Populära övertygelser och overtroer Omkring 200 overtro och övertygelser listas nedan. Njut av dem och om du har mer att lägga till från ditt eget land, skicka det till oss. Inklusive förslag från följande personer (på landets vidskepelser): Natalya Golovka (BY), Olga Malakhova (UA), Ella Behylarova (UAARM) Leila Koushenova (KZ), Valentina Sokolova (BY), Ida och Garry Maytum (Storbritannien), Mihai Crisan Madalina Florea, Kodrea Ionel-Dragos (RO), Pavel Antonov, Mitko Vassilev (BG), Jackeline Mekkes, Sanne Slegtenhorst , Pippa (Storbritannien), Ida (SW), Ziggy (AZ), Wendy Garcia (PR), Joe Ralston (Skottland) av Willem Tjebbe Oostenbrink 1. Spilling av salt Spilling av salt betyder otur. För att undvika otur eller för att förhindra skada måste man kasta men en klämma av salt som spilldes över axeln. Förklaring: Salt har tidigare varit sällsynt och därmed dyrt. Land: BG, UA, BY, RO. 2. Kasta vatten När någon lämnar huset, för resor, till exempel, släpper den som finns kvar bakom något vatten, till exempel en kopp vatten, utanför huset i riktning mot personen. Förklaring: det här betyder lycka till. Att alla saker kommer att springa smidigt som vatten strömmar. Land: ARM, BG. 3. Klocka av trä När du nämna hur bra saker är eller hur framgångsrikt det har varit, knacka med handen på trä. Förklaring: Att nämna hur mycket framgång du har kan orsaka otur. Därför kommer knock på trä att förhindra att den fina fortunelucken lämnar dig. Land: Västeuropa NL, D, BG, UA, RO, BY. 4. Svart katt Att se en svart katt på gatan betyder otur. Om du ser en svart katt, ska du spotta (tre gånger) över din vänstra axel (UA). Bara om det korsade din väg precis framför dig, annars är det inget riktigt dåligt (BY). Rumänien: När du gör 7 steg tillbaka kan du få din tur tillbaka. I England är en svart katt som korsar din väg lycklig. Land: UA, NL, BG, RO, BY, UK 5. Någon som knackar på dörren På en viss dag i året (vår) betyder det otur när någon som knackar på din dörr, är en kvinna. När det är en man är det inget problem. Förklaring: Samma situation i tåg. Det är bättre att en man går in i tåget före en kvinna, så att folk i kompartementet först träffar den manliga besökaren. Land: UA 6. Whistling i huset Det är inte bra att vissla inuti ett hus, för att du kommer att förlora dina pengar. I BG: betyder otur. RO: quotFluieri a pagubaquot. RO: Någon i huset kommer att dö. Förklaring: Endast i ett tomt hus kan du höra vindflöjten. På holländska finns det ett ordstäde som säger vem som whistle, få en tjej med förmögenhet. Annat uttryck i NL: citationstecken efter någonting, dvs du förlorade det och kommer inte att få tillbaka det. Land: RO, BG, UA (NL). 7. Broken mirror Otur. Förklaring: De första 7 åren kommer du inte att gifta dig eller otur (BG). Land: Allmänt BY, UA, BG, NL, England 8. Bruten tallrik Lycka till. Förklaring: Land: BY, GR, BG. 9. Otur kan komma i tre Förklaring: Land: NL, ARM, AZER, UA 10. Släcka ett glas Man bör inte ta glaset i handen och då dåligt. Förklaring: Land: UA, BY. 11. Försvagning av en flaska Man ska fattas ur en flaska genom att vrida handen inuti. Aldrig stack ut en flaska över handen i ett glas. Förklaring: Händerens rörelse innebär att du önskar din död. Land: UA, BG. 12. Sitter vid hörnet av ett bord När du sitter vid bordets hörn gifter du dig aldrig. Förklaring: Flickor som sitter i hörnet av bordet, kommer inte att gifta sig. Manboys som sitter på hörnet kommer att ha en fru med quotcornerquot - boende I NL kommer de som sitter på hörnet av bordet inte att gifta sig med de närmaste sju åren. Land: UA, BY, BG, RO, NL. 13. Vigselring Man bör aldrig överlämna en vigselring direkt till någon annan. Först bör man lägga ringen vid bordet så att den andra personen kan hämta den. På samma sätt som före bröllopet borde ingen ringa, varken brud eller någon annan. Förklaring: otur för äktenskapet, det kommer att brytas strax efter bröllopet. Land: RO, UA, BY, BG. 14. Att sätta en sigarett med ett ljus Det är inte bra att tända en cigarett i ett ljus. Förklaring: En seglare kommer att dö. Eller mer generellt: någon kommer att dö. Land: BG, UA, Storbritannien 15. Att ta ut ett ljus Man ska inte blåsa ut ett ljus. Du måste göra det med din hand. I BG dör en seglare när du blåser ut ett ljus. Förklaring: någon kommer att dö. Bara när en person har dött kan du blåsa ut ljuset. Land: UA, RO, BG 16. Ge något medan du står på tröskeln. Det är inte bra att ge någonting till en person medan du står på tröskeln. Förklaring: Stående på tröskeln visar respekt för en dödsdöd. I tidigare dagar var det ett vanligt att begrava en person som hade dött, under tröskeln. Land: UA, ARM 17. Förvaring av bröd Man får inte lägga bröd upp och ner. Förklaring: Detta kommer att medföra otur. Land: UA, ARM, RU, RO, BG. 18. Resa Aldrig ge 4, 6, 8 blommor till en person. Förklaring: buketter med jämntal är för begravningsceremonier eller kemetrier. Land: RO, RU, UA, BG. 30. Presentera något skarp Det är inte bra att ge en present som innehåller något skarpt, som en gaffel eller en kniv. Förklaring: Det kan innebära gräl i framtiden. Om du gör det är det bra när mottagaren ger tillbaka något som innehåller copperbrass (koper på nederländska). (se 97.) I BG borde du betala något när du får en kniv, inte nödvändigtvis ett mynt. Land: RU, NL, UA, BG. 31. Steg på någonfot Om du oavsiktligt går på foten, är det bra att låta personen betala dig tillbaka. Förklaring: Genom att göra det kommer den andra personen att förhindra en konflikt. Land: RU, UA (endast barn). 32. Öppna en flaska När du öppnar en flaska och fattiga glasögon, bör du först stack lite i ett eget glas. Förklaring: Ta bort kork Giftland: RU, BG, UA, NL. 33. Öka ett glas När du dricker, är det bra att ha en rostat bröd. Förklaring: Ursprungligen när rostning, vin eller öl skulle strömma från ett till det andra glaset. Detta visade att vinet inte förgiftades och att gästen inte hade något att frukta från värden. Land: Europa, Asien. 34. Nytt hus När du har ett nytt hus, låt först en katt gå in i huset. Då kan du korsa tröskeln. BG: När katten ligger ner, bör man lägga sin säng. Detta är den bästa platsen i huset. Förklaring: Om detta inte är gjort kommer det att ge tillbaka tur. BG: Katten känner av de magnetiska fälten och kommer att hitta den bästa platsen att sova. Land: RU, UA, BY, BG. 35. Kvinna på ett fartyg En kvinna på ett fartyg betyder otur. Förklaring: Land: NL, UA, BG. 36. Gång under stolpeljuset Gamla gateljus i Ryssland bestod av två stolpar som lutade mot varandra. Man borde inte gå under dem. (Som stege se 20) Förklaring: Land: RU. 37. Ta den sista maten Du kan inte ta den sista delen av mat (bröd, kaka, kött) från en tallrik. Men när någon erbjuder dig att ta det, är det bra att ta det. Det får lycka till. Förklaring: BG: det här kallas skamdel. Land: UA, BG 38. Godkänn ett erbjudande om mat eller dryck När värden erbjuder mat eller dryck, bör man vägra två gånger. Det är artigt att acceptera tredje gången. Förklaring: Politeness. Det är därför många utlänningar är mycket hungriga när de besöker Nederländerna. Holländska erbjuder bara en gång. I BG byar, desto fattigare är folket, desto mer kan du inte neka erbjudandet. Land: RU, UA, BY, RO, TR. 39. Hängande tygduk i ett träd Förklaring: Man bör hänga en trasa av en sjuk person i ett träd som patienten kommer att återhämta sig (för Saint Willibrord kallas koortsboom eller lapjesboom, Nederländerna). Land: Enligt historiker relaterade till germansk ritual, NL. 40. Martenitsa BG: Den första mars heter Martenitsa: människor ger en röd och vit tråd mot varandra, hänger runt handleden eller nacken och önskar dig god hälsa. (RO: Röd betyder kärlek, vitt betyder liv. Pojkar ger det till tjejer) Du borde ha detta tills du ser den första storken eller sväljer. Därefter måste du sätta detta på ett blommande träd eller buske, som kommer att bära frukter. Om en stork flyger: du kommer att resa mycket - det här ses positivt Om storken är på marken - året kommer inte att bli så välmående. Annan variant. Efter att ha hängt trådarna i trädet kan du önska. Förklaring: Hängande trasor i träd är ofta relaterade till hälsa och välstånd. Land: BG (detta har likheter med 39), RO 41. Storkswallow i huset Förekomsten av ett par storkar eller svallar ses som ett tecken på lycka till och vänskap. Förklaring: Symbol för fertilitet. Swallow: symbol för fred och vänskap i familjen. BG: Förstör inte svalna bo i huset. Någon kan dö snart. Land: Västeuropa, NL, BG. 42. Svartvitt kråka Förklaring: När en svartvitt kråka skulle flyga till havet skulle en tjej vara säker på att hennes framtida man skulle komma från havet. Land: DK. 43. Svart och grå kråka Om fågeln flyger över vänster sida kommer det att hända något som är ont. Om fågelflugorna passerar på höger sida kommer inget dåligt att hända. Förklaring: Crows är ofta kopplade till död och otur. Land: Västuropa, Van den Vos Reinaerde 44. Vlaamse Gaai När du ser fågeln betyder det otur. Förklaring: att se fågeln innebär att snart kommer någon att dö. Land: GR. Vid Boxningsdagen dödas en kryssning (liten brun fågel med svarta ränder) ritualt. Människor bär fågeln på en lång pinne längs husen och begrav den i gravgården efteråt. Förklaring: Man tror att kärnan har magiska krafter. Fågeln kallades också Druide-fågel. Missionärer skapade traditionen för att döda fågeln på kristna helgdagar, som en symbol för utrotning av paganism. Land: I delar av FR, Storbritannien (EN). Robin pecks mot fönstret under vintern i hungersnöd, Förklaring: betyder tillkännagivande om död och elände. Samma när en fågel flyger mot fönstret. Land: Storbritannien. 47. En kukas trängsel En kukas kråkar jagar natten och dess spöken, djävlar, onda andar ibland. Förklaring: Hanen är dagens tillkännagare. Land: BG, Europa. Mer specifikt .. 48. Måler påskägg Ägg är målade och dekorerade före påsken. Förklaring: färgerna uttrycker lyckan för våren. Hedenska traditionen transforerade till ortodoxa. Polen: Målade ägg kommer till kyrkan, där biskopen välsignar dem med vatten. Land: Västra Eur, Östra Eur, RO, BG 49. Fotsteg Om en gammal kvinna (som var misstänkt för att vara en häxa) passerade genom byn, kunde skydda sig genom att sätta en fotsteg (med träskon) över fotsteget kvinnan. Förklaring: Korsets form skulle omedelbart göra en gammal kvinna som var häxa att sluta gå och oskyldiga kvinnor kunde gå fritt (i samband med nr 31) Land: NL (FRL). 50. Rågkorn Om någon hittar en fullkorn i rågbrödet (sålunda inte kornad under bruksstenen) under tre fredagar följaktligen kommer den första personen som hon eller han möter att vara bröllopskandidaten. Förklaring: Fredag är dagen Kristus var Land: NL (FRL). 51. Äppelpitar Ta en våt äppelpit mellan tummen och fingret och skjut det bort genom att trycka hårt, medan du säger en phrasequestion: Var bor min älskare Förklaring: Den riktning i vilken äppelpitten går, indikerar det område där bröllopskandidaterna, fortfarande okänd, bor. Land: NL (FRL). Man bör hjälpa bröd före ett barn Förklaring: Enligt en gammal tro bör man först ta hand om ett bröd med smör som faller till marken och än uppmärksamma ett fallande barn. Land: NL (FRL). 