Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson XXXI · Topic 2: Bird study: birds to know
31. The crow
Goal: Your child can describe the crow's shape, colors, flight, voice and clever habits, and weigh the good and harm it does, as Comstock asks.
You'll need
- Binoculars (optional)
- A field, park, parking lot or roadside where crows feed
- Nature notebook
What's in the book
The leading thought, the method (begin in winter by finding what crows eat on the snow; study roosts and nests; essay topics) and nineteen questions about size, colors, shape, wings, tail, feet and tracks, flight, beak, eye, walking, relatives, nest and eggs, notes, winter life, sentinels, food, benefit and harm, and its love of shiny things.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
Any season. Comstock begins in winter, when crows are easy to watch on snow and in big evening roosts. Their nesting season is early spring. Crows live almost everywhere: farms, parks, highways and city lots.
Keep the big idea in mind
Read this to yourself:
The crow has the keenest intelligence of any of our common birds. It does good work for us and also does damage. We should study its ways before we pronounce judgment
Look closely
How large is the crow compared with other blackbirds?
Describe its colors when seen in the sunlight?
Is the tail long or short? Is it notched or straight across the end?
What is the color of the crow's eye?
How it moves
When hunting for food does the crow hop or walk?
Describe a crow's flight compared with that of the hawk.
How many toes does the track show in the snow or mud? How many are directed forward and how many backward?
Crow talk
What are the notes of the crow? If you have heard one give any note except "caw," describe it.
Do they post sentinels if they are feeding in the fields? If so, describe the action of the sentinel on the approach of people.
Walk slowly toward a feeding flock and watch which crow calls first.
Good or harm?
Upon what do the crows feed?
How do the crows work injury to the farmer? How do they benefit the farmer? Do you think they do more benefit than harm to the farmer and fruit-grower?
Let your child argue both sides.
Put it into words
Ask your child to tell you the cleverest thing they saw a crow do. Then share the leading thought.
Nature notebook
Draw a crow walking, and a crow flying beside a hawk, so the shapes can be compared. Comstock also suggests short essays; an older child might write "Evidences of crow intelligence."
Afterwards
Watch crows for five minutes on several days and keep a list of everything you see them eat or carry.
Tip
Crows are protected by law in the United States and should not be kept as pets, even though Comstock mentions a pet crow. Just watch.