Out of nowhere, this mottled brown medium size hawk swoops down in the middle of my back yard- I'm thinking it is going after a robin- and then in a split second here is an American Crow, same size as the hawk- hot on it's tail, matching it turn for turn, twisting and flaring, over the neighbor's pond, into the trees, and out of sight!
I have always regarded crows with uneasy caution... there is a group of 6 or so that are in my area. I have seen them hassle hawks, but never a high speed chase like this!
I thought the hawk was a Cooper's, but it had the lighter crescent markings near the wingtips. See image below.
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
I felt the same way you did about crows, but then I came to realize the are pretty good guardians. They will not stand for hawks or owls in their territory. I have not seen them give any harassment to the martins or their housing, so I welcome them.
2011- first year trying, a few visitors.
2012-One ASY pair, raised two young, lots of subby visitors. So thankfull.
2013-daily subby visits.
2014-Six SY pairs
2015-18 pair, 83 fledglings
2016-36 pair, 147 fledglings
2017-52 pairs, 192 fledglings.
2018-60 pair, 246 fledglings.
2019-59 pair, 238 fledglings.
2020-62 pair.
2021-65 pair.
2022-63 pair.
2023-60 pair
2024-62 pair
I think that crows are better neighbors than hawks for martin landlords. If the crows are nesting near your site, they will try to chase away the hawks to protect their young.
One day I heard a lot of commotion near our back yard. Two hawks were trying to snatch a baby crow out of our tree, and about 6 crows were trying to protect the babies. One hawk grabbed a baby crow, the other hawk was fighting the crows. Of course, it all ended with the hawks flying away, one hawk had the baby crow in its claws.
If crows are nesting near your colony, you probably will have a whole lot less hawk pressure. I don't know about the owl pressure but the crows do try to chase away the owls.
"Good Guys" in black feathers.... glad to know that!
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
I think you would be lucky to have crows, they are smart birds, hawks have the talons so in the end can probably take a crow. but still a good bird to have around. I see them fly over here but they never come and stop.
Crows hate Owls and red tailed hawks (or Large hawks) they raid their nests. Crows will gang up on owls caught out in daylight and will chase hawks if close to they nesting site. I have family of crows that visit my yard everyday. Course these are American Crows Not fish crows or ravens I never seen problem with crows. The PM don't like them and will some times harass them, but not as bad as the Mocking birds which can't stand crows or hawks in their nesting area.
Crows are pretty smart and have memory like elephant and they know you by site. If your favorable to them they won't sound the alarm that your a bad boy!
Archer wrote:I felt the same way you did about crows, but then I came to realize the are pretty good guardians. They will not stand for hawks or owls in their territory. I have not seen them give any harassment to the martins or their housing, so I welcome them.
And for that reason I love to see them around my house. Enemy to the Coopers
This is the reason why we started feeding them unwanted pigeon eggs. They will chase a hawk till no end. They will gang up on a hawk and give the hawks cover away! We praise the dark knights in our backyard!
