Carrion Crows
- Anna Kenny
- Dec 1
- 1 min read
It's coming up to Winter and the migrating birds are arriving in Poole harbour. Exciting!
So the bird I photographed most on a recent walk to the harbour wasn't maybe the one you would expect.
One of the things I enjoy photographing most is misunderstood animals. Crows must be up there as one of the most overlooked.
As omnivores, they will eat animals that are already dead, essentially acting as a clean-up crew, which is where they get their name "carrion crows."
Most people don't think very highly of crows. Raiding other bird's nests, they don't have the most tuneful call either. Unlike Jays, which are also in the crow family (Corvids), carrion crows don't have that beautiful blue colour.
Often found in urban environments, crows are remarkably intelligent and have adapted to the harsh urban jungles humans have built. They are known to be able to remember faces and recognise those that are threatening and those that are not (1).
You can see this intelligence in action in the UK!
While walking along Sandbanks road in Poole, I often see crows picking up shells from the beach and dropping them on the hard concrete from height until the shell breaks. These birds have learnt an effective way of obtaining food along here that is unique to any of the other birds seen along this stretch of shoreline.
Comments