What do you feed baby crows
What Do Crows Eat? (And the Crafty Tricks They Use To Gather Food)
American Crows aren't your average birds. Possessed with an intelligence rivaling chimpanzees, these crafty birds — among the smartest in the world — have been known to build tools, play games, and even hold “wakes.”
Crows put these smarts to good use when gathering food. They've been known to crack nuts by dropping them from heights onto hard surfaces, and have even been observed working as a team to distract and steal fish from River Otters.
These tricks, coupled with the American Crow's adaptable palate and impressive foraging skills, make its all-encompassing eating habits worth special interest. We've answered some of the most commonly asked questions about American Crows' feeding patterns below.
American Crow. Photo by Nancy Bauer, Shutterstock.What Do American Crows Eat?
A better question might be: “What do crows not eat?” American Crows are omnivorous opportunists. They eat nearly all edible foods, from crabs and crabapples to birds, french fries, frogs, and carrion. The list is so long, we've organized it into multiple categories for easier consumption.
Fruits and Seeds
Seeds and fruits make up nearly three-quarters of the American Crow's diet. This includes: corn, wheat, oats, chokecherries, Poison Ivy, pistachios, grapes, Red Osier Dogwood fruits, Bittersweet Nightshade berries, pecans, and watermelons, among other things.
Insects
American Crows eat a variety of flying and ground-dwelling insects. Their impact on insects inspires mixed feelings, as they eat species considered both troublesome (European Corn Borer and Gypsy Moth) and beneficial (ground beetles and ichneumon wasps).
Amphibians and Reptiles
Turtles in all stages of life — eggs, hatchlings, adults — are prey for American Crows. Crows also hunt snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads.
Bird Eggs
Crows raid the nests of many bird species, including Common Loons, Least Terns, Pinyon Jays, scrub-jays, American Robins, Savannah Sparrows, and Mallards, for this protein-rich food.
Birds
Crows don't only eat bird eggs: They also hunt nestlings, fledglings, and adults of at least several species of birds (including European Starlings and House Sparrows), sometimes catching them in mid-flight.
Mammals
Given their modest size, American Crows typically prey upon small mammals, including deer mice, voles, bats, and shrews.
Fish
Crows wade into belly-deep water to snatch out passing prey, including Gizzard Shad. They have also been known to feast upon the carcasses of post-spawn salmon and trout at fish hatcheries.
Mollusks
Crows eat several species of clam, including the Basket Cockle and Manila Clam.
Carrion
Along with vultures, eagles, gulls, and ravens, American Crows feed upon animal carcasses, including roadkill.
Human Food
Crows will eat almost any human foods they can find.
In recent decades, they have been drawn to urban and suburban areas due, in part, to the availability of trash and other easy food sources, such as dog food.
How Do American Crows Gather Food?
Armed with exceptional ingenuity and a remarkably varied skill set, American Crows are able to forage successfully in a multitude of landscapes and conditions.
The majority of food American Crows gather comes from the ground. They use their bills to probe surfaces, flick away unwanted items, tilt or lift objects, and dig through sand or soil.
When pursuing ground-based prey such as grasshoppers, American Crows will run, hop, and fly erratically. Crows also perch in elevated spots, patiently awaiting advantageous dining opportunities, such as an unguarded duck nest.
When it comes to eating foods with protective shells, American Crows have learned there's more than one way to crack the nut. They have been observed dropping clams, nuts, walnuts, pecans, and even turtles, onto hard surfaces while in flight.
Although disputed, the claim that crows intentionally drop nuts in the path of passing cars has been supported by subsequent studies.
Do American Crows Eat Squirrels?
Yes, squirrels have a place in the American Crow's diet. Crows, however, don't hunt the bushy-tailed rodents. Instead, they eat carcasses that have partially decomposed or have been torn apart by predators, cars, or other means. Why? Crow bills, although impressive, aren't tough enough to tear squirrel skin.
How Do American Crows Transport Food?
Human food, bread in this case, is a part of the American Crow's diet. Photo by GuideYourPet.Crows have three ways to carry food, depending on its size and their purpose. To feed chicks or carry small food items, they sometimes stow food in an extensible pouch at the base of the throat. Food too big to be carried this way can be transported in their bills, or, occasionally, when even larger, in their feet.
Do American Crows Cache Food?
