The Birds.

I have always watched birds flying about. For decades. I have also definitely noticed a change in their behaviour over the last few years. Its something hard to explain and I am sure others who pay attention to wildlife have noticed this.

I have a lot hitting my windows. This happens occcasionally in the past but it can happen several times a day now. and I will be honest, my windows could do with a bit of a clean, so thats not why. None of them are getting injured , they almost seem to be coming up and knocking on the window. I go outside but there is nothing to see.

Anyway what i have spotted now is much more simple to explain. There is a huge number of crows living close to me now. I live out in the countryside. They have always being around but the huge group of them are much closer now and pass directly overhead every evening when they are settling down for the night. They always settle down around sunset.

Couple of things I have noticed. Over the the last few months i have noticed crows spending a lot of time floating about and flying very high and circling around very similar to how large birds of prey do. Never noticed them doing this before. Crows behaviour in the past as almost come across as militaristic in my view. They are very organised, everyone seems to have their areas to cover and if I put out any food, whatever crows that are watching do not take the food, they alert whatever others they are supposed to. I have even seen a group of them attack an other crow obviosuly because it has stepped out of line. But as I said I noticed an increasing amount of them just drifting about high in the sky in the last few months.

I also went out another night very late to give my dogs a run around. The same huge group of crows flew directly overhead. It was pitch black. No moon , just clud , very dark. I could only see them because they were flying so low. There is a lot of large trees around me and none of them had any difficulty navagating in the dark.

Today is the weirdest though. I have a great view of the landscape out my back garden. All day long out the back there has been a huge number of crows going back and forth. I noticed them a few times and thought it was very odd. There are in the distance so I had to get binoculars. I have never seen what they were doing in all my life. Watching them they were behaving just like starlings.

Everyone nows how starlings move in huge flocks and make those amazing displays in the sky. Well this is exactly what they crows were trying to do. I say trying because they haven't mastered it like starlings but they sure as hell were giving it a go. They were definitely making different patterns going back and forth in the sky. They have been doing this all day.

Its too far away to capture on vidoe but if this is something they are not known for doing , i would make the effort next time to get closer and video.

I have never heard of crows doing this or seen them flying like that before. Maybe they are known for doing it and I simply haven't seeen it. But to see such a huge number (several hundred) flying back and forth making patterns just made me wonder.

So many people are convinced the human race are on the brink of an evoutionary change due to happen in the next few months. Maybe the same thing is happening to the animals too.

Crows have two broad patterns of behavior. In the fall and winter months, they roam widely in large flocks; but in the breeding and summer seasons, they occur in specific areas in small bands.

Crows pair off in early spring, building a nest of twigs, sticks and stems. The nest may be built on the ground, in areas where there are few trees, or as high as 60 feet above ground in oaks or pines. Each nest has four to six eggs that hatch in 18 days; and there is usually one brood each year. Young leave the nest in about five weeks, forage with their parents throughout summer and join larger and larger groups as fall approaches. Huge groups often migrate in late fall or winter, roosting together at night and flying as far as 50 miles each day to feed.

www.hort.uconn.edu...

Whilst I agree with what the above poster said, it is very disturbing and creepy to think of them hovering over us in flocks, waiting for us to die, as they sense up and coming disaster.

reply to post by JohnySeagull


Weird, I just saw the same behavior in Irvine this past week, and I thought to myself "since when do crows all fly in huge flocks?"

I've seen seagulls attack eagles this year, i think something is making there behavior change. Seagulls over here usually avoid bigger birds

As an avid birder I have learned from experts that bird ranges are in constant change. This happens naturally to some degree but can also happen slowly or suddenly due to environmental changes caused by linear disturbances such as agriculture and other development. Linear disturbances benefit some species but are detrimental to others so this has an effect on what species will end up occupying an area. In my area there is considerable affect on bird range due to a spiderweb of oil lease roads and seismic survey cut lines through the forests.

