18 December 2024
Winter crows are extremely persistent. Yr after 12 months they return in massive numbers to the identical metropolis, even when the town harasses them. Some cities harass their winter crows, some have fun them. It is a Story of Two Cities from the winter crows’ perspective — Rochester, New York and Lawrence, Massachusetts.
However First. Massive roosts of 10,000 to 100,000 birds is regular habits for crows. Dr. Douglas Wacker described why at his Olympic Peninsula Audubon presentation in Nov 2024 (see beneath, parentheses added). Massive Crow Roosts have:
- Security in numbers (low odds of predation)
- Early warning system (many eyes looking out)
- Thermoregulation (heat)
- Exploit a useful resource (all of us share)
- Share data (meet up with your mates).
As soon as crows discover a good location, described right here, all of them come collectively in the identical place.
Hundreds of crows come to Rochester, New York each winter the place they like to roost in Washington Sq. with its nicely lit, mature timber.
Town doesn’t just like the crow mess so yearly they rent USDA to harass the crows for 3 nights. USDA’s objective is to “break up the roost” into smaller models. Rochester made the New York Occasions this week for his or her harassment methods.
From the crows’ perspective, smaller models gained’t present security in numbers so the crows will reconvene someplace. However the place? Will the brand new location trigger hassle, too?
Rochester may select a center solution to resolve their drawback. In 2010 Penn State picked a location away from folks the place they wished the crows to roost. Figuring out that crows wish to sleep with the lights on, they floodlit a distant set of timber and harassed the crows away from the middle of campus. The crows moved to the floodlit website. Ta Dah! Learn extra at Penn State relocates its winter crows.
In the meantime hundreds of crows go to Lawrence, Massachusetts each winter however so far as I can inform they’ve by no means been harassed there. As a substitute the roost is well known as a vacationer attraction, described on the Winter Crow Roost web site and YouTube channel.
Nov. 18, 2024: Be part of us for an unforgettable night on Crow Patrol beneath clear skies (55°F, NW winds at 15 mph) as we discover the Merrimack River staging space east of Rt. 495. Witness the unbelievable sight of American and Fish Crows vocalizing and converging into tree tops in a wild, dramatic show on the east finish of Island Road.
Don’t miss this breathtaking present of nature in motion! Watch now and share with pals who love the sweetness and thriller of wildlife.
So from the crows’ perspective, you’d reasonably select Lawrence, MA over Rochester, NY.
(*) p.s. Rochester’s crows are by no means going to modify to Lawrence MA. They arrive from totally different components of the continent: Lawrence = Atlantic coast. Rochester = inside and south of Hudson Bay.