53. Utlåning av salt eller eld. Man borde aldrig låna ut salt eller eld. Förklaring: Detta kommer att medföra otur. (länk till spillning salt nr 1) Land: NL (FRL), BG. 54. Låna pengar eller ta bort skräp efter solnedgången. Förklaring: Detta tar bort välstånd från ditt hus. Land: UA. 55. Sitt eller diskutera något vid tröskeln. Förklaring: Det stör störningar från att komma in i ditt hus. Land: UA, BG. 56. En brudgum bringar en brud i handen över ett tröskelvärde i ett hus. Förklaring: Det ska förhindra kvinnor från ondska magi. Land: UA, BG. 57. Främmande sitter på sängen. Låt inte en främling sitta på sängen. Förklaring: Detta ger skingrar till en familj. Land: UA. 58. Skär bröd från två sidor. Förklaring: Det kan skära ditt liv. Land: UA. 59. Skärande naglar efter solnedgången på fredagen kommer att hålla tänderna raka under lång tid. Förklaring: Den är kopplad till planet, som dominerar under denna veckodag. Land: D. 60. Flickor kastar skor Förklaring: Mellan ortodoxa jul och gammal Nytt år (14 jan) brukade tjejer kasta skon över axeln eller från taket (beroende på region). Skopspetsen kommer att ange var bröllopskandidaten, fortfarande okänd, bor. Land: UA. 61. Rengöring av huset Du ska aldrig städa huset när någon lämnade det tills personen har nått den slutliga destinationen (speciellt för långa resor). Förklaring: det betyder att du städar personen ur ditt hus och att han aldrig kommer tillbaka dit. Land: BY. 62. Säg samma ord i samma ögonblick Om du sa samma ord (s) samtidigt (unisony) med en annan person, bör du röra något svart, önska dig och fråga personen som sa samma ord (er) med dig när din önskan kommer att bli sann. Förmodligen skulle din önskan bli sann den dagen. Den andra personen kan också göra det. Så det är en form av liten konkurrens den som lyckas röra något svart först, har rätt att önska. Förklaring: Land: BY. 63. Titta på klockan med samma siffror Om du råkar titta på klockan när de visar samma figurer i timmar och minuter (10:10 11:11, 23:23 etc.) kan du göra en önskan. Men du kan inte göra det med ändamål (till exempel har du sett att det är 11:10 och du fortsätter att titta på klockan tills det är 11:11, för i det här fallet kommer inte önskan att bli sann. Förklaring: Land: BY 64. Sy i ett hål i en trasa Det är inte bra att sy ett hål medan du bär på tygan. I Armenien: Om du håller din tyg på, ta det lugnt att sy tråd i munnen. Förklaring: Använda en strykjärn kan locka onda andar. Under sömnad kan du skada dig själv. Gängan i munnen fungerar som en kanal för att lämna den dåliga andan. BG: Om någon annan gör det för dig kan personen sy i ditt sinne vilket innebär att efteråt kan man inte tänka längre .. Land: ARM, BG. 65. Tystnad under samtalet När i ett rum med fler människor samtalarna plötsligt slutar och det finns en tystnad säger folk att det är en baby som är bornquot. Förklaring: I BY säger folk kvot tjuven är bornquot. I NL när en sådan tystnad faller, går pricen genom. (Detta är relaterat till tidigare da när pricen var den person som informerade personer om en släkting, familjemedlems död.) Land: UA, BY 66. Staring När en person stirrar säger folk att du kan få en gästkvot. Förklaring: Tidigare tittade folk ut ur porten och tittade på vägen och såg om besökarna kom. Land: ARM 67. Fall av bestick Om cultery faller kommer en besökare att komma. När det är en kniv blir det en man, när det är en sked eller gaffel, blir det en kvinna. Förklaring: (Detta ska ske oavsiktligt, inte med ändamål.) Land: UA, ARM, GEO. RO. 68. Bröd faller När bröd faller, är någon av dina vänner, familj eller släktingar hungrig. Förklaring: Land: ARM. 69. Ta upp bröd från marken Människor som hittar bröd måste sätta upp det här någonstans, till exempel på en vägg, fönsterruta, för att förhindra att människor går på det. Förklaring: Gud kommer inte förlåta dig. Land: ARM, RU, Caucus. 70. Två personer med samma namn Om du sitter mellan två personer med samma namn kan du göra en önskan. Förklaring: Alla har en vaktvinkel (). Land: UA. 71. Tom hink, korg och burk Du måste undvika att träffa en person som bär en tom hink, korg eller burk. Förklaring: När du träffar en sådan person kommer alla dina saker och idéer du planerade inte att bli sanna. Speciellt i Väst-UA kommer människor som bär en hink med skräp till dumpan att försöka på väg tillbaka för att undvika att träffa andra människor. Man tar en annan väg att gå tillbaka och undvika andra människor med avsikt. RO: om du träffar någon med full korg betyder det lycka till. Dess enda farliga under ett bröllop för att träffa någon med en tom korg: Paret kommer att skilja sig. Om människor bär skopor med vatten betyder det lycka till. Mannen måste betala dem. Land: UA, RO. 72. Bröllopsceremoni Brudgummen och bruden får inte tillåta någon att gå in mellan dem, eller att gå in mellan dem. Förklaring: Det betyder otur. Det kan innebära skilsmässa. Land: UA. 73. Begravning När en begravningsprocess anländer ska man inte passera dem, men vänta tills processionen har passerat. Förklaring: Det betyder otur död. Land: BY, BG. 74. Gravid kvinna Man kan inte neka en önskan eller begära en gravid kvinna. Förklaring: Om du inte följer detta kommer mössen att äta dina kläder, mat, möbler. Land: UA. 75. Kläder på insidan utvändigt Om du bär kläder inuti, som blus, underkläder, saker som du planerat kommer att gå fel. Förklaring: Det här är vanligtvis med underkläder, vilket du kanske märker mycket senare. RO: det här betyder dåligt väder. Land: ARM, Irland 76. Choking (svälja fel väg) Om du kväver, och du behöver ta vatten, tänker någon på dig. Förklaring: ARM: Du sa en lögn, eller du stal någonting. Land: RU, ARM, UA. 77. Morötter Om värden serverar morötter vid slutet av middagen efter en längre vistelse (några dagar) av gästerna, är de inte längre välkomna. Förklaring: Land: NL Nord 78. Nysning Den person du pratar med nysar efter att du har sagt något, betyder att det du sa är sant. Förklaring: Land: KZ, RO. 79. Rostning av man och fru. Man och hustru ska inte skåla ihop. Förklaring: detta medför otur. Land: KZ. 80. Rostning med en kvinna. Att vara i bolag borde en kvinna undvika att ha den sista skålen med en annan kvinna. Förklaring: Detta medför otur. Land: KZ, UA. 81. Göra pengar Om en person ber om pengar, får du inte ge mynt av en enhet. Du kan ge små mynt om 2 eller 5 men inte av 1 (cent. Så liten del av vanlig valuta). Förklaring: Detta medför otur. Land: KZ. 82. Klåda näsa När näsan kliar, kommer du att ha fest eller fest, ett tillfälle att dricka. Eller så får du några nyheter. Förklaring: Land: UA, ARM, RO. 83. Betala pengar När du köper tomt i butiken försöker du ge pengar genom din högra hand och ta bytet med vänster. Förklaring: Du kommer att öka din ekonomi på det sättet. RO: man borde aldrig betala pengar på måndag. Annars måste du betala hela veckan. Land: KZ, RO. 84. Torkduk (Knovvelband) När man hade ett sår användes quotknovvelbandquot för att övervinna smärtor och hjälpa till att läka. Förklaring: Enligt den populära troen är tråden av tyg gjorda av olika hot, som används för att täcka sår eller brussor efter massage av en bestrieker (Laurm). Land: NL (Groningen) 85. Korsa korsning av vägar Man bör aldrig korsa korsningen av två vägar diagonalt. Förklaring: Man tror att i mitten av en korsning har häxor satt xx Land: UA. 86. Tomma flaskor Man bör ta bort tomma flaskor från bordet. Förklaring: otur Land: UA 87. Fira födelsedag Man borde inte fira en födelsedag före födelsedagen. Förklaring: Detta medför otur. Land: UA, BG. Man bör inte förbereda ett rum för en bebis och köpa tyg under graviditeten. Barnet bör födas först. Förklaring: Detta medför otur. Land: UA. 89. Bröd på död När du lägger ett bröd under den första natten efter att personen dött, kommer du inte längre att frukta (död). Förklaring: Land: GEO 90. Begravning När det finns en begravning, kommer familj och vänner att bära den döde i kistan till cemetry utan att stänga den först. Efter måltiden finns en måltid för de få hundratals besökarna. I den västra delen av Georgia Imereti kommer kistan till cemetry efter måltiden. Förklaring: Land: GEO När du tvätter händerna, håll inte tvålen till en annan person. Förklaring: Man bör först sätta ner den. () Land: GEO 92. Fira födelsedag (se 87) När du blir 40 år borde du försöka undvika att någon gratulerar dig med din födelsedag. Förklaring: Att få grattis till din 40-årsdag betyder otur för resten av ditt liv. Därför kommer folk att försöka undvika vänner och acquantances och kan lämna sitt hus i några dagar, före, på och efter födelsedagen. Denna tro är inte vanlig i hela Ryssland, och alltså inte känt av alla människor. I Polen firar många människor inte sin födelsedag när de blir äldre efter 30 års ålder. De kan organisera en fest på deras namndag istället. Land: RU (stad Podolsk, Moskva region) 93. Skor på bordet Sätt aldrig nya, oanvända skor på bordet. Förklaring: Nya skor sattes på de döda, som låg på bordet. Lägg aldrig nya, oanvända skor på bordet: det betyder att luck luck skulle komma. Land: Skottland. NL, UK, BG, RO. 94. Skugga Om din skugga fångas på grund av att arbetaren påskyndar din skugga av tegelstenen och cementen när du bygger väggen, leder det till elände i ditt liv. Förklaring: från boken quotDossier H. quot av AL-författaren Ismail Kadare. Land: AL 95. Glasstycken Brutet glas, glasstycken betyder lycka till. Förklaring. Land: NL, Västeuropa, BG, UA. 96. Klåda näsa (se 21, 82) När näsan kliar, talar någon om dig. Förklaring: Om du också nysar kan du gissa vilken person som tänker på dig. Människor kommer att fråga dig ett nummer bestående av 3 siffror. Fl 341, räkna sedan summan av de tre siffrorna, som är 8. Namnet börjar med en h. Land: BG. 97. Ta emot ett djur som närvarande Om du får ett djur, f. i. en hund eller en katt, du borde ge ett mynt i gengäld som en token betalning. (se 30) Förklaring. Land: BG. 98. Nyckelpiga När det finns en nyckelpiga på din hand eller finger, lyfter tjejer upp handen och låt nyckelpiga klättra upp till fingertoppen. Riktningen i vilken nyckelpigan kommer att flyga indikerar var mannen kommer att vara. Förklaring. Land: BG. 99. Insekter som liknar beatle Om du går på insekten kommer det att regna. Förklaring: Land: BG. 100. Att ge ett barn bort När ett barn slås av flera olyckor, som att ha en dålig hälsa, sjukdomar, bryta ett ben, är det bra att ge barnet bort. Fadföräldrarna bör sälja barnet till en symbolisk mängd. Barnet vill då få en ny far som betalar en tokenbelopp. Förutom den naturliga fadern kommer den nya pappan att ta på sig uppgifter som liknar gudfar. Förklaring: Detta görs bland sjömän. Land: BG. 101. Fördärva vin på marken När man dricker vin slår man en viss vin på marken. Det här är för de döda vännerna. Då kan de dricka med. Förklaring: Speciellt gjord bland sjömän. Land: RO, BG. 102. Rastar inte på öl. Ungar säger att inte skåla på öl. Förklaring: Under österrikiska-ungerska imperiet gick en österrikare under en kamp. Alla höga HU-officerare dödades. Land: HU. 103. Rollande bröd När ett barn befinner sig i första gången, bakar man ett bröd som en ring. De roll brödet på golvet. Barnet kommer att gå efter brödet och plocka upp det. Om en person (kan vara vuxen) har en dålig hälsa, är brödet förberedt igen i huset (brödet ska inte köpas). Pustapunic - första gångbröd. Brödet igen rullas in på golvet. Då ätas brödet tillsammans med familj och vänner. Förklaring: Det berättar något om yrket och chansen barnet kommer att ha i framtiden. Land: BG. 104. Hästsko Om du hittar en hästsko betyder lycka till. Du kan önska, spotta på hästsko och kasta den över din axel. Land: BG. England: En hästsko är lycklig när den är - U - men om den uppstår ner faller all lycka ut 105. Tänk på något dåligt. När du tänker på något dåligt eller om du har bekymmer, bör du spotta över din axel. Förklaring: Land: BG. 106. Skrämmande Om till exempel barnet skrämmer mormor ska hon spotta i sina kläder som hon bär på hennes bröstkorg. Förklaring: Land: BG. 107. Sätta skor i huset Man får inte lägga skor med näsan mot dörren. Förklaring: Det betyder att du kanske måste lämna snart. Land: BG. 108. Vipa golvet Man får inte torka damm på golvet mot dörren ur huset, men mer mot golvets mitt. Förklaring: du kan tappa bort något. Det är inte bra för huset kommer du inte att vara rik. Land: BG. 109. Prata när du släpper något Om du pratar när du släpper något betyder det att du ljuger. Att prata medan stumbling fungerar på samma sätt. Förklaring: Land: BG. 110. Gravida kvinnor och rött omslag Gravida kvinnor borde ha en röd trasa. Förklaring: Land: BG. 111. Två stycken av samma bestick på en platta. Om ett misstag placeras två knivar eller två gafflar på en platta, kan värden förvänta sig en (nother) gäst. Förklaring: Land: RO. 112. Hickups När du har hickups, tänker någon på dig. Förklaring: Land: RO. 113. Toast endast med alkoholhaltiga drycker Du får bara en toast med alkoholhaltiga drycker. Juicer etc. är inte avsedda att rostade. Förklaring: Land: RO, BG. 114. En persons död Vid en dödsfall bör man inte gå med en sko. Förklaring. oklart för mig. Land: RO. 115. Krypande barn Om ett barn kryper på händer och fötter kommer någon att komma. Förklaring: Föräldrar kan säga, krypa inte, vi är inte beredda. Land: BG. 116. Sånger vid bordet När du sjunger vid bordet kommer du att vara fattig. Land: BG. England: sjunger vid bordet sjunger till djävulen 117. Ta bort smulor När du äter, ska du inte ta bort smulorna från dina händer genom att piska av händerna, för att du kommer att bli fattig. Förklaring: Land: BG. 118. Bröd i bränslet Sätt inte bröd i bränslet, du blir dålig. Förklaring: Land: BG. 119. Födelsedagsstearin Sätt stearinljus på pajen, tänd dem och personen som har hans årsdag måste blåsa ut dem (om alla blåses på en gång, desto bättre). Vissa människor sätter samma nummer som åldern, vissa lägger ett extra ljus. (för att göra numret udda) Förklaring: Land: RO. 120. Pröva ett barn När en person berömmer ett barn, som om du vill ha ett bra barnbarn, borde barnet ha något rött. Detta kan förhindra att barnet bringar dåliga förbannelser. Om barnet inte bär någonting rött, måste en person som har erfarenhet avlägsna förbannelsen och kommer att bli ombedd att tala några formulär för att ta bort den dåliga stavningen. Förklaring: Det är också varför i RO-hästar som drar kort bär tråden av röda kläder. Land: RO. Att gå vidare till vattnet. Att prova lyckan (BG) Källor: Nr 39: Volkskrant 06.01.2000 Willibrord. Nr 41-49: Tussen hemel en aarde. Theo Schildkamp. 