Yes, American Crows hide food for later consumption in trees, under snow, or on the ground.
They have been known to cache fish, clams, pecans, corn, frogs, snakes, carrion, and dung. When dealing with larger items such as frogs, American Crows will dismember the animal, often hiding pieces in various places.
Do American Crows Have a Favorite Food?
American Crows are not picky eaters! However, we do know that they tend to eat plants more often than they do animals. One study found that, on average, their diet consists of 72 percent plant and 28 percent animal matter.
Among the most popular plant foods are corn, miscellaneous other grains, and wild fruits. It's also important to note that their consumption patterns are not static: Crows capitalize on feeding opportunities as they arise, and their diet varies by season and location.
What Do Nestlings (Baby Crows) Eat?
During their nestlings' first few weeks of life, American Crows feed their young partially digested food. Primarily consisting of animal matter, this protein-heavy diet is critical for the fast-growing chicks, which typically leave nests after only four weeks.
As nestlings grow, they are fed larger animal scraps. The most commonly consumed foods include: beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, millipedes, amphibians, and reptiles.
Do American Crows Work Together to Gather Food?
American crows have been known to fashion sticks into tools. Photo by Karen Hogan, Shutterstock.American Crows are flexible when it comes to gathering food. They work alone, in pairs, in family groups, and also in small and large flocks. When necessary, they can cooperate in surprisingly complex ways, and have been observed teaming up to distract and steal food from other animals.
Are American Crow Populations Increasing?
Yes. American Crow numbers have grown by more than 90 percent over the last 40 years, and the global breeding population is now estimated to be 28 million. This dramatic rise has been linked to their ability to successfully adapt to human-dominated environments.
While American Crows have mainly thrived — their numbers did take a hit following the arrival of West Nile Virus in 1999 — many other bird species have fared poorly during this period of environmental change.
The combined impact of invasive species, window collisions, habitat loss, and pesticide use, among other things, has contributed to staggering population losses in many species. Over the last 50 years, North American bird populations have declined by 2.9 billion birds. This stunning decline accounts for nearly 30 percent of all birds living or visiting the continent.
American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups are working to reduce threats and help bird populations rebound. Learn more about how you can get involved and live a bird-friendly life.
What Do Baby Crows Eat?
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CrowsCrows have a long and sometimes ominous history with humans. Crows are one of the rare bird species to not only recognize people but also form friendships with them.
The lives of crows are intricately linked with ours in many ways, despite their unfortunate connection with the macabre. Our efforts are reciprocated; nevertheless, it’s only natural that our attempts would eventually lead to our bird friends being acquainted.
It is one of the most effective methods of winning over animals’ affections. It’s important to feed them. Many species may be seen as an ethical issue of whether or not you are assisting them, although it makes little sense to treat every creature equally.
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Because different species have unique problems, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Consider if the birds are in danger, whether the food is appropriate, and whether feeding them will modify or exacerbate their behavior before going any further.
What Do Baby Crows Eat?Crows are quite capable of looking after themselves. They’re intelligent enough to smash the shells open with pebbles or other hard surfaces, revealing the food inside. They can also use leaves as tools to extract insects from hiding places. Baby Crows, on the other hand, require expert care and attention after weeks or months of starvation. Even so, when crows are orphaned or during times of extreme hunger when food is unavailable, they may utilize some assistance in locating food.
Crows will eat just about anything; they’re not difficult to feed.
Crows will eat a variety of seeds, including black oil sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. When meat scraps and kitchen leftovers are not accessible, they will, however, consume these seeds. Simply distribute the seeds in your yard to feed them.
Nuts NutsCrows love a wide range of nuts, including peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and more. You may also offer them unshelled peanuts. They consume unsalted and sugar-free peanuts.
Fruits FruitsBaby crows eat a wide range of fruits, including apples, oranges, bananas, raisins, grapes, and other things. They may also consume a variety of wild fruits including dogwood, wild cherries, and wild grapes, berries, poison oak leaves, and figs. Baby crows, however, do not like fruits as much as other foods. If you want to provide crows with different fruits, go to your local fruit store and get some.
Instead of that, offer them dried nuts.
Crows adore strawberries, which are one of their favorite foods. Crows enjoy eating a wide range of wild berries, including pokeberries, cranberries, juniper berries, blueberries, bayberries, and others. They tend to eat more fruit when their normal food sources are limited.
