Any Crow lovers Out There?

[lovezebs]

Icearstorm

That particular bird, is quite amazing.
I notice that he's banded, probably tame. I really wonder how much training he had. That said, there is no doubt of the fact that he's extremely smart. I mean honestly, there are people out there who would probably struggle with the concept, lol.

While scrolling down that page, I came across this one, and sure got a few chuckles out of it.

https://youtu.be/pjByrzyQRmI

[w.l.]

w.l.

I noticed that you mentioned some beautiful Magpies, and started looking at different types of Magpies....

What types are sold where you are?

In order of availability:

Racket-tailed treepie
Green magpie (not sure if Javan or Sumatran)
Sumatran treepie

I happen to like the smallest, most commonly sold and therefore cheapest racket-tail most.
Not exactly colorful, but has very smooth, shiny plumage and of course an impressive tail, plus blue eyes.
In fact I once bought one, but being an wild-caught adult it only accepted live food and kept making horrible cries whenever I entered the room so I eventually released it. I'd love to have young ones to hand-raise once.

Also available are, frequently enough, adult Piping crows from Sulawesi, quite different from the typically black crow species of Java.

[w.l.]

Oh and I came across this picture, without an explanation or a name. Any idea what this bird might be?

Azure jay (Cyanocorax caeruleus) from South America

[MisterGribs]

I really, -really- love corvids. Especially crows and ravens. I've gotten quite a few slipped to me with busted beaks, wings and legs plus the odd windblown nestling, and I would love to tell you that the ones that have survived to release have made great pets.

But that would be an absolutely dreadful lie.

Of all the animals I've taken care of over the years, Eddie the raven was the absolute smartest, gave me the most love, and was the absolute worst. He was the most destructive and intelligent animal (including some people I know unfortunately) which makes a terrible combination. It doesn't help that they are extremely possessive, and while their beaks and claws aren't nearly as strong or sharp as a raptor's, they are powerful creatures, and a large one can bruise your neck and slice your face purely by accident. They are smart enough to disassemble and destroy things that a small child can't, plus they can fly.

All of this business aside, I loved that bird, and he remained in my yard and allowed me to pet him still for well over a year. They have incredibly long lifespans and I'm sure he's still out there! But to be honest, it breaks my heart when people try to keep crows as pets indoors in a tiny cage.

[Icearstorm]

lovezebs
How about another corvid video?
This raven knows exactly what it's doing

[MisterGribs]

Icearstorm LOL what a butt

[lovezebs]

Icearstorm

That puts a whole new meaning on "Fast Food", lol

[lovezebs]

w.l.

Thank you for the ID.
I looked but couldn't figure out what it was.

I'll have to look up the birds you listed to see what they look like.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

I think one would have to handraise them from the time before their eyes are open for them to become more or less tame.

Who in their right mind would keep one of these magnificant creatures in a cage
They would have to be potty trained, and rule the household . No cage for these babies .

[Sojourner]

Some of you might be interested in "Beak and Brain: Genius Birds from Down Under" which is about corvids and some other species (I saw at least one bird in the promo that was either a dowdy hookbill or a hawk with a really big curved beak) that use tools and other advanced strategies for survival. It's streaming on Netflix now.

[wildbird]

You don't need to train them. They naturally know what to do. Lovezebs: Mr. Crow was around 20 years old when my mom passed away. He died a couple of years later. I think from lonelyness. I have read that they live to about 30 years. When I was on the road driving, I would call mom and she would hold the receiver to him so he could say hello to me, and I would talk to him.

[wildbird]

When baby crows hatch, their older brothers and sisters help to care for them. If someone shoots a crow, the others will make an awful racket, and you will know something is wrong. Even worse, if you try to pick up the fallen crow. They don't have to be babies to become quite tame, once they get used to you. I put food out every day for them, and they are friendly to me.

[lovezebs]

Sojourner

I just watched that this evening.

You are talking about the Kea.
And also a Crow that lives in New Caladonia I believe.

These guys are amazingly smart .

https://www.aptonline.org/catalog.nsf/v ... DOWN+UNDER

[lovezebs]

wildbird

Mr Crow, sounds like he was a wonderful companion to your Mom, and she must have been a pretty special lady, to share her life with him.

How did she end up with Mr Crow?

[MisterGribs]

wildbird Eddie was a bit past a fledgling, and he was quite tame as well.

I've had crows come to me fully grown as well that tame seemingly overnight, once they realize you won't hurt them and can help. They can really exploit you once they realize they can act cute, lol.