What’s This Post About?
While crows are considered aggressive and violent otherwise, they are the perfect caretakers when it comes to their eggs and nestlings. This is not just limited to the parents of the egg. You would be amazed to know how the entire crow community unifies when any crow lays an egg.
To top that, you would be fascinated to know the process before, during, and after egg laying. There is so much safety and security that even large birds like eagles and hawks steer clear to avoid a mob attack.
Crows begin to construct their nests around spring. The female produces four to five eggs and takes 18 days to nurture them. They lay one egg each day, and there is a high chance that other birds may also dump their eggs for the crows to take care of.
Fascinating Facts About Crow Eggs
1. Nest Construction Begins In Early March
Nest construction and egg-laying occur at different times depending on location and weather circumstances.
Crows begin nesting in March in warmer temperature zones and mid-July in colder climate zones. A few weeks before that, the crow family, which can range from two to nine birds, travels to its regular nesting region to search for potential nesting sites.
Crows go to considerable lengths to build nests that are both strong on the exterior and smooth inside, ensuring that nothing hurts their eggs or hatchlings’ delicate skin. Fabric, hair, wood shavings, and plastic fragments may be used alongside natural materials like bark, moss, and plant fibers in a finished nest.
2. Crows Will Nest In Concealed Areas
Crows are found virtually everywhere in North America and seek well-hidden areas protecting from predators and severe weather. They may return to the exact geographical location to look for potential nesting sites, but they won’t reuse the same nest as the year before.
Crows usually conceal their nests in a crevice near a tree’s trunk or on a horizontal branch at the upper side of the tree. The trunk of a large tree, usually 15 to 60 feet from the ground, is preferable, but if that isn’t possible, electrical poles, window sills, and shrubs are frequently used as substitutes.
3. Crow Eggs Are 1.15 Inches
A crow’s egg is 1.4 to 1.9 inches in terms of length and 1 to 1.2 inches in diameter. As mentioned before, one brood of a crow is 5 to 9 eggs. The nest is therefore constructed in accordance.
A crow’s nest is roughly 9 inches in height and 2 feet in circumference typically, with an inner lining where the female lays and incubates her eggs.
The parents neither want excess space in the nest nor do they want it to be congested. Extra space encourages parasites that are scouting to dump their nests. Congestion can lead to health problems, especially once the eggs hatch. Remember that the chicks do not flee from the nest for about a month.
4. Crows Have Blueish Green Eggs
Since bird eggshells are composed of calcium carbonate, they are naturally white. Other pigments, on the other hand, can produce a variety of colors and styles. The eggs of birds that construct their nests in trees and bushes (such as the dunnock and crows) are usually blue or greenish, speckled or not.
The crow’s egg can be a mixture of green and blue with grey and brown specks all over it. When the chick finally hatches, it has no feathers except for a few scanty grey turfs. Their eyes are closed, and they have a very clumsy movement.
DID YOU KNOW?
The egg remains you see on the ground are most likely remnants carried away by parent birds to avoid attracting predators. Remember this the next time you see eggshells but no birds, nests, or trees in sight.
5. Crows’ Nests Are Not Reused
The crows will not come to the nest once the babies have fledged. They only utilize their nest once, and they only have one brood every year.
They will, however, construct a new nest on top of an existing one, especially in places where nesting trees are scarce. This is why an average nest generally lasts approximately nine weeks, even although they are rigid structures that may last for years in a tree.
The breakdown of the nine weeks the nest is in use is as follows:
- 1-2 weeks to construct
- Six days to lay
- 20 days to incubate
- Four weeks to raise nestlings
6. Crows Become Aggressive And Territorial Near Breeding Season
Crows fiercely protect their young, bringing food to them, directing them away from danger, and fending off predators. Although the family isn’t constantly there, they are generally close by. When there is a potential danger, and they see a human or animal near their nest, they can get violent.
DID YOU KNOW?
Crows in urban areas are more aggressive than their counterparts in rural areas.
The majority of breeding-related mob attacks occur when a person gets too close to a fledgling. If you see many crows starting to gather, be prepared to change the route immediately. It is highly probable that you were approaching their eggs or nest and got flagged as a potential danger.
PRO-TIP
If you know a nest on the route you must take, carry an umbrella to prevent crows from grabbing your hair. You may also wear a hat with eyes drawn towards the back as crows seldom attack from the front.
Adult crows’ protective behavior might be misinterpreted as aggressiveness against the juvenile.
However, the presence of a noisy, boisterous group of adult crows is an indication that the youngster is in excellent hands.
7. Crows Build Decoy Nests To Protect Their Eggs
During the breeding season, crows will do anything to protect their eggs and young from attacks.
When crows make nests in trees, they hide them so well that you may not notice them until they fall. In addition, crows often construct fake nests as a form of defense.