Vegetables VegetablesCrows like vegetables in addition to fruits and berries. Crows consume a variety of veggies including pumpkins, peas, beans, potatoes, peppers, and other kitchen edibles. If you want to wean your baby crows off meat and replace it with vegetables, however, switching them to veggies might be difficult.
Grains GrainsCrows consume a variety of grains, such as corn, wheat, rice, barley, oats, millet buckwheat, sorghum, and more. When these blackbirds can’t discover anything dead or small animals to eat, they feed on grains.
Eggs EggsCrows like to eat chicken and duck eggs, unlike other birds.
When the chickens and ducks aren’t around, they sneakily go into their nests to steal their eggs. If you’re willing to feed your crow’s eggs of a chicken or duck, then make sure to place them in your yard where it’s safer.
Crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, spiders, snails, earthworms, mealworms, caterpillars, grubs, and a variety of other insects are included in the baby crow’s diet chart. Crows benefit our environment by eating these insects. Some people may find it difficult to purchase mealworms or crickets for crows because they do not provide any food for crows. However, they can consume the insects in your yard if you give them enough time.
Snacks A Crow Munching on a Random SnackCrows enjoy a variety of unhealthy foods, such as pasta, chips, popcorn, crackers, scallops, and so on. In the event of an emergency, you can also offer crows cookies. These blackbirds dislike salted junk food, though.
So ensure that they have unsalted alternatives.
Crows are omnivores that feed on everything from automobile wrecks to garbage. These blackbirds, on the other hand, prefer discarded poultry and duck fat. You may also give them local butcher shops’ raw suet. Don’t give them ham or sausage, as well as salted meat and cheese. Instead, make sure the meat is unsalted and the fat is cut into tiny pieces if possible.
Dog Food Dog FoodMany people believe that baby crows can’t consume dog food. If you want to offer your bird friends some dog food, wet or dry, make sure it’s been moistened first. This is because dry dog food might cause choking among crows.
WaterBaby crows need a lot of water to drink while consuming food, especially on hot days. You may have observed a crow drinking water in a modest birdbath. If you like having crows visit your yard, keep clean drinking water available for them.
Baby crows will also wash in the water.
That all depends. It is expressly prohibited in many jurisdictions to feed or leave food out for wild animals on purpose, resulting in annoyance. Before making any decisions, check with your local legislation. However, if you’re certain, try feeding them a range of things until you discover one they prefer.
How To Feed Baby Crows? A Crow in The WildStep 1: Create A Safe Environment For ThemCrows are difficult to approach, owing in part to their intelligence and the fact that they can be sour and unsociable. Although they will not come immediately to people, they may become more accustomed to them with time. Crows will look for a quieter location where food is readily available if they sense danger or uncertainty in their surroundings.
Crows are typically found in open areas, therefore make your backyard more appealing to them by keeping it clean of trash and any noisemakers like cars or other noisy elements.
They should be far enough away not to alarm them. To create a secure environment, eliminate any dangers.
Crows are opportunistic omnivores that will sample from a variety of food sources before settling on one they enjoy. They can eat almost anything, but make sure you provide them with good options.
Crows’ favorite foods include small pellet dog or cat food, unsalted peanuts, eggs, other seeds and nuts, vegetables and fruits, and even chicken and other meats. However, keep in mind that crows can be picky, so if they become accustomed to a specific diet, they will ask for it on a regular basis.
Step 3: Make a Feeding RoutineBeing dependable is one of the most crucial factors in gaining a crow’s confidence. Feeding on a regular basis is one method to do this. Establishing a feeding timetable helps your behavior become predictable, and the crows anticipate your arrival. This rhythm helps the connection gel and trust development.
Crows require water as much as any other bird species. Provide them a location to not only cool off, but also bathe, drink, and even wash their food by adding a birdbath to your yard. When buying a birdbath, keep in mind that crows are enormous. A deeper basin will be required, as well as a stout ledge for their talons to grip, given their size.
Step 5: Experiment With The Type of Foods They Can EatIn your effort to establish a corvid friendship, you’ll need to be patient with these curious creatures. Crows are logical by nature, and it might take them some time to evaluate and interact with you. Once they feel at ease, crows will inspect almost any food you offer them.