1978. Nr 49-53: Uit Frieslands Volksleven. Waling Dykstra 189596. Nr 84: Ordbok der Groninger Volkstaal på 1800-talet. H. Molema. Nr 94: quotDossier H. quot av Ismail Kadare. 121. Om din näsa kliar, kommer någon snart att besöka dig 122. När dina kinder och öron blir röda, är det någon som just nu talar om dig 123. Om en person som sopar golvet (av misstag) rör dina fötter med kvast, du kommer inte att gifta dig. När det händer med dig kan du quotundoquot det genom att bita i slutet av broomstick 124. En varg kommer att äta dig. Att quotundoquot knacka på foten tre gånger på kvasten 125 Får inte tvål från hand till hand, det betyder att du kommer att hata den här personen 126. Passera inte peppar från hand till hand. Det betyder att du kommer att hata den här personen (peppar är bitter, dålig sak) 127. Inte vissla inuti huset kommer djävulen att komma in om du gör 128. I Kakheti, region i Georgien: om du lägger ett bröd på ansiktet av en person som dog den natten och äter den efteråt, kommer du inte att frukta mörkret och döda 129. När saltet sjunker på bordet. du måste skratta, om du inte, kommer du att kämpa med någon (salt brukade vara lika dyrt som guld) 130. Om en fågel skit på huvudet är det bra: betyder att du kommer att köpa något 131. Om din högra hand är klåda kommer någon att komma och skaka handen 132 Om din vänstra hand kliar kommer någon att komma och ge dig pengar 133. Om du besöker ett hus och upptäcker att dina värdar äter middag betyder det att du svärmor ska älskar dig 134 Om en fristående ögonfrans är under ditt öga kan någon fråga dig vilken du vill få: en glädje eller ett brev. Om du måste peka på ögat som du tycker har ögonfransarna under det. Om du pekar på höger öga får du din glädje eller ditt brev 135. När din överläpp är kliande betyder det att du ska kyssa någon besöker någon någon kommer att besöka dig 136. Om en pojkefödd är född i familjen Om den nya - född pojkebarn hämtas hem, eldar en gevär i luften för lycka till 137. Efter att ha haft en dålig dröm, gå utan att tala för att borsta tänderna. Därefter kan du börja prata igen och din dröm kommer inte att bli sant 138. Den mankvinna du ser i dina drömmar när du sover första natten på en ny plats, blir din framtida makemor 139. Gör en önskan om du smakar en maträtt för Första gången 140. Om du går under en regnbåge kommer du att byta sex från man till kvinna kvinna till man 141. Se magpies (typ av fågel) En för sorg, två för glädje, tre för en tjej (bebis), fyra för en boyquot 142. Birdpooh Birdpooh på dig är lycklig 143. Brinnande öra När ditt öra brinner, pratar någon om dig Azerbajdzjan En sammanställning från Azer Azerbajdzjan International (4.3) Hösten 1996. Av Jala Garibova 144.quotBeauty är tio, nio, varav , är att veta hur man klär sig. quot Den viktigaste aspekten om attraktivitet är hur man klär och presenterar sig. Du behöver inte vara en naturlig skönhet för att vara attraktiv. Men du måste veta hur man klär sig bra. 145. Om hunden skäller, passerar husvagnen. 146. Bli inte med om att försöka göra så många saker samtidigt. 147. Ta 100 mätningar innan du gör ett snitt. Beräkna noggrant innan du gör ett drag med hjälp av bildspelet av skräddarsydda eller konstruktioner. 148. Han håller med eld och vatten. En individ som har förmåga att komma i kontakt med människor som är motsatta. Anerkänns som ett önskvärt drag. 149. Sekretess Även marken har öron. (Även nederländska) Det finns ingen sådan sak som en hemlighet. Var försiktig och ansvarig för allt du säger annars, det kan komma tillbaka för att hemsöka dig. 150. Köp inte ett hus, köp en granne. Samband och ömsesidigt stöd är högt värderade. Mycket nära fysiska band mellan grannar gör det viktigt att vårda relationer. 151. Om grannen var bra, skulle den blinde flickan få en chans att gifta sig. 152. Om grannen var bra, varför skulle en trädgård behöva ett staket 153 Bättre en bra granne än en dålig släkting. (Även nederländska) 154. Med tanke på häst Kontrollera aldrig tänderna på en häst som har fått en rik markägare. (Also Dutch: never look at the teeth of a given horse) 155. Courage is ten, nine is the ability to escape. Courage means having the judgment to know when you should run away. 156. Pilaf. Even let God think that you eat pilaf everyday. Dont pay so much attention to criticism-just keep moving ahead. 157.The forest cant be without its jackals. 158.Flies are nothing, but they make you sick. 159.He cant see the beam in his own eye, but hes looking for an eyelash in someone elses. He is so obsessed with finding fault with another that he cant see that he has even greater faults. 160. Wrap yourself in a carpet and roll together with your kinsmen. 161.Even if your relative eats your meat, he will never discard your bones. Close relatives usually will remain loyal to you in the end and wont abandon you. 162. A faithful friend never becomes a stranger, never mind if he hasnt seen you for a hundred years. 166. Never mind storms and snows for the sake of a friend. 167. Wish your neighbor two cows so that you may have one for yourself. Have a spirit of generosity towards others. In the end, God will bless you, too. 168. Do a good deed, and throw it into the sea. If the fish dont know (appreciate it), the Creator will. This proverb, like many others, is based upon a popular folk story. Once a poor man made it a practice of throwing two loaves of bread into the sea every day for the fish to eat. Unaccustomed to bread, the fish ignored his gesture. But the effort was not wasted, as a prince who had become lost at sea found it. The bread sustained him until he was rescued. Afterwards, he sought out the poor man who had provided the bread and made him a very rich man. 170. Give a token (gift), never mind if its a rotten nut. Azerbaijanis consider it impolite to go empty-handed to someones home or to an event where someone is honored. They always take a small gift, even if it isnt an ideal choice. Any gift, though imperfect, is far better than none. Azerbaijanis are continuously giving each other token gifts to cement relationships. If someone offers you a gift, accept it graciously and dont complain that its not the quality you wanted. quotNever look a gift horse in the mouth. quot 171. Doing good in return for good is a deed of every man. Doing good for bad is the hallmark of an honorable man. 172. A good horse never needs a whip. 173. Have you come with a boy or a girl This is a common expression in the form of a question when people are waiting to hear the outcome of some news. quotA boyquot signifies quotgood news. quot 174. He (she) doesnt even urinate on an injury (wound). In Azerbaijani folk medicine, cuts and burns are often soothed and treated effectively with urine. This expression is used about a person who is very stingy and who refuses to get involved in other peoples lives. 175. Cheap meat never makes a good soup. You cant expect something for nothing. A proper investment is needed to achieve something serious. 176. Eating much deprives a person of even eating little. Moderation is the secret to success. Greediness destroys. 177. Laughter is the remedy for 1001 illnesses. 178. Hair drinks (water) from the heart. The health of ones hair reflects ones mood and state of mind. 179. I tried to draw the eyebrow, but I ended up poking the eye. I tried to be helpful, but I ended up making a mess of the situation. 180. Hope is better than eating. 181. A guest is a light in the house. 182. A house without a guest is like a mill without water. 183. The guests meal arrives before he does. 184. Dont worry if you have nothing to feed a guest God will provide. Such proverbs strongly influence behavior even when people are experiencing economic hardship. Many Azerbaijani families will not allow a guest to leave without eating a meal. They feel it is their duty to entertain their guests, no matter how much the sacrifice. 185.Daughter, Im telling you daughter-in-law, listen. Azerbaijanis dont usually confront people directly and tell them if something is wrong or how they should behave. Instead they quotdrop hints. quot Several proverbs convey this idea. This proverb suggests that a person should be conscious of advice that is being given to someone else. 186. One hint is enough for a clever man. 187. The child who doesnt cry will not get milk. 188. Saying halva-halva wont make your mouth sweet. Halva is a traditional sweet of the Middle East and Mediterranean region. Its made of flour, butter and sugar. 189. One who relies on his neighbor will remain without a dinner. 190. The one who is shy will never have a son. 191. Its not shameful not to know, but its shameful not to ask. 192. The person who learns (music) late in life will play in his grave. Do things early in life at the appropriate time. 193. The more you know, the less you should talk. 194. When the tree gives fruit, it bends down. The more you achieve in life, the more humble you should be. 195. The dog is sleeping in the carts shade but thinks its his own. Dont be selfish and proud of something if youre not the one who made it happen. 196. Money is dirt on the hands. It washes off very quickly. 197. Nobody takes his wealth to the other world. 198. White money should be collected for a black day. Saving for a quotrainy dayquot when there is an emergency or economic need is an Azerbaijani practice. 199. I am in need, but not of the entrails I am in need of a tail. The lambs tail, meaning the rump, is considered the tastiest part of the animal. Entrails-the intestines, heart, liver-are valued less. The proverb means quotDont insult my pride by offering me something that really isnt valuable. quot 200. Dont tie garlic on your head if you dont have a headache. If a problem doesnt exist, dont create one for yourself. Rubbing garlic on the forehead and temples in Azeri folk medicine tradition is believed to relieve a headache by massaging and heating certain points. Often Azerbaijanis wrap a cloth tightly around their heads when they have a headache. 201. Ones own simple bread is much better than someone elses pilaf. 202. (Suppose) it didnt rain and the cattails didnt grow. Dont rely on anybody or anything. Make it happen by yourself. 203. I wish God had not made the left hand to need the right hand. Sometimes family and society strangle an individuals initiatives making him long for the chance to be independent of them. 204. Galandar went up to the mountain to get rid of his problems (grief, sufferings) and people said, What a happy man He has gone to his summer place to rest. 205. Until spring comes, nightingales do not sing. There is an appropriate time and season for everything. Many Azerbaijani proverbs deal with relationships between individuals and society. Follow whatever is accepted by the society you live in. Dont separate yourself and act independently from the norms of society. 206. Go where your kinsmen go. 207. Pass the bridge that your kinsmen have passed. 208. Make sure your blanket covers your feet. Dont expose yourself. Dont quotgo out on a limbquot and do something so that others will not be able to defend you. 209.The tip of the pen, power of the sword. The pen is sharper than the sword. Puerto Rico 210. Kiss bread before throwing it away. explanation: bread symbolizes the body of Christ. Throwing it away without a kiss is disrespectful. 