Crows and ravens can be known to take over an area from song birds but this is normal for many species. I have seen sparrows peck holes in the heads of bluebird chicks. Cow birds lay eggs in the nest of smaller birds and the larger chick robs the food from the original chicks causing them to perish. Red Wing Blackbirds are territorial with a passion that you only read about. Despite their back yard bird size they even drive away large hawks.

I hope you are not faulting the crows. There is a high likelyhood that human development in the area is what is actually to blame for their success over other birds. It is easy to dislike crows. We are taught from a young age that black colored animals are evil, and crows don't have the most attractive voices. But I believe all birds have their place and are all just struggling to survive. I am fascinated by crows. They are very smart. They have a strong curiosity and given some more time to evolve I wouldn't be surprised if they, someday in the distant future, start demanding voting rights.

Originally posted by belastaris5
I've seen seagulls attack eagles this year, i think something is making there behavior change. Seagulls over here usually avoid bigger birds

I am a huge bird lover, bird watcher, and have many birds of my own.. My world almost revolves around my love of birds! I have seen seagulls attack crows and hawks many times, usually during breeding season. If a bird of prey goes near a seagulls nest, they will try to chase it away and harass it. I've noticed even smaller gull type birds do this as well.

It always seems to work too when I see it happen!

Quite interesting. I just read about Black Vultures attacking live calves here in TN. It is unusuall for vultures to attack and kill something living. They prefer carrion.

Farmers warned about black vulture attacks

Recently, several young livestock have been killed in Middle Tennessee. Officials said the culprit is most likely a predator that is not normally known for such attacks in our area, the black vulture.

There is some concern that the odd behavior will spread to East TN.

He has been warning dozens of Loudon County farmers about this problem. Experts believe the birds are having trouble finding food, so they're setting their sights on newborn livestock.

Could the crows be lacking in food supply as well which may be changing their behavior?

Im not saying there is some strange or paranormal reason for the crows behavior, but as a simple observation I have noticed crows in areas around Houston that I have never seen crows in before.

Also, I have noticed bird behavior has become MUCH more aggressive. Not so much territory aggresion, its more like looking for a fight aggresion.

Like I said not speculation, just observation.

When I was in Southeast Alaska I used to watch the bald eagles and the ravens have all out wars in the sky.

People don't give birds enough credit, they certainly are smart.

I accidently caught a seagull when I was fishing and all of the seagulls started divebombing the one I had caught. I was worried that they were going to kill it before I could get it onto shore. I didn't want the poor thing hurt any more than I already had. About half way through reeling in my line I started to watch what the other birds were doing and as the seagull I caught got closer, the birds started to "swoop and poop" on me. I realized as I watched, that the seagulls were not attacking the seagull, but were trying to free it before I could get my hands on it. They were dive bombing the line in front of the seagull trying to break it.

I finally got the bird to shore and untangled it, I didn't hook it thankfully, and set it free, and I SWEAR all of those birds were very happy at my choice as they all did a couple of wierd flips and left....

It is amazing when you realize how smart these birds can be, and kind of scary.

I've seen birds do several odd things that were very unlike what you would think a bird would understand to do. Ravens in particular are spooky smart.

Sorry for the short reply .
I am no expert , but don't birds rely on the magnetic field of the earth to navigate ? If so , maybe this could be part of the answer.

science.nasa.gov...

I'd like to see what you guys make of it .

Good luck .

Terry .

I would think that if the birds are being thrown off by the changes in the magnetic field, you would be hearing a lot of reports of messed up migrations already. Of course, this could just be the start.

I remember a show on tv or a book or something that I read a while back about magnetite in the brains of animals (us included) and the migration of birds/animals and what would happen if the fields reversed, seems mass die off of birds was the result.

