crowcity

Many thanks to Shuman Dasgupta for sending in these fabulous photos of the African Pied Crow. It’s not a species I’ve been lucky enough to see myself, but my curiosity has certainly been piqued by these cheeky birds.

The birds were photographed on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert, by Timbuktu. shuman says …

I have recently come back from holiday in Mali. I hope you like these pictures of the African Pied Crow taken on the outskirts of the Sahara desert by Timbuktu. I am not implying that you have to go all the way to Timbuktu in order to see this particular crow. But it was nice to see them there. They are not as easy to photograph as the Indian House Crow which is what I sent you last year. I read somewhere that they are meant to be a very ancient variety of crow and can cross breed with with a certain type of African Raven.

Their call is not as harsh as our carrion crow.

Shuman has previously sent in photos of the Indian House Crow. Thanks again Shuman, and please keep sending in your fabulous photos!

A company called Tiger Aspect Productions is making a series for ITV about the seasons and everything that is affected by them.

The series will give a big picture of what seasons really are, what impact they have on our lives and the land which we inhabit. This major, blue chip series gets shows us the power of the seasons and their wide ranging effects on Britain and its people.

From cities to the countryside, a combination of stunning photography and real life stories will reveal how our world rotates through its yearly cycle and why we are inextricably linked to the changes we call The Seasons.

This landmark series will be presented by Alan Titchmarsh and due to air next September. It is a truly national project and will feature a wide range of locations, people and wildlife.

They are very interested in filming Alan near some rooks.

Do you know of a good place to film them near Alton in Hampshire? If so, please contact sarahbarber@tigeraspect.co.uk.

Rooks in New Zealand are being eradicated using DRC 1339 poison. Regional councils throughout New Zealand are poisoning rooks in droves.

They use Helicopter Poisoning Operations to drop DRC 1339 poison into the rook nests with sticky poisoned vaseline during the breeding season and the birds take 1 to 3 days to die after preening themselves.

Toxins build up to a lethal level with the kidneys no longer able to excrete waste products and the birds die from uremic poisoning.

• DRC 1339 Poison is also laid on the ground using poisoned bread bait lines.
• DRC 1339 is toxic to poultry.
• Livestock and pets are also at risk from eating the poisoned bait.
• Most dead rooks are found near their rookeries or near water; however in midsummer … some rooks are found dead 20kms from their rookeries.
• DRC 1339 is toxic to fish and water invertebrates.
• Some plant species are also affected by DRC 1339 Poison.
• DRC 1339 is only to be used when serious and sustained crop damage has occurred, which cannot be alleviated by other means.
• However, in New Zealand Rookeries are being poisoned simply because they are there!!
• DRC 1339 is corrosive to the skin and eyes and in a June 2008 warning is “acutely toxic”.

Can you help to save the rooks??
Email rookery@xtra.co.nz for further information as soon as possible.

Rooks were introduced to New Zealand by settling farmers, to help control the insects in their crops. They are beneficial to farmers, and are causing no harm.

Tim Mitzman is a British film maker, currently making a film involving inner-city crows which he then intends to juxtapose with the more sociable rooks. The filming will continue until the summer of 2009.

If you know of a good roost to film (in Britain) then please contact him via email tim@sharpfocus.uk.com.

Magpies have joined the elite group of humans, apes, elephants and dolphins - creatures that can recognise themselves in a mirror. My cat can actually recognise herself in a mirror as well, but her species apparently isn’t on the list. Anyway, it’s great that crows are, whether only in the guise of magpies, or whether the skill is something common to all crows.

Read more …

Many thanks to Shuman Dasgupta for sending in these photos of Indian crows, taken on holiday. Shuman says …

The first is the Indian House Crow. They are extremely bold and curious. I have seen them hitching rides on trucks and lorries. They have also been spread around various parts of the world by their habit of hitching rides on ships. There is even a very small colony in Holland having been brought there by American warships. Whilst I was in India I remember having to discard my cup of tea which I was drinking outside. I turned my back on it for less than a minute to look at something. When I turned around a house crow had its beak very close to my tea.