211. When someone compliments you on something that belongs to you with envy in their heart, that thing will suddenly break or gets damaged. It is called the evil eye. 212. To avoid the evil eye when a child is born, Puerto Ricans put bracelets or necklaces with a special charm on it called sebache. it is a small black fist with the thumb under the pointer finger with a red bead at the end of the wrist used to protect the baby. Do you want to add more. Please send them to infofalkor. org Falkor I. C.Y - P. O. Box 1649 - 9701 BP Groningen - Netherlands - Email: infofalkor. org Disclaimer: The information published on this website does not necessarily represent the opinion of Falkor I. C.Y. Raven and Crow Symbolism and Meaning The Remarkable Raven Years ago in high school, I memorized most of Edgar Allen Poes poem The Raven. I never gave much thought to the raven of the poem saying, Nevermore, and the superstitions regarding this animal until the last couple of years. Then, the raven seemed to become ubiquitous. For some reason, I began to notice it and its behavior a lot more. I am not sure why. Groups of ravens seemed to regularly land in my yard. I even painted an homage to it influenced by Native American artwork. Being the curious literary type, I began to research more about the history, symbolism, and superstitions surrounding this creature. Did you know that there is a difference between the raven and crow The Raven Is Not the Crow When I began my research, I had no idea that ravens and crows were different. (I admit my lack of scientific prowess here.) I only knew that I preferred to call these black birds ravens and not crows . thinking they were one and the same. In this article, you will find: The differences between crows and ravens Native American symbolism of the raven Celtic symbolism of the raven Superstitions about both crows and ravens Debunking the myths The Differences between Crows and Ravens The crow . especially the American crow, is a common bird found throughout North America. They are smaller than the raven, and you see them more frequently around cities. They are rather opportunistic birds, feeding off anything and everything they can find that is edible. They have a rounded tail. Because of their ability to adapt, crows are often regarded as quite intelligent. They have a different bird call than the call of the raven (click the links to hear their sounds).This bird inhabits North America, although other subspecies inhabit other parts of the world. The raven . on the other hand, is a larger bird, often rivaling the size of a hawk. The other morning, a flock of about seven of them were scavenging in my yard. While I watched from the window, I noted their immense size. I knew they were ravens and not crows not only because of their size, but also because: Ravens like to hang out in wilder areas and woodlands. I definitely do not live near a city, and my house is surrounded by national forest. Raven feathers have pointier ends than do crow feathers. They sometimes look quite ruffly when they puff up their feathers, commonly called a ruff. These birds are also found throughout the northern hemisphere. Native American Symbolism of the Raven Native Americans had great respect for this bird. Several southwestern tribes heralded the raven as the bringer of light that escaped from the darkness of the cosmos. Thus, they associate this bird with creation because it brought light where there was none. Other tribes looked upon this bird as a trickster or even a shape-shifter because of its high intelligence and ability to adapt to different situations. Even today Native Americans say they are good signs and counter the effects of bad spirits, such as the owl. They are a sign that danger has passed and will bring good luck. Because they fly high toward the heavens, they can take prayers from the people to the spiritual realm and, in turn, bring messages back. Celtic Symbolism of the Raven Samhain was the Celtic new year, which survives to this day as Halloween. As part of the Samhain celebration, the goddess Morrigan presides over the festivities, bestowing those born on the holiday with oracular traits. Morrigan assumes the shape of a raven during the celebrations. As such, the bird was believed to have special visionary powers. Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies Superstitions about Both Crows and Ravens Many in Western cultures associate the raven (or the crow) with bad luck and death. This is probably because it swooped down onto military battlefields, picking at the dead. These birds were smart enough to find food wherever and whenever they could, even if the circumstances were quite morbid. Another reason why ravens and crows may be considered unlucky is that dark-colored animals have often been perceived as threatening or harboring superstition. Think about how Westerners view black cats and darkly-clad witches, or how the villains in many a Hollywood movieFrankenstein, Dracula, and Voldemort, to name a feware often dressed in black. It seems it wouldnt be a far stretch to include the dark-colored raven among these dubious ranks. Debunking the Myths If you look past the nefarious history of the raven, they are actually pretty remarkable birds. Did you know that they can be trained to speak This is another reason theyre often portrayed as seers. The raven call, cras, cras, translates as tomorrow in the dead language Latin. So its not hard to imagine that someone who spoke Latin would make the connection that perhaps this bird was constantly referring to the future. Some cultures also associated this bird with light. I have already mentioned certain Native American tribes that revered this animal as a bringer of light. In ancient Greek culture, the gods Athena (a goddess of wisdom and watchfulness) and Apollo (the sun deity) kept ravens. These gods turned the birds black when they couldnt keep secrets they originally had white feathers, according to lore. moonlake 5 years ago from America My son has Ravens nesting in his trees all the time. One morning he called and told us a Raven nest had fallen and there were baby Ravens every where. He wanted us to come and get them. Im the bird lady in this house. I went down there and only found one live baby, the rest were dead. We took the raven to the Wildlife Center so they could take care of him. The eagles here often go after the Raven nest and tear them down. We think thats what may have happened. cclitgirl 5 years ago from Western NC Author Thanks for stopping by, moonlake. ) I may not know you personally, but I know youre a wonderful person to go out and care for wildlife like that. Youre cool. ) Seeker7 5 years ago from Fife, Scotland This is a beautiful hub. It took me a lot of years as well, but I did eventually learn to tell the difference between the crow and the raven. I have crows in the garden but out in the countryside, especially the wooded areas, we have ravens. Its great to have both of them so close. I saw one documentary on the crow and it showed them using tools (a small twig) to dig out grubs from inside a rotting tree trunk. I was fascinated watching them. Not only that, but you saw the adult teaching a younger one how to do it. They said it takes the birds about 2 years to learn the skill, but learn it they do. You hub was a thoroughly enjoyable and fascianting read. Voted up awesome cclitgirl 5 years ago from Western NC Author Seeker7 - thank you for sharing your insights. I, too, love all animals and strive to help others to see how amazing they are - so that all of humanity can respect them and prevent any one of them from becoming extinct. Thank you for the votes. You, too, have written beautiful hubs. ) alocsin 5 years ago from Orange County, CA I always thought they were the same, so thanks for pointing out the differences. Voting this Up and Useful. cclitgirl 5 years ago from Western NC Author Before doing this hub, I did too. ) Except, I always preferred to use the word quotravenquot just because its so much more poetic. Thanks again, alocisin. Always good to see you aviannovice 4 years ago from Stillwater, OK I, too, am a bird person, especially fascinated with eagles(whom I have worked with) and ravens(when in the state of Maine) as they guarded my house when I was away. I will get to it eventually, but stay tuned for my own piece on ravens and their wisdom. cclitgirl 4 years ago from Western NC Author aviannovice - I look forward to that hub Let me know and Ill link it with my hub. ) I love all the different birds. Even the most common birds - seagulls, magpies, pigeons - they all are beautiful and they all fascinate me. ) aviannovice 4 years ago from Stillwater, OK I will do that, thanks I have found that crows and ravens are fascinating birds. Thank you for sharing this information. I happened to find a crows feather on the ground the other day, and was delighted. I felt that the Native American Culture would think that they would bring good luck. And to find out that it also means light was also enlightening. I was happy to know that I was right about it meaning good luck. cclitgirl 4 years ago from Western NC Author Anna - Im very glad that you enjoyed this and that your assessment was indeed correct. I appreciate your comments and feedback. Have a great day Mel Carriere 3 years ago from San Diego California I love how you approach this subject from both a mythological and ornothological perspective as well. I am fascinated by the entire family of the corvids. They are extremely intelligent omnivores, and in that they are a lot like us. Great Post cclitgirl 3 years ago from Western NC Author Mel - thank you They really are a lot like us, arent they I love our avian friends - all of them. Have a wonderful day FlourishAnyway 3 years ago from USA Very interesting hub I enjoyed your combination of ornithology, literature and symbolism from different cultures. So appropriate, too, for this time of year. Victoria Lynn 3 years ago from Arkansas, USA Owl symbolism, now ravens. Its all very appropriate for the pre-Halloween season, methinks cclitgirl 3 years ago from Western NC Author FlourishAnyway - haha, thank you I hope you have a wonderful day Vicki - hehe, I try, I try. ) Cheryl Cuddeback 2 years ago from Forest Hills Queens Well written and researched. I didnt know there was a difference between the Raven and Crow. cclitgirl 2 years ago from Western NC Author Cheryl - thank you so much Those differences between the two are interesting, arent they Thanks for stopping by Kristen Howe 24 months ago from Northeast Ohio Nice hub on ravens and crows. Very informative with beautiful photos. Great insight on the difference of both birds. Voted up cclitgirl 23 months ago from Western NC Author Kristen - thank you I appreciate the votes and comments. Have a wonderful day annasmom 15 months ago Yay. Everywhere I go, a crow Love both of these birds Thanks for the good read wildbluefrontier 15 months ago from Tucson Dont see too many ravens around my area, but crows are pretty amazing and smart birds. casey 14 months ago I love this synopsis article. Im so happy to know there are so many other corvid lovers out there Thank you for sharing. cclitgirl 14 months ago from Western NC Author Haha, Casey. Thanks for stopping by Cheers. Just Ian ok 14 months ago I personally looked this up do to a independent religion. to find the symbolismisitic beliefs about the Raven crow as I saw a quotsignquot lets say. Which was not a crow but rather a shadow. which is taught in this context means. well long story short is. the symbolism of this sign for me. was I will be safe and well Andrew 13 months ago I always had bad feelings toward crows. Ravens I kind of grouped in with them I suppose. It was interesting to hear that Ravens had white feathers before they told too many secrets and that Apollo and Athena wouldcould do that. I have a better perspective. Thank you cheryle 9 months ago i love how you are helping to educate people i am a bird person i worked at indianapolis zoo for many years with penguins and other birds. but i loved our raven and i love crows too. keep doing what you do LiliMarlene 7 months ago I like ravens too and am working on a story with some ravens playing an important role. Hence, Im researching and am grateful for all articles and information I can get. Thanks for sharing cclitgirl 7 months ago from Western NC Author LiliMarlene - I love researching this sort of stuff, too Thanks for stopping by. ) Anita Hasch 6 months ago from Port Elizabeth Hi, Our neighbors had a crow when we stayed in town. It used to chase the kids if they walked in the street. Could also talk, so maybe it was a raven. They seem to look very much alike. ravens have always been a bird I loved true it was for the mystery and myths about these birds but non the less I loved them and knew they were no ill will bringer to this day I love the raven. and the talking thing wild ones can teach them self to ive herd one first hand, it wasnt actually talking but it made the perfect water drip sound and echo multiple times, I stood there watching himher until it flew again, the same way I was headed weird but cool it was like it was fallowing me How good is this article 10005FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CROWS Note: Most of these answers pertain to the American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos . Much of the information here is from my own research on crows in central New York where I used other sources I have tried to reference the material. - Dr. Kevin J. McGowan, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This page is still very much under construction Last updated 9 November 2010 Other things I havent answered completely yet What do crows eat Why do crows gather in flocks during the day How smart are crows Are crows getting bigger Are crow populations increasing How can you tell a