Crows are ungovernable
July 11, 2023 9:03 AM Subscribe
Science nerds in the Netherlands have observed local corvids building bird nests out of anti-bird spikes [PDF], which creates extremely punk homes for their eggs out of the hostile architectural features that are also quite effective at deterring predators.
Fantastic!
Oh, oh, I know Menno, who is one of the co-authors. He wrote a whole book, Darwin comes to Town, about urban nature. Highly engrossing and highly recommended.
posted by vacapinta at 9:27 AM on July 11, 2023 [15 favorites]
Oh, oh, I know Menno, who is one of the co-authors. He wrote a whole book, Darwin comes to Town, about urban nature. Highly engrossing and highly recommended.
posted by vacapinta at 9:27 AM on July 11, 2023 [15 favorites]
Bwahahaha!
Corvid take their turn at urbanscape design: Hostile Architecture win.
posted by mightshould at 9:36 AM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Corvid take their turn at urbanscape design: Hostile Architecture win.
posted by mightshould at 9:36 AM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I love lots of animals, pets and wildlife, but it's infrequent I notice or feel any sort of appeal for birds. Corvids are an exception to that - I think they are great every time I see them, and I was thrilled to discover when we moved to the PNW how very many of them there are.
This is so cool.
(Any chance we could get a pdf warning on that first link? I know, I should have hovered to check first, but a visual flag would still be nice.)
posted by solotoro at 9:47 AM on July 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
This is so cool.
(Any chance we could get a pdf warning on that first link? I know, I should have hovered to check first, but a visual flag would still be nice.)
posted by solotoro at 9:47 AM on July 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
Always always always bet on crow.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:52 AM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:52 AM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
this is so metal. love those birds!
posted by supermedusa at 10:34 AM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 10:34 AM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Na naaaaaa na na na NA na, na na, na Crow-tamari Damashi....
posted by JHarris at 11:14 AM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 11:14 AM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Peep the citation to
posted by grobstein at 11:41 AM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Potatojunkie, 2021 - Still thinking about this bird’s nest made out of anti-bird spikes - Twitter https://twitter.com/potatojunkie/status/147036653093648384Unfortunately that tweet has been deleted and I couldn't find an archive version.
posted by grobstein at 11:41 AM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oops, that's referenced in the paper, teach me not to read the article first...
posted by aspo at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2023
posted by aspo at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2023
This year the resident robin pair decided to incorporate some modern building materials. Normally, robins produce beautiful, neat, tightly woven nests. This year it was a sloppy mess, half constructed with long plastic sheeting that dangled out the sides and was wound through the nearby bushes. I swear, I have no idea how the birds even carried that amount of plastic. It must have been a good three feet long.
I'm not sure the robins really understood their construction materials, as the majority of the plastic was at the bottom of the nest, would, you would think, impede drainage, but I guess the experiment worked out. The baby robins seemed happy and healthy and they're well on their way to becoming adult birds.
posted by sardonyx at 12:11 PM on July 11, 2023 [10 favorites]
I'm not sure the robins really understood their construction materials, as the majority of the plastic was at the bottom of the nest, would, you would think, impede drainage, but I guess the experiment worked out. The baby robins seemed happy and healthy and they're well on their way to becoming adult birds.
posted by sardonyx at 12:11 PM on July 11, 2023 [10 favorites]
You can always count on crows to essentially flip the bird at humanity, no flap.
posted by xigxag at 12:20 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by xigxag at 12:20 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
As a counterpoint to the inventiveness of crows: Bad Pigeon Nests, many of which contain a single stick.
posted by autopilot at 12:42 PM on July 11, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by autopilot at 12:42 PM on July 11, 2023 [6 favorites]
recent (news) reports document the use of... drug users’ syringes in avian architecture.
H5N1 x HIV = CORVID-28
posted by fairmettle at 1:16 PM on July 11, 2023
H5N1 x HIV = CORVID-28
posted by fairmettle at 1:16 PM on July 11, 2023
Man proposes, corvid disposes.
posted by praemunire at 1:22 PM on July 11, 2023
posted by praemunire at 1:22 PM on July 11, 2023
many of which contain a single stick.
