Crows

[grecian girl]

There are some really aggresive crows living on Townley Road - which have been swooping down

and pecking my cat! Anyone else seen/heard of this? The crows are massive and also wake up

about 5.30 a.m cawing outside the window.. very gothic...

[mfcjoe]

Get yourself an Air Rifle(6)

[steveo]

You might find some helpful advice in the Strange but True thread in the Lounge

[Ukjoncollins]

My Grandad is a farmer and has told me horrific stories of this before. They swoop down and peck the eyes out of young lambs. Apparently it kills them fairly quickly due to the shock but sounds a pretty horrific way to die... Although I don't think he's a fan of doing this, he goes out and shoot the crows to at least warn them away. Not sure you'll be able to do this in ED though.

Best to probably to not let the cat out I guess...

[steveo]

Stone the crows

[first mate]

Probably guarding their eggs/fledglings. They can be quite ferocious too. Poor cat.

[woodrot]

Ukjoncollins Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My Grandad is a farmer and has told me horrific

> stories of this before. They swoop down and peck

> the eyes out of young lambs. Apparently it kills

> them fairly quickly due to the shock but sounds a

> pretty horrific way to die... Although I don't

> think he's a fan of doing this, he goes out and

> shoot the crows to at least warn them away. Not

> sure you'll be able to do this in ED though.

>

> Best to probably to not let the cat out I guess...

sorry to say, this is a myth.

Crows are scavengers - the feed off any old crap lying around and probabaly do peck at the eyes of dead lambs or dead anything

[woodrot]

woodrot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ukjoncollins Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > My Grandad is a farmer and has told me horrific

> > stories of this before. They swoop down and

> peck

> > the eyes out of young lambs. Apparently it

> kills

> > them fairly quickly due to the shock but sounds

> a

> > pretty horrific way to die... Although I don't

> > think he's a fan of doing this, he goes out and

> > shoot the crows to at least warn them away. Not

> > sure you'll be able to do this in ED though.

> >

> > Best to probably to not let the cat out I

> guess...

>

>

> sorry to say, this is a myth.

>

> Crows are scavengers - the feed off any old crap

> lying around and probabaly do peck at the eyes of

> dead lambs or dead anything

>

>enough of the poor cat platitudes please. Its vomit inducing.

[grecian girl]

they seem to be getting closer and closer to the house.. and braver..they do deffo have

a strategy to attacking and are completely evil-looking - any ideas of how to deter them

before they totally peck out all the kittens' eyes in ED...

[Loz]

Magpies in Australia on the other hand are vicious barstewards at around nesting time. Sneaky, too. Will fly a big circle and attack the back of your head.

[bonniebird]

Crows are my favourite birds, stunning to look at and oh so clever :)) Poor cat :(

[grecian girl]

Seriously speaking cat is traumatised.. They

Are about his size.

[The Minkey]

Are you near any tall trees? I've been watching a pair of crows building their nest at the top of a tree to the back of my house and they make a hell of a racket when one or other of my cats starts climbing their tree. If they are nesting, it might be an idea to keep your cat in for a bit until the young ones have fledged as it may well all calm down then.

[uncleglen]

Revenge of the Crows.....

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Crows are principally carrion eaters, but I have seen them take live ducklings in Peckham Rye.

They have also attacked a dog I walked when he got too near the fledglings.

[grecian girl]

we have tall trees around yes Minkey...I have been trying to keep him indoors but

we are all in and out of the garden as its so warm it's tricky..the crows are now sitting on the window ledges

..almost as if they are looking in.. v Hitchcockian.

[uncleglen]

Without scavengers we would be knee deep in rotting carcasses

[civilservant]

The crows may have had unfortunate experiences with cats before. They are very bright birds and have long memories - see http://news.discovery.com/animals/angry-crows-memory-life-threatening-behavior-110628.html for example

but frankly, I am finding it very difficult to feel sorry for your cat.

Its species is responsible for the wanton killing of backyard wildlfe - see reports on other threads of cats attacking bats and killing fledglings - so those crows are being very sensible. Probably best to keep it indoors while birds are nesting.

[maxxi]

Crows will and do attack anything they see as a threat - and also anything new in their environment. Is your cat a newbie?

There's a reason why they call a group of crows a 'murder'...

[grecian girl]

That is a fantastic link and explains alot!

I love that crows make tools.. And remember human faces!

[Jenjeroo]

A crow killed another crow in it's nest outside my kitchen window a few weeks ago.

Aggressive.

[Jenjeroo]

Both pets and humans are far beyond the size of crow prey. Aggression is almost always the result of adult crows protecting nearby young and it limited to a very small area. It is a temporary situation that is best resolved by trying to avoid the area they are protecting. While it can be intimidating, crows really do not present a threat to humans, dogs or cats.

http://audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/brochures/crows

[DulwichFox]

Lambs killed by Ravens / Crows in Scotland...

Article

Quite capable of taking on a cat or small dog..

Hopefully not a Fox..:'(

Foxy

[BrandNewGuy]

Ravens are not carrion crows... and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association is hardly a disinterested party - they routinely defend members who illegally destroy any and every bird of prey or predatory mammal they can in order to please their wealthy hedge-fund clients who don't give a monkey's about wildlife or ickle lambs.

As others have pointed out, at breeding time, crows are especially defensive. There's no reason to think they're "preying" on cats - why should they take the risk? There's plenty of food to be had for nothing all around the city.

Personally I love crows - elegant and very intelligent.

[RosieH]

Hell yeah - cats are estimated to kill 55 million birds a year, so hard to condemn the crows for protecting their nest.

The answer is to keep him indoors.