male crow from a female How many different calls do crows make Why do crows hate owls Do crows play Do crows make good pets One of the great animal phenomena of the world is the congregation of large numbers of birds into a single group to sleep together. Such communal sleeping groups are known as quotroosts. quot Many species roost in groups such things as crows, robins, starlings, blackbirds, swallows, and herons. Most do this only outside of the breeding season. Some species, like starlings, also forage together in great numbers. Others, such as herons, disperse out from these gathering areas to forage singly. For crows, roosts are primarily a fall and winter thing. Numbers peak in winter and then decrease near the beginning of the breeding season (usually in March). It appears that all crows will join winter roosts, even territorial breeding crows. Most breeding crows sleep on their territories during the breeding season, but join the roosts afterward. For an interesting account of a large urban roost in central New York (pictured above), check out the website dedicated to the roost in Auburn, NY ltcom-sitesavethecrows gt. Just why birds congregate in such large groups is still largely a matter of conjecture. A number of hypotheses have been constructed to explain it: One is that the birds simply are congregating in the most favorable spot (protection from predators, protection from the elements, the only trees suitable for roosting, etc.), and they dont mind doing it with a bunch of other birds. This idea is kind of analogous to a crowded hotel: everyone has the same needs being met at the same place, but no one is really interacting with anyone else. Another idea is that the birds get some protection from predators by being in a large group. This is the quotwagontrainquot analogy: safety in numbers. Crows are most afraid of large owls, and sleeping with a bunch of other crows could afford some protection for an individual crow. Another idea is the information center hypothesis, where information about profitable foraging areas is transmitted. The idea is that an individual that did poorly foraging for itself on one day can watch for other individuals coming in to the roost that look fat and happy, that obviously found some rich source of food. Then the hungry individual can either backtrack the happy ones flight paths, or follow them out first thing in the morning to the good food source. Another food related idea is the patch-sitting hypothesis. This theory is similar to the first one mentioned, in that roosts congregate around a large, non-defendable, reliable food source. So, first thing and last thing in the day, food is available. It need not be the best food, but it is something to eat to get them going. The birds can then disperse out and do whatever they need to do, having had some kind of breakfast first. Roosts, then, will form in suitable roosting habitat near these large food sources. For crows, such abundant sources might be landfills, commercial composting facilities, or certain types of agricultural fields. Crows have been congregating in large roosts in the fall and winter for as long as there have been crows. Crow roosts can range from small scattered roosts of under one hundred individuals to the spectacularly large roosts of hundreds of thousands, or even more than a million crows A roost in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma was estimated to hold over two million crows (Gerald Iams, 1972, State of Oklahoma Upland Game Inventory W-82-R-10). Most roosts are much smaller, but roosts of tens of thousands are common. Before heading to roost, crows will congregate in some area away from the final roosting site, usually an hour or two before complete darkness. Here the crows spend a lot of time calling, chasing, and fighting. Right at dark the main body of the group will move toward the final roosting spot. Sometimes this final movement is relatively quiet, but usually it is still quite noisy. I have seen crows coming together from several separate congregation areas, heading to one final staging area where they all coalesce, then everyone heads to the final roost. The final roost can be a cohesive group in a single woodlot, or it can be rather diffusely spread out over quite a wide area of suitable trees. Many, perhaps most, people who witness large roosts or the flight lines to them are reminded of Alfred Hitchcocks movie quotThe Birds. quot I think this association is unfortunate. It makes the allusion that somehow what we are watching is sinister, unnatural, and threatening. In fact, it is none of the above, but one of the most natural things in the world. I would prefer to replace this association with the idea that such roosts are something to be marveled at. To me they always bring up the idea of Passenger Pigeons. When Europeans first came to North America, the Passenger Pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius ) was the most abundant bird on earth. Migrating flocks were said to darken the sky for hours as they passed. Despite their incredible abundance, they are completely gone now, driven extinct by the early years of the 20th century. A combination of habitat destruction (the complete devastation of the eastern hardwood forests) and hunting for sale as meat in commercial markets destroyed one of the greatest natural spectacles on earth. Not a single Passenger Pigeon remains on earth today, nor do any people that remember seeing their massive flocks. I would like for people to look at the large congregations of the similarly-sized American Crows going to roost and think that, despite how impressive they might be, they are but the slightest hint of what the Passenger Pigeon flocks must have been like. Why have these roosts recently moved into cities A number of possible explanations exist for the relatively recent influx of roosting crows into urban areas. The birds are not making drastic shifts in behavior crows have been gathering into winter roosts for as long as there have been crows. We know, for example, from work done in the 1930s by John Emlen at Cornell University that approximately 25,000 crows were gathering in a roost near Auburn, NY in the winter of 1932-33, and that a large roost was present in 1911-12 (Emlen, J. T. Jr. 1938, Midwinter distribution of the American Crow in New York State, Ecology 19: 264-275). The big difference is that they were roosting 3 miles south of town then and are roosting smack in downtown Auburn today. Any increase in size of the roost would be imperceptible, compared to the change of locale. A couple of things may have worked together to get crows into town (both for nesting and roosting): 1) The 1972 extension of the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 to cover crows. At this point the hunting of crows became regulated. No longer could anyone anywhere take shots at crows, but had to do so (theoretically) within proscribed guidelines and hunting seasons. It is possible that this change may have resulted in the decrease of shooting pressure on crows, allowing them to become more tolerant of the presence of people. 2) A prohibition on the discharge of firearms within cityvillage limits. It is conceivable that crows somehow stumbled across the fact that they could not be shot in cities because of local ordinances against shooting in town. So, in fact crows might have somehow figured out that the best thing to do to live with their enemy was to get as close as possible, not stay away. Many crow hunters do most of their hunting along flight lines of crows moving to roost. These flight lines through urban areas are protected, those in rural areas are not. Once crows overcame the urban barrier, a number of possible advantages could extend to them: a) Cities are warmer than rural areas. In most places a difference of 5-10 degrees F exists, sometimes referred to as a quotheat bubblequot over cities. Because roosting is a winter phenomenon, warmer spots could be important. b) Great Horned Owl ( Bubo virginianus ) populations should be lower in urban areas. Next to people with guns, Great Horned Owls pose the largest danger to an adult crow. Great Horned Owls take adults as well as nestling crows with great regularity. (That is why crows hate them so much) Owls probably are regular attendants at crow roosts, as owls wake up as the crows are heading into the roosts, and sleeping crows should be pretty easy picking. c) Artificial light assist crows in watching for owls. I have noticed that many urban crow roosts are not located in nice dense trees where the crows would have microclimate advantages, such as protection from wind or cold. Rather, the crows perch out on the tips of bare branches of leafless deciduous trees. I was quite surprised by this at first, but then I noticed that many (most) roosts are located near sources of bright illumination, such as streetlights and parking lot lights, like the lights at the Auburn prison and Syracuse University. It makes sense for crows to like quotnightlightsquot to protect them from their biggest bogeyman, the Great Horned Owl. Crows dont see well at night owls do. Crows near street light could see approaching owls. Also, if a crow gets scared out of its roost in the middle of the night (presumably by an owl taking crows), in lighted urban areas the crows can see where the predator is, and perhaps more importantly, can see to find another perch. You can imagine that flying blindly into the dark is not something any bird would choose to do. I was surprised at the amount of activity at the Auburn roost well after dark. The crows were still making a lot of noise and even flying from tree to tree. In other roosts I have watched that were in darker locations the crows quieted down rather quickly and no movements between trees were seen shortly after complete darkness. d) Urban areas provide large trees for roosts. In many places some of the largest trees to be found are in urban areas. Many trees in parks and cemeteries were protected from the severe logging of the end of the last century, and are some of the oldest trees around. These large trees may be especially attractive to crows. American Crows can be considered partially migratory. That is, some populations migrate, others are resident, and in others only some of the crows migrate. Crows in the southern parts of their range appear to be resident and not migrate. They may make some changes in their use of space at this time, spending more time off the territory to forage and roost. Crows migrate out of the northern most parts of their range. It has been stated that crows migrate out of those areas where the minimum January temperature averages 0 F. Certainly crows leave the northern Great Plains in the fall, leaving Saskatchewan and Alberta to winter in the lower Plains states of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma (Kalmbach, E. R. and S. E. Aldous. 