll mow through 10 pounds of birdseed in two hours if I let them.  I've had to adjust the feeder holes to slow them down.  Also have a couple of feeders made for songbirds that automatically close when the heavier birds or a squirrel decides to visit.  And talk about bird poo!  Once one whitewing dove finds a full feeder, it's only minutes before over a hundred of them show up for the feast.  I have to hose off my fence and deck every couple of days.  With blackberry season approaching, it'll be a daily chore with purple bird poo everwhere.  Ah well - it's the price we pay for being bird lovers.

Something that has helped me deal with birds in my veggie garden over the years is to work with mother nature.  I've made part of my yard very attractive to all kinds of birds with multiple feeders and plenty of watering stations.  There is plenty of cover available with mature trees and shrubs.  It's needed too.  We get owls, falcons and hawks who troll through and occasionally nab the unobservant dove.  

The blue jays and squirrels love raw peanuts.  (It's quite a show watching cardinals and even wrens try to take on a peanut in the shell!)  All that readily-available food and water keeps them from doing much damage to my veggies.  Even tomatoes and strawberries are barely bothered as long as the birds have plenty of water.  I haven't had to use bird netting in years.

Glad to see so many people interested in the wild birds - for whatever reason.  :-)

[ireneo]

All living things are capable of carrying disease. Look at salmonella in chicken, e coli in beef, all the diseases people carry around with them. I worry less about the birds than I do about the people sneezing and coughing around me.

[SammyQT]

I successfully chased away some crows today with a wooden "train whistle". There were more than 20 huge crows sitting in a tree outside my house today. For several hours they were yelling very loudly and making me nuts! I found your tips and thought that by interupting their miserable conversation, they might leave. Every time the crows started talking, I tooted my whistle and when they got quiet I did too. I kept out of their sight and kept messing with them. After 5 minutes they took off with big squawks. A few came back a little later and I gave them more toots every time they tried to talk. They left again and I have had peace for several hours!

[ireneo]

That's very clever. A train whistle isn't a bad sound but it's unusual to the crows. That makes them stop and listen and try to figure it out.

[EmDon]

Absolute Bird Control has several solutions for this problem.  I would first recommend outdoor sound deterrents, such as the Bird Chase Super Sonic, which can be programmed specifically to deter your problem bird.  Also consider the bird spikes and net as well as visual deterrents, such as the Hawk Decoy.  If you would like more information and options visit http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com

[Dania_P]

Totally agree, business ethics is quite important and we shouldn't support someone who copied another's hard work.  So yes the cd is good, buy 'crow be gone'! www.crowbegone.com Great customer service as well.

[borntoshop]

I got a pot and an old wooden spoon.. get outdoors and bang them around for about 30 seconds.. Do this each time they come back and in a few days or a week you will no longer be bothered.. cheap. easy. fast

[AnimalLover52]

One thing that worked extremely well was dead crows. who would have thunk that adding crows to the equation would get rid of crows! I purchased a .22 rifle from a local sporting goods store and a large bag of bird feed which i poured on my driveway (don't put it in the grass because you won't be able to clean it up afterward and you will keep attracting the birds) then I just laid and waited with my garage door opened about a foot. sure enough they all came for a feeding frenzy! I killed about 15 crows in no time. be very careful about stray bullets hitting your neighbor's house or car...or your neighbors themselves :) then collect the crow bodies and put them all over your property. the best place is on your roof so you don't attract other animals. the crows see their family member's carcasses and think that the area is unsafe for birds, they get frightened and stay away from your house! I'm not sure if this was necessary but i mutilated the crow bodies to look like a wild animal got to them. i recommend experimenting with this. the idea is to make the crows feel like your house is a place of danger. happy hunting!

[ireneo]

A few problems with that idea:  if you're in the city limits, it's illegal to discharge a firearm for all the reasons you stated above. It's dangerous. Secondly, crows are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and to harass or harm them is a federal offense. If you have a farm and they're causing crop damage, you may be able to get a special permit to shoot them but you are NOT allowed to shoot them because they bug you.

[ireneo]

I've never tried it, obviously, but from my years of experience working with wildlife, crows included, they're incredibly intelligent birds and aren't easily fooled. I'm not surprised by your experience ADDY. Even something that takes them by surprise will only shoo them for a bit. Then they'll come back but be more cautious and prepared.

[carelotokar]

I bought a house on a lake in NY State and found a myriad of crows that cackled incessantly every morning.  Just before I moved  there I read an article in the New York Times Magazilne about crows invading suburban spaces and killing the colorful song birds who live there.  Sure enough, the crows invaded the nests, pierced and ate the eggs and chased the little birds away, if not killilng them.