If it works, it works.
posted by Pendragon at 2:05 PM on July 11, 2023
If it works, it works.
posted by Pendragon at 2:05 PM on July 11, 2023
Magpies just get cooler and cooler.
posted by limeonaire at 4:35 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 4:35 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
It might seem clever but I think it is really just the crows seizing an analog of the twigs they normally use for their nests and in really dense urban environments there might not be enough twigs. Now it may be that the anti-bird spike strips are particularly effective construction material because they are held together and could provide a great foundation to hold the rest of the loose twigs together better or easier than just the usual loose twigs but I'd need see actual pictures of the nests to judge. I've been thinking for a while it would be fun to see if I could get local crows to incorporate a small pride flag into one of their nests. Maybe next spring!
I'm not sure the robins really understood their construction materials, as the majority of the plastic was at the bottom of the nest, would, you would think, impede drainage,
There are species of birds that will build snakeskins (and plastics that resemble snakeskins) into their nests - Great crested flycatchers, tufted titmice and blue grosbeaks. I think the research on it is pretty speculative but there's theories it might be an egg predation deterrent - scaring predatory birds and/or rodents away. I haven't seen any speculation about it but it may also decrease brood parasites since a cowbird won't want to risk a snake attack or putting its egg to a nest that has a snake in it.
posted by srboisvert at 4:43 PM on July 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure the robins really understood their construction materials, as the majority of the plastic was at the bottom of the nest, would, you would think, impede drainage,
There are species of birds that will build snakeskins (and plastics that resemble snakeskins) into their nests - Great crested flycatchers, tufted titmice and blue grosbeaks. I think the research on it is pretty speculative but there's theories it might be an egg predation deterrent - scaring predatory birds and/or rodents away. I haven't seen any speculation about it but it may also decrease brood parasites since a cowbird won't want to risk a snake attack or putting its egg to a nest that has a snake in it.
posted by srboisvert at 4:43 PM on July 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
I have a strong suspicion that the crows in my neighborhood have murdered all the squirrels. Every once in a while I used to see them trying to knock a squirrel off a wire with multiple swoops as the the squirrel ran for its life and in the park I would see the occasional intimidation peck from a juvie trying to get the squirrel to drop whatever it was carrying but, what I saw earlier this month was a first: a couple crows hopping along on branches inside a tree doing what I could only describe as stalking behavior chasing a squirrel through the tree. I haven't seen an actual kill but I feel like I just don't see any squirrels where I used to see quite a few.
posted by Pembquist at 5:07 PM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Pembquist at 5:07 PM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
but I'd need see actual pictures of the nests to judge
I know that clicking the links in the OP is considered déclassé, but in this case you might find it rewarding.
posted by clawsoon at 6:47 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
I know that clicking the links in the OP is considered déclassé, but in this case you might find it rewarding.
posted by clawsoon at 6:47 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
I have a strong suspicion that the crows in my neighborhood have murdered all the squirrels.
One time I was teaching under a tree and a crow dropped a little mouse almost on top of me. It wasn't dead I think but badly wounded from the fall. One of my students mercy-killed it.
posted by grobstein at 6:49 PM on July 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
One time I was teaching under a tree and a crow dropped a little mouse almost on top of me. It wasn't dead I think but badly wounded from the fall. One of my students mercy-killed it.
posted by grobstein at 6:49 PM on July 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
BASED
posted by Pyrogenesis at 9:36 PM on July 11, 2023
posted by Pyrogenesis at 9:36 PM on July 11, 2023
Crows are just so cool and Magpies are a close second - kind of the slightly-dorky cousins to actual Crows.
posted by dg at 9:51 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by dg at 9:51 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Great post buy yes please indicate download vs link. I have no way of telling on my phone.
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 5:38 AM on July 12, 2023
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 5:38 AM on July 12, 2023
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The StreetsCorvids find their own use for things.posted by Naberius at 9:19 AM on July 11, 2023 [9 favorites]