1940. Winter banding of Oklahoma crows. Wilson Bull. 52: 198-206). Crows can be seen crossing the Great Lakes in spring and fall, and these birds undoubtedly are migrating to and from parts of Canada. Crows breeding in upstate New York are partially migratory. Breeding birds, and most of the tagged individuals in my study, appear to remain all winter. The breeding pair appears to visit their breeding territory every day of the year, although they will roost and forage in other places. Non-breeders may spend significant periods on the home territory, or may spend time away. Many individuals wander around the local area joining different foraging flocks on subsequent days. They may or may not visit the home territory during this time. Other non-breeders leave the area entirely for several months. Several of the birds I have tagged in Ithaca, NY have been recovered (shot) or seen in Pennsylvania during the winter. One individual (less than one year old) was seen at a compost pile in northern Pennsylvania with a flock of crows, and three weeks later it was back in Ithaca with its parents who were starting nesting. It helped the parents raise young that year, and remained in the area over subsequent winters. How many broods of young can a crow family produce in one year In general, American Crows have only one successful brood a year. Figure it like this: it takes from one to two weeks to build a nest (always a new one with each nesting attempt), 6 days to lays eggs (2-6 eggs, average of 4.7 in my study), 19 days of incubation (begun with the penultimate, or antepenultimate egg, i. e. next-to-last or next-to-next-to-last egg, depending on clutch size), 35 days in the nest before fledging (30-45), and then 6 weeks to 2 months to feed the young to independence. That adds up to nearly 4 months from start to finish. Even though American Crows are one of the earliest nesting species in New York (laying eggs the last week of March), they cannot hope to pull off two broods a year. In my study population if a nest fails after the first week or two of May, the pair does not attempt to renest in most years. On occasion in some years some pairs will renest rather late after a latest failure. The latest young I have banded hatched 7 June. Nest success is 50 (average in my study) or less (other studies), and rarely do successful crows raise all the young from all the eggs they lay. On average in my study, rural nests produce 4 young per successful nest and urban nests produce 3. Average clutch size in both areas is 4.7. Most crows dont even live a year, having died in the egg or as nestlings. In my study population of American Crows in Ithaca, New York, just about half of the nests succeed in producing young. Of the young I band in the nest a week before fledging, about half are alive and with their parents the next year. Of course some have disappeared and not died, but thats a pretty good survival rate for birds anyway. Once they survive that first year they have a good chance of making it for several years more. None of my birds try to breed when they are one year old, and some are six years old and still helping their parents. Average age of first reproduction for females is 3.3 years, and males average 4.9 years. Breeders have about 93 yearly survival. My survival data (biased towards the short side by those that disappear) indicate that some crows should live to be 17 - 21 years old note this is a change in the prediction from what I have had posted before Dec 1998, based on reanalysis of survival data. The oldest known wild American Crow was 29 12 years old (see Dilling, 1988, Ontario Bird Banding Association Newsletter 33: 2-3.). The second oldest known, however, was only 14 years, 7 months (Clapp et al. 1983, Journal of Field Ornithology, 54(2): 123-137). As of November 2010 we have 2, probably 3 crows that were banded as nestlings in 1993 that are still alive, making them currently 17 years and 7 months old. Here is a photo of one of them, AP HART93 when he was just 17. You can see that his colored and metal bands have fallen off, and the has only the remnants of his wing tags. What is the difference between a crow and a raven Crows and ravens, although in the same genus ( Corvus ) are different birds. (Think of leopards and tigers both are in the genus Panthera . and are obviously related, but they are quite distinct animals.) The words quotcrowquot and quotravenquot themselves have little or no real taxonomic meaning. That is, the Australian quotravensquot are more closely related to the Australian quotcrowsquot than they are to the Common Raven ( Corvus corax ). In general, the biggest black species, usually with shaggy throat feathers, are called ravens and the smaller species are considered crows. Common Ravens can be told from American Crows by a couple of things. The size difference, which is huge, is only useful with something else around to compare them with. Ravens are as big as Red-tailed Hawks, and crows are, well, crow sized. The wedge-shaped tail of the raven is a good character, if you can see it well. Crows sometimes show an apparent wedge shape to the tail, but almost never when it is fanned as the bird soars or banks (except for a brief time during molt in the summer). More subtle characters include: ravens soar more than crows. If you see a quotcrowquot soaring for more than a few seconds, check it a second time. Crows never do the somersault in flight that Common Ravens often do. Ravens are longer necked in flight than crows. The larger bill of the raven can be seen in flight, but it is actually less apparent than the long neck. Raven wings are shaped differently than are crow wings, with longer primaries (quotfingersquot) with more slotting between them. As my neighbor said, quotRavens are the ones whose wings you can see through. quot The longer primaries make the wings look more bent at the wrist than a crow as the bird flies, and the quothandquot portion can look nearly pointed. If seen perched in a good look, the huge bill and shaggy throat of a raven are diagnostic. The upper and lower edges of the bill are parallel for most of their length (34) in ravens, while in crows the downward curve starts somewhere around 23 of the way out for males, and about halfway for females. But remember, ravens are pretty uncommon around here Ithaca, NY. If you see a quotreally big crowquot, chances are good that it really is a crow. Yes, there are large crows and small ones, but you couldnt ever tell which was which. Any difference in size (380g - 660g is the weight range around here 800 - 950 mm wingspan) among individuals is not detectable, in that the range of appearance of a single crow (by fluffing or sleeking its feathers) is greater. American Crows make the familiar quotcaw-caw, quot but also have a large repertoire of rattles, clicks, and even clear bell-like notes. However, they never give anything resembling the most common calls of Common Ravens. The most familiar call of a raven is a deep, reverberating croaking or quotgronk-gronk. quot Only occasionally will a raven make a call similar to a crows quotcawquot but even then it is so deep as to be fairly easily distinguished from a real crow. Ravens also make a huge variety of different notes. It has been said (attributed to native Americans) that if you hear something in the forest that you cannot identify (assuming you know all the common forest sounds), it is a raven. How do you tell a Fish Crow from an American Crow Fish Crows ( Corvus ossifragus ) are a rather small species of crow endemic to the Southeastern United States. Typically they have been restricted to the coastline from southern New England to Texas, but in the last few decades have been expanding their range, especially inland up large rivers. Visually, Fish Crows are difficult to tell from American Crows. Unless one has a great deal of experience in close observation of the species, identification is only safely done by voice. The calls of Fish Crows and American Crows are readily told apart. American Crows most frequently give the familiar quotcaw caw. quot Fish Crows have a much more nasal call that may be better enumerated quotawhquot or quotuhn. quot The most diagnostic call of the Fish Crow is the double noted quotuh-uh. quot I always say that if you want to tell the species of crow, ask it if it is an American Crow. Fish Crows will deny this by their emphatic quotuh-uhquot Fish Crow calls can be confused with the begging calls of American Crows. It should be pointed out that these begging calls are given not just by dependent young crows, but also by adult crows in certain situations. Most prominently, early in the breeding cycle of American Crows the females will give begging calls frequently. For a much more detailed discussion of this identification problem, go to my special Fish Crow ID page . The Migratory Bird Treaty (Weeks-McLean Migratory Bird Law), passed in 1913-14, ratified between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) in 1916, went into full effect as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918. This law gave federal protection to most birds in North America, but did not extend protection to crows, and crows continued to be shot as quotvarmintsquot over most of their range. In 1936 Mexico was included in the treaty, but still crows were unprotected. In 1972 amendments to the treaty extended protection to 63 families of birds common to both the United States and Mexico, including birds of prey and crows. As a result, at least theoretically, all native birds in the United States are protected by law, but special permits can be obtained to deal with cases of nuisance birds causing damage or annoyances. This act makes it illegal quotto possess, transport, or export any migratory bird, or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird. quot (That means you cannot legally have feathers from any local non-game bird) Crows, although not technically quotmigratory game birdsquot (like ducks) can be hunted in similar fashion in some states. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations, 50 CFR Chapter 1 20.1 extends regulations to the hunting of quotmigratory game birds, and crows. quot The Act allows states the rights to establish hunting seasons on crows, with the exception of Hawaii where the only species present is the severely endangered Hawaiian Crow ( Corvus hawaiiensis ). 50 CFR 20.133 allows states to set their own seasons, bag limits, and methods of taking crows subject to certain limitations, namely that quot1) Crows shall not be hunted from aircraft 2) The hunting season or seasons on crows shall not exceed a total of 124 days during a calendar year 3) Hunting shall not be permitted during the peak crow nesting period within a State and 4) Crows may only be taken by firearms, bow and arrow, and falconryquot (so no dynamite, poison, or traps). Many states that have crow hunting seasons, like New York, allow hunting only 4 days per week. This action stretches the 124 days out so that the season may extend nearly eight months. No state that I have yet seen has a bag limit on crows. Interestingly, the New York season violated the Federal guidelines for several years. The season for 1997-98 ran 15 September through 14 April. In my study of American Crows in central New York, from 1989-1995 I observed or calculated (based on hatching date or size of nestlings) the start of incubation for 289 nests. The range of incubation-starts in this data set runs from 24 March through 1 June. That means that eggs can be present from 20 March through 20 June (based on an average of four days of laying and 19 days of incubation). Bull (1974, Birds of New York State) gives New York eggs dates for American Crows as 30 March to 14 June, in general agreement with these dates and indicative of the overall generalizability of the data for the state. 80.5 of all nests were being incubated before the end of the New York hunting season on crows, in clear violation of 50 CFR 20.133. Nesting had begun at least a week or two before this time for those nests. Nest building can begin in the first week of March, but usually is concentrated in the last two weeks. I personally dont consider the first few attempts at getting a twig in a tree real nesting, but certainly the laying of eggs and onset of incubation must be. I provided these data to the NYSDEC in April 1997, and they were going to change the season for 1998-99 to end on 31 March (15 September - 31 March Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays only). The 1998-99 NYSDEC hunting regulations, in fact were printed with a 31 March termination date. (Score one for the age of reason, or so I figured.) Apparently, however, some complaint from a crow hunter resulted in a tabling of the change and DEC personnel were informed not to enforce the printed season closure. The 1999-2000 hunt still extended into the middle of the breeding season I recently received word that the 2000-2001 dates will be (barring unforeseen changes) 1 September - 31 March. So they finally got the hunt out of the main part of the breeding season, and added the two lost weeks into the fall. In addition to hunting, crows may be taken (i. e. shot) without a permit in certain circumstances. USFWS 50 CFR 21.43 (Depredation order for blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles, crows and magpies) states that a Federal permit is not required to control these birds quotwhen found committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance quot Provided . a) that none of the birds killed or their parts are sold or offered for sale. b) That anyone exercising the privileges granted by this section shall permit any Federal or State game agent free and unrestricted access over the premises where the operations have been or are conducted and will provide them with whatever information required by the officer. c) That nothing in the section authorizes the killing of such birds contrary to any State laws and that the person needs to possess whatever permit as may be required by the State. In New York state landowners or those cultivating lands may take without a permit quotcommon crows 133when the wildlife is injuring property or becomes a nuisance. quot Do crows taste bad Is that where the saying quotto eat crowquot comes from I have always been interested in how crows taste for a couple of reasons. One is because of the old adage quotto eat crow, quot meaning to