If no one is interested in what you’ve overlooked all day, it’s probable that they don’t like the food. You’ll need to try something different if crows are completely avoiding their favorite foods. Crows will flock to their favorite snacks, so experiment with various choices until you find out what to offer crows in your region.
Crows are smart, curious, and instinctive. Nevertheless, they are wild animals that must be treated with caution. Your objective is to admire these unusual birds from a safe distance, rather than taming or creating an abnormal dependence on them. To keep the limits secure for both us and them, keep a safe distance by observing them from a healthy standpoint.
What Are The Natural Predators of Baby Crows?Both crows and ravens are predators as well as prey. A murder of crows can overwhelm and dive-bomb hawks and eagles, making them predators. These birds can also kill songbird nestlings and even their parents. They can also break and consume other birds‘ eggshells.
What are predators of crows when crows are prey? Let’s find out!
HawksHawks are one of the crow’s natural predators, and they frequently attack crows during the day. The majority of these raptors target fledgling crows, especially nestlings and fledglings.
This is why so few young crows become adults.
Baby crows are vulnerable to the attacks of eagles, which is why they are sometimes called “crow killers.” Eagles frequently attack crows, especially when they’re away from their flock and on the ground. This is due to the fact that crows in flight are more powerful than eagles.
FalconsFalcons, like hawks and eagles, are the crow killers. Nonetheless, falcons are less inclined to attack crows than hawks and eagles. A fast chase between falcons and eagles is usual in order to push each other away from carrions.
OwlsCrows may be killed by great horned owls, particularly during the night when the birds roost in groups. Owls hide in evergreen trees and pounce on the crows as soon as they enter their sight. Crows’ brains are delicious to them.
RavensA crow does not beat a raven in a one-on-one fight because crows are almost half the size of ravens.
Ravens are predators of crows in North America. If they can, they may burst and consume eggs from crow nests.
Kingbirds occasionally chase and attack crows, pouncing on the birds and seating them to drive them away from kingbird nesting territory or food sources. They’ll even mob the crows to defend themselves and their young.
RaccoonsRaccoons are one of the crow-eating mammal predators. They have been observed attacking, murdering, and eating crows, particularly fledglings and nestlings. When parent crows aren’t present in their nests, raccoons are more likely to steal crow eggs.
CatsBobcats, feral cats, and household cats are all predators of crows in North America. The cats can retaliate against the murders of crows.
SquirrelsCrows are frequently the target of squirrel attacks, particularly young crows and their eggs. In a fight, adult crows are not swayed.
Because it’s uncommon for crows to kill tiny animals, a murder of crows might consume a squirrel and eat it.
Opossums, like squirrels, are likely to prey on fledgling crows and their unhatched eggs. Opossums eat the eggs if given the opportunity. These tiny creatures, on the other hand, maybe driven away by a large flock of crows and killed.
FoxesIf you’ve ever heard that a fox has captured and eaten a crow, it’s true. However, it is quite unusual. Foxes may prey on ground crows, their nestlings, and unhatched eggs if given the opportunity.
DogsIf a dog is near to the nests, fledglings, and eggs of crows, the birds consider the canines as predators. When crows confront dogs, they usually win. You may have seen a dog carrying a dead crow in his mouth, though.
Are Baby Crows Healthy To Eat?Because crows consume carrion and trash, many individuals think they should not be eaten.
Crows, on the other hand, are edible. You can eat them without getting sick. They have a flavor that’s comparable to that of a goose, duck, or other dark meat bird.
The flavor of crows is affected by how well they are cared for. If properly prepared, they will taste good; if not, they won’t. Some people say that because crows eat almost anything, they can’t be eaten, but this isn’t true.
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What to do if you picked up a baby crow? | Animals
Nature burst into my life in May, when on the sidewalk near the house I found a crow that had fallen out of its nest. There are not many answers on the Internet to the question of what to do with the found crow, so I will share with you everything that I have learned from my own experience.
Sometime in April, chicks hatch in crows' nests.
It should be noted that crows have chicks once a year. And in mid-July, they gain independence. And everything would be fine, but only crows, fearing cats, build their nests at the height of a nine-story building. And when little crows strive to know this world, they often fall out of the nest and become crippled.
