Countdown To Spring - Day Three

By Kimberly J. Epp

The first "honk" of Spring or the first "caw"? Both equally cheer me up. Crows begin to arrive back home usually soon after we see our first geese.

Males and females mate for life, unless either is killed or dies. Exceptions occur with young birds who have nested unsuccessfully. They may then try to find a new mate.

"Murdering Mary-Ann'tonniette" has visited me two years in a row, last year truly living up to her name (photo by Kimberly Epp).

Crows have one brood per season. It takes one to two weeks to build a large and sturdy nest, 6 days to lay eggs, and 19 days to incubate. Two to six eggs are laid, and the young fledge at six weeks to two months. Only 50 per cent of the young actually survive.

Many people despise these incredibly intelligent corvids, but crows are the garbage cleaners of nature. They play an integral role in the scavenging dead animals.

Click here to read up on the differences between crows and ravens, and stay tuned for my interview with Tammy Klaassen this summer, who is housing two non-releasable crows that are now educational outreach ambassadors;
https://www.mjindependent.com/…/va4hejv53vw2afc10mn2s44e2aw…