The other picture is of the Indian Treepie. It is India’s version of the magpie. Its Bengali name translates as thief of shiny coins. I took both pictures on my recent trip to India in January/February 2008.

It was great to see rooks getting some positive exposure on Nature of Britain. Watch the clip below.

The RSPB has requested I remove details of the whereabouts of the roost, since there is not the local infrastructure for large numbers of visitors.

Read more on the BBC website - you have to scroll down a bit to get to the rooks @>~

Christine Field has sent me some extremely cute photos and the story of Squawk, the jackdaw she raised.

Squawk was probably found one day old, had fallen from a nest. Squawk was put in a basket, bald, cold with little hope of surviving. After a day in the airing cupboard, he showed some life. From then on, our friendship developed.

Diet: Squawk initially had bread/milk, boiled eggs, soon moved onto Whiskers kitten food in the sachets. As he continued to grow he would have a selection of foods, including meal worms, baked beans, potatoes. He expected to be fed even when he was old enough to feed himself. He would demand his food, squawking loudly through the day. He would literally lift his wings (then just stubs) and gesture for food. He had a brief period of around two weeks of going through half a large tin of Whiskers a day. He also would refuse certain types (not chicken) at times.

At a week or two Squawk would travel to work at Park View in a little basket. He would interrupt work to demand feeding. He had a team of admirers (Paul being one). He outgrew the basket, moving to a box. In the end he would sit on the dashboard and look out of the window for the journey in. Once at work he was in a large cage for a brief period during the day. He would spend hours cleaning and tidying himself as his feathers developed. In the cage we would try and amuse him - he liked bright, sparkly toys: foil, jewellery etc. Squawk then decided he wanted to learn to fly. The more feathers he developed the more he would try and fly. Initially just around the front room, bedroom, office. He then was encouraged in the garden to have a look around - gradually he would fly a little. This was brief and in no time he was flying around. We would need to duck when he came in to land, as his skills were limited.

Squawk seemed to have no boundaries having been with humans, and I recall hearing the neighbours screaming. They had opened their back door and he dived in past the neighbour into their house. One patient at Park View was subject to Squawk dive bombing near him. I could just imagine the poor chap going back to staff and telling them and being told - don’t be silly - he’s delusional.

Squawk was with us from around mid April 2005 to end July 2005. The bond between us was very strong. He continued to demand feeding even when he could feed himself independently. He would also demand and receive attention regularly. He must have been a male - his play with my teenage son and his mates was boyish and rough; he would peck around ears, eyes - he was the boss. With female friends wearing jewellery, he would become excited with his tail feathers bobbing up and down, as he played amourously with earings, finger rings etc.

At night Squawk soon refused to roost anywhere but on my arm. Each morning I would be woken by him jumping on my face, shouting for breakfast. Having been fed he would be out of the window and off (5 am). Sometimes he would return by 7.30am and come to work with me, or not, in which case he would spend the day at home. I would leave windows open for him, and a buffet lunch. He had made friends in the village and would socialise until my return.

Squawk loved travelling in the car. He was like one of the family, spending weekends with my parents who have plenty of land if Paul and I were away. If we were ever looking for Squawk he would often return by being called loudly - he would return my call, and return to me. Often he would circle me a few times - almost teasing before he finally settled on my arm, hand or head.

Gradually Squawk spent more time away i.e. from hours to whole days and evenings, until finally one day he just did not return. I spent tortured days/weeks looking, calling him. Unfortunately I don’t know what happened to him. I have to assume he found some mates and was free to return to the wild. I really miss him, but have very special memories I could not have realised the sense of fun Jackdaws have, their naughtiness, their inquisitiveness, and they really are little thieves, or borrowers several fingers rings disappeared - found in odd places, keys buried under leaves they just loved to play.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Chris. Squawk is unbelievably cute, and I’m sure he’s still doing his thing, somewhere out there in the world.