do something distasteful (like admit being wrong), which suggests that crows taste bad. The etymology of a saying like quotTo eat crowquot is often hard to trace. Often you will find answers that sound good, but are simply constructed stories made far after the fact to explain something unusual. (My father was good at these stories usually they involved quotSamquot something-or-other) I have been made aware of the following reports of the origin of quotTo eat crowquot from a couple of web sites: From the McDougal Littell web site mcdougallittell. (1999 Houghton Mifflin Company All Rights Reserved) Idiom - eat crow Definition - Be forced to admit a humiliating mistake Etymology - The terms origin has been lost, although a story relates that it involved a War of 1812 encounter in which a British officer made an American soldier eat part of a crow he had shot in British territory. Whether or not it is true, the fact remains that crow meat tastes terrible. quotIf you146re feeling defeated, you simply must eat crow--a bird that is as tasty as it is melodious. Its one of our domestic dishes from a recipe allegedly discovered during the War of 1812. A Brit had caught an American shooting a crow on the wrong side of the border. He talked the Yank into handing over his gun, then used it to force the fellow to take a big bite out of the crow and swallow it. Needless to say, once the American had his gun back, he forced the Brit to eat the rest of the bird. quot I actually do not believe this story is the real origin of the saying. It just sounds too pat and too contrived. Also, I find it difficult to believe that a single incident between unknown and relatively unnoteworthy individuals would make its way so pervasively into the general lexicon. (Besides, which of these guys would spread this tale around Neither one would want to talk about it, I imagine) Note that both accounts mention that crows taste bad, an unproven assumption. I have seen two references to the edibility of crows in the technical ornithological literature (Ill have to look the references up I dont have them on the top of my head), and they are widely divergent. One says that they are foul (not fowl) and not worth eating. Another says that they taste just fine, as good as any other dark-meated bird. I have had several opportunities to sample the flesh of crows (I will not go into detail about how this came about, but remember this is a legally hunted species). In my opinion, crow tastes just fine. It is similar to wild duck or any other wild bird with very dark meat. Crows have no white meat on them, as is true for most birds. (Whenever someone says something quottastes like chickenquot remember that theyre talking about the DARK meat of chicken, not the white.) The meat of most wild birds is even darker than the dark meat of chicken, and will have a gamy smell and flavor to a varying extent. New York (and most states with hunting seasons) set no daily bag limit on crows. Most literature on hunting them tells the hunters to be considerate to the property owner and collect the crows into one big pile instead of leaving them scattered over the field. A few mention that crows are edible and give some recipes for cooking them. I think if I knew people were eating the crows, crow hunting would feel more acceptable and less like vandalism. Do crows cast pellets like hawks and owls Most birds that eat indigestible foods produce pellets. I know for a fact that crows and jays (at least Blue and Florida Scrub-) produce pellets, and I am certain that most other insectivorous birds do as well. Im not sure why all we know about are owl pellets. Perhaps its because they roost in recognizable spots and produce large, cohesive pellets with lots of hair to hold them together. If anyone would bother to look under a crow roost they would find hundreds of small lumps of grain and gravel that represent the crows pellets. Not having much hair in them, they fall apart quickly and might be overlooked if you didnt know what to look for. In the winter of 1996-97 I was exploring under a medium to large crow roost in central Ohio (somewhere between 14,000-50,000) and was surprised at the amount of gravel that was moved. Take about 5 small stones (each about 2 mm in diameter), figure a pellet every other day over the course of 5 months, and multiply by 50,000, and you come up with a significant amount of material moved (I figure, at a conservative 0.2 grams per load, 750 kilograms of gravel or 1,650 pounds.) Do male crows ever incubate I have never seen a male American Crow incubate, and I have not heard of any truly convincing cases of males incubating. My colleague Dr. Carolee Caffrey has spent hundreds of hours watching nests of marked crows in California, and she also has never seen anyone but the breeding female incubate. Female-only incubation is typical of the family Corvidae. Only females get brood patches, the defeathered, highly vascularized patches on the belly and chest that are in contact with the eggs. Any report of males incubating needs detailed verification. (See for example, Hailman amp Woolfenden, 1985, Nest-defense of the Florida Scrub Jay and the problem of quotincubationquot by male passerines, Wilson Bulletin 97(3): 370-372.) The reports of shared incubation in popular reference sources (like Harrisons bird nest book) appear to be repeated quotes from the same source: Bents life histories, quoting Bendire. I have read Bendire (1895, Life histories of North American birds) and he gives absolutely no details. But you know what they say, that if something is repeated often enough it becomes fact. I have made a couple of observations that might explain some reports of male incubation. Helping females sometimes try to incubate. When the breeding female is off the nest these younger birds will slip in and sit on the eggs or nestlings. They usually look nervous, constantly looking around, and always leave very quickly when they see another crow approaching. Unlike the incubating female, they are never fed on the nest and are often chased away. A second instance is when the breeding male comes and feeds the incubating female. Often the female will leave the nest for a while. The male usually remains nearby to guard the nest. Most frequently he will perch near the nest or even on the edge of it. Very infrequently he will actually step down into the nest and stand in it. I find that male Fish Crows do this rather regularly. These males do not, however, actually incubate. That is, they do not put their bodies in contact with the eggs and transfer heat. I saw crows fighting and it looked like one was going to kill the other. Why would they do that Crows are very social species and live in large extended family groups. That does not mean, however, that they are friendly with all other crows. Just as we humans are social and love our families and friends, we also have been known to fight and kill each other on occasion. Birds may fight for a number of reasons, such as defending territory boundaries, protecting their mate (or sexual access to them), or defending some other resource. Crow fights within a family are usually short and involve only a few pecks. (Crows, in my experience, actually seem to have very few intra-family squabbles compared to some bird species.) Fights between members of different families, however, can be protracted and deadly. I frequently see crows locked together tumbling out of trees in the spring. Although I have never witnessed an actual killing, I would not be at all surprised to see crows kill another crow from outside the family group that was trespassing. Another possible explanation of extreme violence is that the attacked crow was already injured. Injured, sick, or oddly acting birds are often attacked by their own species. Crows are no exception. One explanation for this behavior is that having an injured individual around is dangerous to others in that it might attract predators. Not only that, but a vulnerable crow could teach a predator to hunt for crows, which might endanger other crows. With this line of reasoning, crows would be best served by getting rid of an odd ball. I do not know if crows would eat another crow they killed. They might, but I rather expect they would not. Do the male and female crow mate for life More or less. In general, it appears that they do. Unless a mate is killed or severely incapacitated, crows appear to stay with the same mate year after year. It is possible, however, for exceptions to occur. Generally this would happen in the case of a young pair of birds that mated but bred unsuccessfully. They might break the pair bond and try again with someone else. I had one young male return home after an unsuccessful first nesting attempt. Because the female was unmarked I do not know if she died or also went home to her folks. Are crows ever white or have white in the wings Yes. Click here to find out more We have a pair of crows in our backyard that use our bird bath as a depository for all of the carcasses they find. There are various snakes and rodents in the bath right now. It is disgusting. Why do they do that Crows and all members of the family Corvidae will store excess food. Sometimes you can see crows bury things in the grass of the yard (usually covering it up with a leaf or plucked grass sometimes looking at it several times and using a number of different coverings before being satisfied that it really is hidden). They also hide food in trees or rain gutters, or whatever is a handy spot. At this time of the year (April) crows are nesting, and the female breeder sits all day on the eggs or young nestlings. She leaves the nest only infrequently and the male and the helpers bring her food. Food is easy to bring (all pecked into pieces and stashed in the throat under the tongue), but water is harder. So, crows often will dunk dry foods in water and take the moistened food to the nest. It is likely that that is what is going on in the birdbath. In my experience with several captive crows, some individual crows also seem more inclined to put food in water and leave it there than others. Perhaps they want it to rot a little to improve the flavor a bit before they eat it (just like we do when we quotagequot beef). Since the crows came we dont have any little birds around anymore Crows are predators and scavengers, and will eat anything they can subdue. That said, the bulk of their diet (in this area, anyway) consists of waste grain in winter, and earthworms and other terrestrial invertebrates in the spring and summer. Crows will eat eggs and nestlings of songbirds, and in some areas might have a significant impact of a local population of birds. Far more likely, however, is that crows are but one of a host of species preying on the quotdesirablequot wildlife, and removing crows will make no change in the end result (that of most of the young birdseggs being eaten). A number of studies have been done, removing crows and looking at the resulting nest success of birds the crows depredated, that illustrate this point. Removal of crows does NOT increase nest success or survival of the bird to be protected. Nearly always some other predator steps up to eat the same number of eggs and young birds, or they die for other reasons. This idea of compensatory mortality is a very difficult one for people to believe. It is not intuitive. quotCommon sensequot says that if you get rid of one source of mortality that the overall mortality rate should go down. In fact, the world does not act this way. I like to use the analogy of handicapped parking spaces at the mall You drive up to the mall, looking for a parking space in a crowded lot. You cant find a parking space, but there are four near the entrance that are reserved for handicapped permits only. You complain and think that if only those handicapped restrictions werent there, you could park in those spots (common sense). In truth, of course, if those spaces were not reserved they would have been taken long ago, just like all the other spaces in the lot. So if one more egg hatches, that will be one more nestling that gets eaten by a raccoon. Or if one more nestling makes it out of the nest, thats one more fledging for the local Coopers Hawk to eat. Or, if one more young bird survives to fly to South America, thats one more bird that falls into the ocean during the bad storm (1001dying instead of 1000). And so on and so on. This concept of compensatory mortality is vital to the idea of game management. What it says to the managers is that it doesnt matter to the population if hunters take a bunch of young that were slated to die anyway. If you keep your take within the limits