The association with these places highly linked with death and dark things meant that crows got a bit of a bad reputation over time, and superstitions surrounding them were made up. Historically, crows could be found around battlefields, cemeteries, gallows and hospitals, essentially waiting for any opportunities of a food source. Crows are omnivorous and scavengers by nature, which is why they are often spotted scavenging around carrion (dead animals) and other birds. The term 'murder' has been given to a flock of crows, some of which are historical and other reasons down to their behaviour. And it's a way for them to survive the cold winters we have in Vermont.Why is the collective noun for crows called a murder? And crows are doing that same sort of thing. And if you think about it, this is kind of what we do at the end of the day, right? We all get together, we either have a meal together or we meet up with friends for drinks and we talk about our days. "You're going to see them in these staging sites playing with each other, talking to each other, fighting amongst each other. But Butler says we should rethink our associations of crows as creepy. "What's so cool is it's like somebody in that group makes the decision and then they all go to that final roosting site where there can be upwards of a thousand crows together."Ĭrows are generally not beloved birds. Now this could be urban or it could be rural sites."īutler says the birds gather in these staging sites before they make a final push to their final resting point for the night. "Where the birds are gathering in a whole bunch of different spots. "This happens a little bit before dark," Butler says. She is also looking for information on where crows are staging in small to medium-sized groups. And if you think about it, this is kind of what we do at the end of the day, right? We all get together, we either have a meal together or we meet up with friends for drinks and we talk about our days." - Bridget Butler So I decided to capture people's interest in it and design a site where people can go and report some of these winter behaviors that they're seeing in crows." Her interest in this bird behavior led Butler and a few friends to start the project, Crows in Vermont. "Crows are one of the birds that start mating in the early springtime, so these gathering sites are a way for them to pair up and find a mate," Butler explains. Sticking together is also a way to find a mate. They also find safety in numbers from predators like great horned owls by roosting together at night. And we see this in other birds as well."īutler says birds communicate about good food sources during the scarce winter months. And then in the wintertime it's really beneficial for all these birds to flock up. "During the summer they're hanging out in small family groups two to eight crows. "During the wintertime, crows kind of need each other," Butler says. "And we can see hundreds, up to thousands."Įarlier this year, Butler counted 5,000 crows all together in downtown St. "As we move into the wintertime - it generally starts in November and goes through March - crows start to roost together in very very large numbers," Butler explains. Self-proclaimed "Bird Diva" Bridget Butler says now is a great time to observe crow behavior in Vermont. But crows are very social creatures and at this time of year they often flock together by the thousands for warmth, safety, and, possibly, convivial conversation. A group of crows is called a murder and people seem to associate these corvids with death and darkness.
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