If you are not indifferent to the rescue of animals, and you have found a crow, the first thing to do is to examine it. If he is visually safe and sound, there is an option to grow him up at home until he can live on his own, that is, until about August. Because there is no way to launch it back into the nest. But most often, when falling from the nest, crows still do not remain unharmed - a wing or beak can be dislocated.
If you see that there is a problem with the beak or wings, you should immediately take the chick to the veterinarian.
The fact is that within six days the bones of birds grow together, and six days after the fracture, the bone can no longer be set, it will have to be broken again. The clinic is not an ordinary one, birds are treated where there are ornithologists. Find out in your city where you have such a specialist.
If your pet survived the fall, then you need to think about where to raise it until August. The thing is, he doesn't know how to eat. And he will have to feed 3-4 times a day.
I fed my baby crow with a teaspoon. He croaked and opened his beak wide, wide, and I threw food into his mouth from a spoon.
What to feed a little crow? Crows are predators.
And meat must be included in their diet. Here you need to know a few things.
Crows should never eat fat, salt or sugar!
It's great to boil lean meat, grind it, add low-fat cottage cheese, stir in such a porridge and go. You can add grated fruits, you can cook rice or some other cereal, but do not forget about meat. If the chick is not fed meat, it will become emaciated and may become ill from malnutrition.
He eats a little: a few teaspoons at a time.
Where to keep the chick? I kept mine on a glazed balcony, this is the best option. If there is no balcony, then it is possible in the apartment, but in the aviary. It is good to build a nest for him in a box.
The aviary is needed so that the chick does not pollute everything around in the apartment.
But, in principle, if you become so attached to your little crow that you decide to keep him permanently, then you can teach him to go to the toilet in one special place.
Gradually, the crow will try to sit on your arm, and if you work with him, you can even teach him to speak, sit on your shoulder, serve slippers, pull fleas out of your dog's fur and much more. Birds from the corvid family are considered among the most intelligent. In addition, crows become attached to the owner, like dogs.
It will be possible to find out what gender your chick is only after six months. In the meantime, he is just a child who needs the help of an adult. And since you are reading this article, it means that you are the adult that this baby needs.
We are responsible for those who have been picked!
Tags: corvidae, animal Rescue, chicks
About my crows - the story of Eduard Topol
One spring there was a hurricane in the suburbs! That is, suddenly such a strong wind came up that the trees cracked, the wires were torn and fell to the ground, and even the roof was torn off from some house. What a hurricane it was!
At that time I was living near Moscow in the House of Creativity of Writers, in a wooden cottage in the middle of a park above the river. And when a hurricane hit, the trees outside my window leaned right to the ground, the wind tore young leaves from them, and even the waves rose on the river - such a strong wind it was! And then immediately - once, and it became quiet.
The hurricane flew further, to other countries. And I went to see what he had done in our park.
Just left the cottage, I hear crows screaming in the park. Well, they scream like that, they don’t have the strength, as if something terrible had happened!
"Ka-ar! Ka-ar!!” - Loudly, as if on a loudspeaker. I went to this cry, I think: what happened there? And now I see: two crows dive from above to the ground, to one place and shout there: “Kar !!” They will take off from the ground and again descend to the same place and again shout there: “Ka-arr!” I think: what is there? I come up and see: two tiny crows are sitting in the grass, clinging to the ground, turning their heads in all directions in fear, and two crows - dad and mom - fly up to them, right in their faces with their “car!” — demand that they take off with them. I immediately realized that it was the wind that threw the crows out of the nest, but I only think how they will return to the nest now, they are so tiny - just like a matchbox, where to fly to the nest! And then I see: and the nest is lying nearby in the grass, and the wind plucked it from the tree.
Quite a disaster.
And while I was standing and looking at this misfortune, I suddenly see that my adult crows flew off somewhere to the side and raised such a cry, even louder than before! Right above the very grass they curl and shout, curl and shout: “Kkkar! Kkkar! I am getting closer to the crows, closer, and suddenly I look - and this is a cat peeping out of the grass, such a healthy cat. Crows hover over him, scream, want to peck, and he brushes them off with his paw and sneaks towards the crows.
“Oh, you, I think, are a cat of a bitch! No, you won’t get crows, what did you want - to eat little crows? Dudki! I took these crows and carried them to my cottage, on the veranda.
