It almost seems that a crow doesn’t know how to do anything quietly, but instead wants everyone to know he’s around. Parrots can make a lot of noise, but the crow can outdo them. Crows’ raucous calls are heard in just about every part of the world, except New Zealand.
Actually, crows are included with those birds that can be helpful. Among other things, they have a never-ending appetite for insects and will also dispose of small, road-killed animals. Farmers do not like crows because they pull up sprouting corn and eat it. They try, without much success, to scare the crows away with scarecrows placed in their gardens. The farmers are much happier to see them eating grasshoppers, locusts, caterpillars and other pests. Scientists have estimated that a crow will eat 19 bushels of insects in a single season.
Crows are large birds, about 18 or 19 inches long. Those in the eastern United States are larger than those in the West.
They build bulky nests in just about any kind of tree, usually quite high. But some build them down among the low bushes of a swamp or shore of a pond or lake. Nests usually consist of twigs and bark, with a lining of grass, moss, or other soft material. Four to six eggs are laid in the early summer and incubated for 18 days. The baby crows are cared for by both parents and are taught how to collect food as soon as they can fly. The training will take a month or so before they can venture out on their own.
Many a person, trying to get an afternoon nap or lying in bed in the early morning before time to get up, knows what a nuisance a crow’s coarse “caw-caw” can be, especially if there are several calling back and forth at the same time. But the calls can mean “look out” to their companions when danger is nearby. They often encounter dreaded enemies such as hawks, owls, eagles, raccoons, dogs, etc.
If taken young, crows make good pets. They can be taught a number of tricks and can learn to make a variety of noises and imitate sounds.
The Bible does not mention crows, but speaks of ravens, which are closely related. As the beginning Bible verse tells us, the Lord God, their Creator, knows every bird throughout the world and also cares for them. They don’t just happen to be here by evolution, but have been created by Him. Do you know Him as your Saviour as well as your Creator?
SEPTEMBER 25, 1994
ML-09/25/1994