For instance, suppose a desperate hawk is searching for a crow chick meal but discovers that the nest it has sought is uninhabited. In such a case, the hawk may decide that it has wasted enough time pursuing crows and redirect his efforts to more uncomplicated prey.
8. Female Crows Lay 4 To 7 Eggs
Female crows lay around four to seven eggs on an average, followed by an 18-day incubation time. During the brooding phase, both parents feed the young, and two weeks later, they can forage for food on their own.
DID YOU KNOW?
The total number of eggs deposited in a single nesting effort is referred to as a clutch of eggs.
Clutch sizes differ across and among birds. In addition, it has been discovered that species with a low infant survival rate lay more eggs at once to enhance their chances of producing surviving offspring.
Birds with a greater offspring survival rate, on the other hand, tend to lay fewer eggs in their nests and devote more time and effort to rearing their young.
This is why crows do not have enormous broods. The survival rate of a crow’s egg is very high. This is primarily due to the defense system of the crow community that works hard to keep their family safe.
9. Crows Lay One Egg A Day
Eggs are deposited once a day, usually late in the morning, with a rare day or two gap between them. The female will generally start incubating the eggs before all of them have been laid, and she will usually sit constantly once the third egg has been set. As a result, there is a three-day gap between the first and final egg laid.
10. The Parents Stop Making Calls After The Eggs Are Deposited
The mating couple becomes quieter and more covert after placing the eggs to avoid revealing the nest location to possible predators. They are incredibly protective of their eggs and therefore do not want to attract unwanted attention towards their nest.
On a usual afternoon, you are bound to hear the caws of crows around your yard. However, if the crow sounds in your area suddenly quiet down and crows come to your feeding table discreetly, you may be pretty assured that there are eggs or baby crows in the nest.
11. While The Female Incubates, The Rest Of The Crow Family Defends And Feeds Her
Crow families cooperate throughout nesting season to protect their children’s future before and after the eggs hatch. Everyone contributes to collecting materials for the nest and building it, which takes approximately 12 days.
The mother must sit on her four to seven eggs for up to 18 days after laying them; during this period, the father and other relatives bring her meals, mainly her previous year’s children. When the eggs hatch, their older siblings assist them in feeding them and fending off predators.
12. Crows Learn To Fly 38 Days After The Eggs Hatch
Rapidly developing crow nestlings start to leave their nests that have gotten too congested for comfort approximately 30 to 38 days after hatching. However, leaving the safety of the nest for chicks whose flying feathers haven’t fully developed might be a dangerous proposition.
Ideally, they will bounce around in the nest tree until they have fully developed their capacity to fly, but they may fall to the ground and spend many days on the ground or in low foliage. Even still, their relatives do not abandon them; they continue to bring them food and attempt to keep them safe.
WARNING!
You should not presume that newborn crows found on the ground have been abandoned and require assistance. Crows do not leave their children, and you might trigger a mob attack.
13. Koel Dump Their Eggs In Crow Nests Because They Look-Alike
Crows are highly vigilant and territorial birds. For the koel bird to successfully deposit an egg into their nest, it remains concealed nearby, scouting for potential host nests.
The mating season of the crow begins with the arrival of the monsoon and can last until August. The koel’s mating season, which runs from March to September, coincides with the crow’s.
The female koel deposits her eggs in crow nests to increase the likelihood of a brood forming. The design and color of the koel’s eggs are similar to crow’s eggs which makes this possible.
DID YOU KNOW?
A brood parasite is a bird that spends time attempting to lay an egg in another bird's nest.
As mentioned previously, a crow will give about five eggs on average, 1 per day. Koel’s eggs are slightly smaller and require less incubation. Therefore, a koel can carefully deposit her egg during these five days without the risk of remaining unhatched until all crow eggs hatch.
Crows are brilliant animals, so the koel can’t put its egg before the crow has laid eggs or after the clutch has completed. Even if it deposits the egg during the egg-laying process, it needs to remove an existing egg of the crow to maintain the same number of eggs in the nest.
DID YOU KNOW?
A koel lowers its risk by not laying all of its eggs in a single nest but instead divides them across several crow nests.
Keep Reading!
These black birds might not seem like the most pleasant animals to you, but they are beautiful parents and responsible family members.
An egg may be incubated by the female parent but is protected by all family members, including older siblings. They will look out, defend and even feed the mother and nest from March when the laying of eggs begins.
Now that you know when crows lay eggs and a couple of other fascinating facts, read this post to learn whether or not they attack humans?
If you invade the personal space of crows, you can expect them to attack you. Read this post to find out how you can avoid crow attacks.
By
David A. Swanson
Bird Watching USA
My name is David and I'm the the founder of Bird Watching USA! I started Bird Watching with My father-in-law many years ago, and I've become an addict to watching these beautiful creatures. I've learnt so much over about bird watching over the years that I want to share with the world everything I know about them!
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