The crows - dad and mom - accompanied me to the cottage, shouting over my head: “Kar, kar!” Like, give it back, give it back! And as soon as I give them these crows, they cannot pick them up and take them to a new nest. So in vain they shouted at me, I saved them from the cat.
Well, in general, these crows began to live on my veranda. Such a large veranda, glassy, bright, there were two sofas and a table, we drank tea there in the evenings. And so I planted crows there and told them: “You will live here. No one will hurt you here."
I closed the door to the veranda and closed the windows so that the cat wouldn't get in here, and went to the common dining room for lunch. I just left the cottage - again these crows - dad and mom - flew at me, again shouting: "Kar, kar!" Here, I think, we are attached, now I will feed your crows, do not worry. I took my cutlet in the dining room and took it to the crows, crumbled both the cutlet and bread in front of them and I said: "Eat." And they don't understand. They sit under the sofa, cringing, only clapping their red eyes. Okay, I think, nothing, get hungry - eat. Left them this food, he went to his room.
Until supper I worked in my room, I even forgot about the crows, and when I went to supper, I switched on the light on the veranda, I saw that my crows had not eaten anything, they were sitting under the sofa like little orphans.
I think, what is it, what should I feed them? I don't have worms or flies. I went into the dining room to the kitchen to the cook: give me a piece of fresh meat, maybe the crows will eat fresh meat. Well, the chef gave me a little piece. And I tore this small piece into small pieces and brought it to the crows, put it in front of them and said: “Eat.” And they don't eat. Here, I think, scoundrels - I gave them my cutlet, I even brought them fresh meat, but they don’t eat! No, I think I'll make you eat.
I took a piece of meat in a pinch, and with the other hand I try to open the crows' beaks, but they don't open their beaks - and that's it! I try to give them a cutlet - the same thing. I got really angry with them. He even began to lightly beat them on their beaks with one finger and scold them at the same time:
- Come on, open your beaks! Come on, open up, you bastards! Who did I tell?
And suddenly one little crow got angry, opened its beak, “ka-ar!” - speaks.
And even wanted to peck me.
And I - it wasn't there! I saw that he opened his beak - time! - and threw a piece of cutlet into his beak.
And so I learned to feed these crows. I’ll take a pinch of a cutlet, or meat, or bread, and with the other finger I hit them on their beaks, scolding them with all sorts of words so that they get angry as soon as possible, and when they get angry - “Ka-ar!” - here I am to them - once! - and push each piece of food.
True, I must honestly say, they were terrible dirty ones! They didn’t know how to go to the toilet, they dirty me right on the veranda. If they don’t have time to eat, they immediately get dirty, I didn’t have time to clean up after them.
The whole sofa was dirty, and in general, because of them, I constantly had scandals with our cleaner Aunt Dora. Aunt Dora used to come in the morning to clean the cottage. And if I slept late, she didn’t wake me up, she sat quietly on the veranda, on the sofa, rested, drank tea with sweets and cookies and waited for me to wake up.
And then all of a sudden my crows settled on the veranda, soiled the whole sofa - there is nowhere for Aunt Dora to even drink tea and sit in the morning. She was very angry with the crows, I was even afraid that she would not throw them out into the street - there, of course, the cat would grab them in two minutes. Therefore, I began to lock the veranda with a key - just in case.
And Aunt Dora, of course, got even more angry: “I won’t,” she says, “I clean up after these crows, this is not my job! They say they don't pay me for this! They say they pay me to clean up after writers and artists, and not after crows!
- Oh, right? I say. “If you don’t want to clean up after my crows, then there’s nothing to eat and my sweets!”
In general, Aunt Dora and I quarreled, and I began to clean my own cottage - both for myself and for the crows. Here are the troubles. You need to feed them - once, clean up after them - two, and then there are these crows - dad and mom - they didn’t let me pass.
As soon as I leave the cottage, they immediately swoop in, circle right in front of my face and shout: “Ka-ar! Ka-ar!!” They demand their crows. Otherwise, the devil knows what they invented: I’m walking along the path between the trees from the cottage to the dining room, and they fly over me from branch to branch, screaming, breaking off all sorts of dry knots, branches and cones and throwing me from above because I I saved them from the cat that I feed them all day long and even quarreled with the cleaning lady because of them. And so I once got angry with them because of this (they hit me right on the head with a heavy bump) that I grabbed the crows, carried them to the porch of my house, put them on the steps and said: “Nate, take your crows!”
