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Photo: Black crow sitting on a fence

By Howard B. Owens

This black crow is sitting on a fence on Maple Street near Jackson Street, Batavia. It's been sitting there all day, according to a neighbor.

I was able to walk up close enough that I could have touched it if I wanted. I shot this with a short focal length lens, no zoom, which gives you some idea how close I got to it.

Its eyes are bright and alert, so I'm not thinking illness, but it's also not normal. So what does one do about a sick or injured crow?

Tom Klotzbach

See if one of the toes is stuck in the fence, that might be a possibility.

Crows are a bird species that have demonstrated a high mortality from some strains of West Nile Virus found in North America. Unknown obviously if that is the issue here.

Perhaps there is a nest nearby, but crows nests tend to be higher up in trees.

Animal control is your best bet, as they will get in touch with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator that is also licensed to care for birds protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Jun 2, 2011, 10:00pm Permalink
JOSEPH MAROTTA

It looks like it might be a juvenile crow and possibly a blind one as Ive never seen a crow with blue eyes before unless thats from the camera. Thats probably why you were able to get so close to it.

Jun 2, 2011, 10:01pm Permalink
Tom Klotzbach

Ah, got it per Cornell's Bird of North America.

This is a crow that has just fledged from the nest. The blue eyes are a giveaway. I though the plumage looked juvenile-like such as dull color - not the shiny color you see on older birds. Plus, the bird looks like it still has a pinkish gape at the corner of the mouth

He (or she) will be OK. Just a little unsure of themselves at the moment.

Jun 2, 2011, 10:06pm Permalink
George Richardson

If you catch it and slit its tongue with a razor blade you can teach it to say some swear words. I'm not kidding, I worked at the Buffalo Zoo in 1976 when a talking crow escaped and a bunch of people chased it until it smashed into a windshield of a truck driving by.
The last thing it said was: OH, SH*T!

Jun 3, 2011, 10:10am Permalink
Doug Yeomans

George, please tell everyone you're kidding before our more sensitive members come unglued. If you happen to, for some reason, catch a crow to keep as a pet, there's no reason to slit its tongue with a "razor blade." Crows, ravens and starlings will all mimic without altering their tongue. That's an old bit of folklore. They mimic with their throat and don't even use their tongue to annunciate anything.

Jun 3, 2011, 5:46am Permalink
Susan Brownell

What a beautiful bird! Love the blue eyes. We have a crow's nest in the woods next to our house.. and those babies were LOUD when mom and pop would return with food! :)

Jun 3, 2011, 8:43am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Maybe he's waiting for his band:
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Jun 3, 2011, 10:39am Permalink

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