of the mortality that normally occurs, exactly NOTHING happens to the overall population, even if you kill a million individuals (like the million Mallards that are killed in the US every year). And it works Of course, if you exceed the normal mortality things go awry. Or if the sources of mortality increase in an unusual way (huge losses in habitat, for instance, or total loss of food supply at a staging ground) then bad things happen. But the normal fluctuations of a stable community just absorb the small perturbations. So, although you might see a crow eating a baby robin, that is not bad. MOST baby robins die before reaching adulthood. Thats why the robins nest so many times during the summer. The presence of crows in an area will not mean all the robins and cardinals will disappear. In fact, despite a slight but significant increase in American Crow populations in North America since the mid-1960s, American Robin populations have increased (nearly identically to crows) and those of Northern Cardinals have stayed steady (North American Breeding Bird Survey data). The only species of bird that is decreasing in North America in which I MIGHT be convinced crows play a significant part is Common Nighthawk, and that only in urban areas (and as yet this is all speculation). Urban nighthawks have such a specialized nest site selection (flat gravel roofs) that crows might be able to figure them out and find most of the nests in an area. In summary, crows are NOT a problem to most songbird populations, especially not those that are likely to be found around peoples houses. When crows move in, the other birds dont leave. I try to encourage people to enjoy the crows as well as the other birds. Crows are fascinating animals in their own right. I happen to think they are aesthetically pleasing to look at too. Granted, they are not brightly colored, they get up too early in the morning, and they are loud. No other bird in our area, however, has such a human-like personality and social system as the American Crow. Please see the other information on my web pages about their family lives. Try to get people to understand that it is not a quotgangquot of crows in their backyard, but a family. Weve got crows hanging out in our yard. How can we get rid of these pests Good luck Once crows have decided to come to your yard, it might be hard to convince them to leave. Plastic owl decoys will work. for about 15 minutes. A dog could be more effective, especially if it was encouraged to chase them. If, however, something really special was attracting the crows to the yard (like readily available food), the crows probably would figure a way how to get it and avoid the dog. The idea is to make the yard an unattractive place for the crows. Cut down your trees if you have to. Chase them when possible and make it obvious that you are after THEM, not just going out in the yard for other reasons (it will make a difference, trust me, but see below for the associated risks of this technique). Killing the crows is not a recommended option. It can be done legally only in a few areas (out of the city, and with permits or a hunting license). But, if one family of crows found your yard desirable, chances are others will too. Crow society is filled with excess crows that are waiting for an opportunity to breed (the helpers staying home and helping the parents raise young). If you kill some territory holders off, you just create a breeding opportunity for the crows waiting in the wings. A far better solution is to work on your own attitudes, not the crows. Pests are like weeds: their status relies entirely on your point of view and state of mind. What is a weed to one person is a beautiful flower to another. It is my experience that if you let something bother you, it will. The more upset you get about it, the more it bothers you, and the more it bothers you the more upset you get, and the more upset you get the more it bothers you, and so on and so on, until you explode. Although some measures do exist to change crow behavior, it might be easier and more effective to attempt to change peoples attitudes about crows. (I actually have little hope of doing either) Crows are not evil, and they are not purposely trying to torment you. They are just being crows, trying to live their lives and feed their families. Actual property destruction is one thing that might require action, but just being annoying is something else again. Try to appreciate the crows for the fascinating creatures they are. If you get over that hurdle, the annoying habits become much less annoying. I have said that crows are much like my family or my dog: they do many things that annoy me, but I love them and am willing to overlook (most) of the annoying things because the relationship is primarily positive on the whole. Crows do have one endearing characteristic that is apparently not shared by other birds. They will get to know people as individuals. While you can get chickadees to eat out of your hand, any old hand will do, and I suspect that the chickadees do not know you as an individual. Crows will If you toss them peanuts (I recommend unsalted, in the shell) on a regular basis, they will wait and watch for you. Not just any person, but you. If you do this often enough, they will follow you down the street to get more. I have made a point of getting on the good side of a number of crow families around Ithaca. Some will follow my car down the street, and if I dont notice them and toss them peanuts they will dash across the windshield to let me know they are there. Some of these crows recognize me far from their home territories, way out of context. (It did, however, take some of them a long time to learn to recognize my new car.) So indulge yourself and makes some personal friends with the crows. That is the preferred relationship, because they also are happy to turn this talent of recognition to the darker side, and treat you as an enemy. (Again, not just all people, but YOU.) Because I climb to crow nests to band young birds, many crows in Ithaca know me and hate me. Whenever they notice me in their territory they will come over and yell at me. They will follow me around and keep yelling for as long as I am there. Believe me, its better to be on their good side than their bad side My 10 year old son keeps having crows trying to attack him . He will be out in the yard and they come swooping down on his head. He has done nothing to them and he is terrified to go out side alone now. I have been out there and they have not bothered me. Please tell me what I can do. Since you gave no indication of where you live, I have to guess on exactly what is happening. But, right now (late May) in most areas of the country crow babies are just fledging (leaving the nest). In the first couple of weeks that the young are out of the nest they cannot fly well and are very vulnerable to predation. They hide in the trees and the parents are very protective of them. At this time the parents will mob (attack) any potential predator in the area. Usually this means cats and dogs, but it appears that your son elicits the same response. You are too big to risk getting too near. Just wait a few days and the fledglings will leave your yard and the parents will calm down. Try to keep in mind that these birds are not vicious fiends bent on your sons destruction, but merely dedicated parents trying to defend their own young in the best fashion they know. What mythologies are associated with crows Lots, but theyre way more boring than the real stuff crows do (Im a biologist, not an anthropologist. These things tell you lots about people, but little about animals. IMHO) If you really must go after this material, try the links from The American Society of Crows and Ravens. I found a baby crow that must have fallen from the nestbeen abandonedis injured What should I do Probably you should put it back where you found it. If you dont like that idea, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. For a lot more on this topic, click here. We have a pair of crows tearing our windshield wiper blades off our vehicles. We have no explanation for this activity or how to stop it. Can you offer some advice or comments on the behavior This is a very odd one. I have now heard about this kind of crow vandalism from nearly a dozen people in a dozen different parts of the country, and I am stumped as to how to explain it. All I can say is that crows are very investigative and curious, and it is possible that these traits have led them to investigate the wipers. Wipers do not resemble food to me, so I cannot think of a good reason they would attract crows. The wiper blades themselves, though, are exactly the sort of thing that young crows might like to fiddle with: pliant yet resistant soft enough to dismantle, but tough enough to give a bit of a challenge. Young crows in their first and second years often quotplayquot with things that are not edible and do not interest older crows. Siblings watch each other too, and often vie for the object in question (be it a feather, a stick, or, perhaps a windshield wiper blade). So, it is possible that one young crow found out about how fun windshield wipers were and then quottaughtquot other family members. What to do about this Harassment is probably the best policy. Chase those crows any time you see them around your cars. They will probably keep coming back, and they will probably learn to hate you on sight. Still, it might keep them off. You might also try adding some novelty to the vehicle or where you park them. Crows do not like new things in an area where humans hang out. Small, but obvious changes in the area or on the vehicles might be enough to get them worried. A tassel hanging from the radio antenna might be enough of something new to keep them away for a while. If none of this works, try getting a car cover like people with expensive antique cars use. It might be a pain, but it will probably be less expensive than weekly windshield wiper replacements. What is a group of crows called (as in quota gaggle of geesequot) The poetic term for a bunch of crows is a quot murder. quot No scientist calls them that, only poets. Scientists would call it a flock. Who builds the nest, and what do they look like In the beginning stages of the nest both members of the pair, as well as some helpers many times, work equally hard on building the nest. In fact, the male can be even more active getting started. The breeding female, though, usually does the most building at the end when they are lining the nest. She is the one who gets everything comfortable in there, because she is the only one who sits in the nest to incubate and brood the young. American Crow nests are bulky things that are constructed of three parts 1) an outer basket of sticks, 2) a filling of mud and grass (often the grass is visible sticking out the bottom of the nest a good clue its a crow nest), and 3) a thick bowl of something soft. Grapevine bark and cedar mulch, seem to be the most popular lining materials around here, with mammal fur and twine common. Paper is unusual but does get used, as does plastic occasionally. Perhaps the most unusual lining material I have found were some Emu feathers. No. Wild crows do not like, nor collect shiny objects. They do not hide, store, or cache anything but food. I believe that all stories of crows and magpies taking shiny objects come from peoples experiences with captive, hand-raised young birds . Young corvids are very investigative, and love to handle objects. They like to pick them up, peck at them, and then hide them. Most corvid species hide food for later retrieval (some, like the nutcrackers in the genus Nucifraga . are extreme, hiding and remembering thousands and thousands of seeds). Juvenile birds quotplayquot with inedible objects, picking them up, pecking them, and eventually hiding them. (Play is just doing appropriate actions with inappropriate objects, just like children playing house.) In the wild, they would play with sticks, stones, acorn caps, and things like that. In captivity, they will do the same thing to just about anything small and portable, and they may be attracted to shiny things, like keys, coins, or the like. Most corvids are quotscatter hoardersquot and hide only one or a few things in any one location (rather than being quotlarder hoardersquot that store everything in one place, like a packrat). So if your pet crow hid your keys, dont expect to find them in the same place that you find your diamond ring. More on these later: Why do crows gather in flocks during the day to cruise the singles flocks
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