Oh, what has begun here! You should have seen! These crows began to fly up to their children, push them with their wings, shout to them “Kar! Kar! and fly up to a nearby tree - they show, they say, fly after us, fly after us! The crows open their wings, but they cannot fly, they fall.
And dad and mom scream even more and fly up to them again, again they are pushed from the porch - fly, they say. I see: they pushed the crows completely, they don’t even open their wings, they lie in the grass, and then our cat again came to this cry and stands at a distance, watching.
— Well? - I say to the crows - dad and mom. - What do we do? Or, I say, you take your crows to the nest or the cat will eat them now. Decide!
And what can they decide, they don't have hands to carry the crows to the nest. I had to take the crows back to my veranda again - do not give them to the cat to be eaten!
I continued to suffer with them. They became gluttonous: no matter how much you bring from the dining room, they will eat everything, and then get dirty. It’s just trouble for me with them, the guests have already stopped coming to me. And I can’t help but feed them either - they have already grown up, they walk along the veranda and, as soon as they see that I’m coming from the dining room, immediately: “Kar! Kar! Like, we want to eat.
And the cook does not give me more than one cutlet, and now I see that one cutlet is not enough for three of us. Decided to feed them plain bread. But they don’t want bread, you see, give them meat! Where will I take it? For meat, you need to go to the store in Moscow.
In general, I was so fussy with these crows and tormented that I had already forgotten about all my acquaintances. And here I was sitting somehow on the veranda in front of my crows, hitting them with my finger on the beak, I want to feed them with bread, but, of course, they don’t open their beaks, they don’t want to eat simple bread. And I scold them with all sorts of bad words, it’s even a shame to repeat here.
And suddenly I hear someone laughing behind me. I turn: My God, Anya! My friend came to visit me from Moscow, stands behind me, licks chocolate ice cream on a stick and listens to me swearing.
I felt ashamed—terribly! I tell her:
- What are you laughing at? Better give them a piece of chocolate from your ice cream, otherwise they don’t want to eat bread!
She broke off the chocolate crust from the ice cream, and just then one crow got angry with me and said: “Ka-ar!” And I once put a piece of chocolate down his neck.
He - boom, and fell asleep at the same moment - he dropped his head straight to one side, closed his eyes - I thought he was dead! And so I got angry with this friend of mine! “You,” I say, “poisoned my little crow with your chocolate!” I almost had a serious quarrel with her because of these crows, but - thank God! - the crow woke up in a minute, just this chocolate is so nutritious and satisfying that he immediately fell asleep. By the way, this happens to me too: as soon as I eat something hearty, I fall asleep almost at the same moment, I can’t help myself ...
In short, how much trouble I had with these crows - I can't tell you! And guard them from the cat, and feed them three times a day, and clean up the veranda after them, and the parents of the crows don’t let me pass, I can’t get out of the cottage anywhere, they fly at me, scream, dry branches and cones are thrown from above. I'm tired of this life, I'll tell you straight. I think I've had enough! Once I opened the door from the veranda to the street and I say to my crows:
- Everything! Enough from me! Go to all four sides! You've already grown so healthy! Go and get your own food! Nothing to live here parasites! Come on, march! March to the street, to the park!
And they don't go.
They sit near the door, they look at me like that from below, but they don’t go to the park.
— Well, it's up to you, — I say. “I don’t intend to guard you any longer. Here the door is open, where you want - live there. And I went to sleep.
And went to sleep indeed.
And in the morning, very early, at five o'clock in the morning, probably as soon as the sun had risen, I heard outside my window: "Ka-ar!" No, I don’t think I’ll get up, I’ve had enough of these crows croaking. And outside the window again: “Ka-ar! Ka-ar!” And so demanding, and an unfamiliar voice - not those crows, dad and mom, but some kind of thin, young: “Ka-a-ar!” Okay, I think I'll have to get up. He got up and looked out the window. And I had a flower bed right under the window, I planted chamomile and nasturtiums there. And now I see - in my flower bed among the daisies one of my crows is sitting.
- What do you want? I say.
And he saw me and immediately so joyfully:
— Ka-a-ar!
And suddenly it opens its wings and flies up to my window, onto the frame.
