What happens when a Northwestern Crow takes the wrong migration north and breeds with an American Crow in Northern Ontario? The result is a new language of mumbling crows.
The Northwestern Crow flew north 5 years ago and STAYED! He chose an American crow as his mate and decided the pickings were good all year round in my compost pile so he didn't migrate south in the fall. The first year there was two separate languages, Northwestern mumbling (which I interpreted as Spanish) and typical American Crow caws. Since then the baby crows have made there own adjustments and the clan now speaks in mumbles, caws and growls.
This is the 6th batch of babies. Typically, only the current years babies will stay over winter with the parents and then migrate the second winter to mate. In the spring, any babies that have survived over winter migration collect in the tree at the end of the driveway and have a welcoming party for about a week. I believe there were over 40 crows this spring from the original pairing of 2.
The family now totals 8. The 2 adult breeding pair, the 2 young from last year, 3 babies reared by the clan and Blackie the baby crow that I hand raised.
This is Blackie the crow's mother having lunch.
Here is Blackie the crow, who no longer has to be spoon fed every hour. YEAH!
He checks out the table in case I put something there and then eats fresh corn off the ground. He no longer wants me near him when he eats but comes to the house and screams if he is really hungry. He knows the difference between meat and carbs and will demand meat for supper refusing anything else. :(
Pam
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