15 December 2024
For stirring winter wildlife spectacles in our personal yard it’s laborious to beat Pittsburgh’s winter crow roost. When you’ve seen them you’ll be able to’t assist however surprise: What number of crows are there? In lower than two weeks, if we’re fortunate, we’ll discover out.
On Saturday 28 December volunteers will fan out throughout the 7-mile radius Pittsburgh Christmas Chook Depend (CBC) circle to tally all of the birds they see in 24 hours. It’s the proper time to rely crows nevertheless it takes a crew to do it. How will we rely crows?
First, Discover the Roost. Prime Precedence this week.
One of the simplest ways to search out all of the crows in a single place at one time is to rely them coming into, exiting or perched at their large communal roost. However they modify their roost usually in late December. I want your assist discovering it.
Let me know the place you see a number of crows after 4:00pm within the metropolis limits. Inform me about …
- Large flocks of crows
- After 4:00pm or In a single day
- The place are they? Present particular location, avenue or landmark.
- If flying, what course are they going? I’ll map your contribution and triangulate.
When To Depend? Nightfall.
For the CBC we, the crow rely crew, arrive within the goal space at 4:00pm (an hour earlier than sundown) and rely till it’s too darkish to see (about 5:30pm).
If we’re unsure the place the roost is (oh no!) we observe the crows by automotive to the purpose the place they congregate. It is a nerve wracking exercise as a result of crows don’t fly the road grid.
If we all know the place the roost is (supreme!) we assemble at a vantage level to view the roost.
Estimate!
Are we counting each single crow? No manner!
- Estimate the variety of crows in a selected patch of sky or a piece of the roost, then multiply by the variety of patches. This takes observe. Strive it out this week.
- Depend by 10s or — when it’s intense — by 100s.
In Flight
When you’re on a crow flight path after 4:00pm you’ll be able to rely them as they go by. Nonetheless, a vantage level beneath the stream (picture above) is mainly unattainable to rely.
Discover a straight edge boundary and rely them as they move the sting. The sting on this picture is a signpost. A sparse flock like this may very well be counted by 10s.
For the CBC we don’t wish to double rely so we discover the roost and observe the flight paths. If the flight paths have good vantage factors we rely there. This takes extra volunteers.
In 2023 you all despatched nice tips about the place to search out the crows so we have been capable of rely them flying throughout the Monongahela to the roost at Duquesne College.
Depend The Roost
If there are good vantage factors on the roost, we wait till they’ve settled and rely them there. This labored effectively in 2017 on the Oakland roost from Heinz Chapel to Carnegie Library.
How You Can Assist
Prime precedence this week is to Discover the Roost. See directions above. Keep tuned for alternatives to affix the Crow Patrol.
p.s. For a very good information on crow counting, take a look at Winter Crow Roost Counting Information from Lawrence, Massachusetts.