I wish I could remember where I saw that.

reading some of the replies i am not sure i explained myself too well. I seem to have given rise to people thinking this is negative/scary thing.

first the birds hitting the window are small birds. finches, bluetits.etc. as i said they are not getting injured. its almost like they are messing. i have had an awful lots of birds coming into my house over the last couple of years too but its not that cold here yet.

anyway the crow behaviour is the main interest to me. They are a settled bunch that are in my location. they won't be going anywhere. this is nothing to do with migration. crows have always been regimental in searching for food but they have completely chilled out. they are not circling waiting for us to die. they are flying high , relaxing , playing almost. trying new crap out. its really weird.

i am not bothered about the huge number. we always get the huge flocks here. its what they are actually doing thats strange. they are trying to make patterns in the sky flying back and forth. when i saw the flock first i thought , thats odd there is no starlings around here at the minute . then i thought they looked too big and black to be starlings and then when i checked i realised its the crows that are already in the area. they were making pattens , arrows, flying off in different formations and coming back together. it really is just like starlings.

it was purely for display and i have never seen this before with crows.

overall in the last few months, nearly all birds seem to be getting on together. different types are all flying amongst each other quite happily. previously they would have kept their distance from each other depending on size. not anymore.

didn't mean it to come across as this was all freaky in a bad way, just weird and wonderful.

(if people wanted to hear something creepy i could write a thread about what i have noticed with insects latley. now that is creepy. has nobody else noticed we seem to be under invasion from more and more and bigger and uglier flying critters than ever before. these are the guys that look like they are gathering for a feast. )

I sit outside and observe nature in it's glory everyday since the day I was born.
In my area,not related to birds,but the squirrels have ravaged all my pear and apple trees this summer.
Nothing left.They took the green fruits and stripped them of their seeds.
Animals have a stronger sense than humans as far as predicting changing weather patterns.
To me,in my area,this indicates a cold,brutal winter.
Also,some bird species are more sensitive then others to magnetic changes in the earth.
If there are changes,it could confuse them causing erratic behavior.
Just my two cents worth.

Originally posted by Darkblade71
I would think that if the birds are being thrown off by the changes in the magnetic field, you would be hearing a lot of reports of messed up migrations already. Of course, this could just be the start.

I remember a show on tv or a book or something that I read a while back about magnetite in the brains of animals (us included) and the migration of birds/animals and what would happen if the fields reversed, seems mass die off of birds was the result.

I wish I could remember where I saw that.

It could be just localized changes in the magnetic field.

I've been driving for 20+ years and have hit maybe 2 birds with car; this morning I hit two. and a plane landing at the airport had a bird strike.
maybe it's nothing, but it does make me wonder.

What an absolutely trippy group of stories. Have to agree with the one poster who mentioned how wonderful crows are - if you've seen the babies you'll understand. If you help one in trouble out, they'll still remember you when they grow up. There was a park near a place I once lived where the crows in all seasons would gather at twilight. The grass was covered with them. I, too, have noticed the wierd back and forth flying patterns of all types of birds in the sky. Seems almost like military maneuvers in their precision and intricacy.

The strangest thing was a number of months ago in the middle of the night this huge, low flying, mass in a v-shape moved overhead. It covered a good third of the sky and went by very rapidly flying generally north. It was eerie and a first for me, an avid night time sky-watching insomniac.

reply to post by luxordelphi


When I was in Texas I saw a low flying formation of birds in the shape of a triangel at night. It FREAKED me out at first, I thought I saw a ufo! Luckily about 20 minutes later another triangle shaped formation of what I am guessing was geese went over and actually made a little bit of noise that time.

I really thought it was a ufo at first

We've had yard cats growing up. They killed rats, moles, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, and many types of birds. There was a pecan tree that crows just loved in the neighborhood. Don't remember a cat ever getting a crow.

reply to post by Darkblade71


Yeah...I know what you mean - my first thought was some new experimental craft I hadn't heard of but it was just too big and made no noise and the only way to see it was a darker blackness moving across the black night. I was able to find a witness before it was all over and that seemed to be the best conclusion.