My neighbor told me that the natural enemy of crows was the owl.  I started to hoot whenever I saw a crow.  One Sunday, I started to 'hoot' in my back yard and suddenly the sky was just black with hundreds of crows who were leavilng my property and the property next to mine.  People watched as these birds rose and flew to the adjacent forest.

Over 14 years, I continued to 'hoot'.  My front stoop was home to house finches, blue birds and lazy sparrows who used the finches nests after the finch fledglings had been launched.  (I leave my natural Christmas wreath on my front door and the birds continued to nest there generation after generation.)

I have just moved to the Carollinas and in my second year of bird feeding and supplying nesting possibilities, crows, grackles and blackbirds have found my feeders.  I am hooting.  The predatory birds do move away and let the song birds have their feed.

You might try 'hooting'.  One day I even had an owl come to call, with Mrs. Owl close behind.  I must be good.

[ireneo]

Thanks for the feedback on your own experience. I wonder why it works for some and not others. Like anything else I suppose, reviews will vary. Thanks for the heads up about the scam site. I wish people could find a better way to use their energy.

And yes, there's always a bit of oddity found on forums. Keeps life interesting.  :-)

[beejay63]

I have crows right above my bedroom making a hell of a racket at 5am every morning.

Because of what is happening in my life at the moment I am fairly depressed and being woken up at 5am is not helping.  I am a nightowl and at 63 am not going to change my routine so I really need help with these crows.

[flyme630]

Try a Gamo or other type of air rifle. not as noisy as a .22 LR.
CB caps for your .22 are also very quiet but only accurate to about 30-40 yards.
gamo Night Stalker is accurate to about 70 yards at 1200 FPS.

[tinashubby]

we had a pair of crows dropping large twigs down a chimney in which we never have a fire this went on for about 3 weeks, we had the chimney swept and a crow guard put on the chimney about a week ago but they are now dropping dead grass and leaves down which they can get between the bars, how long before they work out they can't get in to nest

[ireneo]

That's unusual for them to be so persistent. They're smarter than that. You may have to cover the chimney for a few weeks till they find another spot they like better. A screen is fine for keeping birds out but a chimney cap is often better. Not sure how much they cost.

[gail222]

I have a LOT of crows in my neighborhood and for the most part just live with them.  But two things have changed recently.  I've put down a lot of black garden cloth (covered with LOTS of mulch) to control weeds but the crows are pushing the mulch aside and pulling back the cloth  to get at worms or something underneath.  I've even used the long 10" spikes used for edging walkways etc to hold down the black cloth but they just rip it away from the spikes!!  And I now have a very talkative African Grey parrot who spends a lot of the day mimicking the crows.  God help me!!  Any advice re: preventing the  tearing up the garden cloth?  Maybe some safe chemical that they would not like the smell of?  About the parrot, well ......

[diecrowdie]

I just moved and am now surrounded by crows cawing through most of the day. I hate these things, though I love all other birds.
It is not true that Crows are protected by law. Most states have a crow hunting season. In Maine, there is a spring season (Feb 1-Mar 31) and a fall season (Aug 1-Sept 30).
Your neighbors make take issue walking around with a slingshot or air gun, but if you can get a couple of buddies and set up your blind at a local farm (farmers are usually more-than happy to oblige), you may shoot enough crows to give your neighbors and yourself peace.
More information at www.crowbusters.com

[ireneo]

Laws may vary from state to state and I know some areas have hunting season. But the areas are limited. People can't just sit on their back porch and fire off guns. And by federal law, crows are indeed protected. There are exceptions and that's important to know where and when crows can be killed. If the crows are bothering you in an area restricted to hunting and it's out of season, people have to learn other ways to deal with it.

[cbmom]

The crow is classified as a predatory bird (WAC 232-12-004). A hunting license and an open season are required to shoot them. Under federal guidelines, individuals may kill crows without a hunting license or permit when they are found committing, or about to commit, depredations on agricultural crops, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance (16 U.S.C. Sections 703–712). The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is located at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/

[Dockgirl]

We have a bird bath in the backyard that's is frequently used by a variety of small birds. But recently a crow has moved into the territory and had taken it over. It is constantly bring prices of dead things and washing them in the water. Leaving chunks of meat ant bones floating in it. I would like to redirect this bird elsewhere

[ireneo]

You're right about depredation from large numbers of crows and the ability to lethally decrease their numbers. But most people on this forum are upset about some crows in their neighborhood or back yard. That's a far cry from a farm setting.