what was this bird trying to do? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by onoira@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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i was walking along some bushes when a bird flew out from a bush in front of my path into a grass clearing. it was a very small crow. it made two quiet, short, high-pitched peeps in rapid succession, hopping in circles. i tried to walk around it, but it kept blocking my path and making the exact same peeps at me.

i got back on the stone path, and it hopped up right next to me, and starting ripping up grass and throwing it over my feet. i chuckled, and it stopped, looked up at me, and… peeped again, before continuing to bury my feet in grass.

i continued walking and it followed right next to me till the end of the path before watching me walk away and then returning to its bush.

i didn't recognise this bird, or seen a bird do this to me or anyone else before. i'm on especially friendly terms with the corvids in my neighbourhood, but they don't normally approach me.

any ideas? have you seen something similar?

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[-] Teknikal@lemm.ee 36 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Crows are a lot smarter than you would think my guess is it was trying to get you to help one of its friends or something.

I'd have had a good search around the area befriending crows can actually bring you some benifit like shiny gifts, or in some cases crow bodyguards as they actually recognise individuals as friends etc.

[-] onoira@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 4 months ago

my guess is it was trying to get you to help one of its friends or something.

that was my first guess, but it didn't seem like it was leading me anywhere.

i'm a little worried now.

I’d have had a good search around the area befriending crows can actually bring you some benifit like shiny gifts

when i was homeless, i shared my food with a crow. i got them to bring me coins by feeding them double portions when they brought monies.

or in some cases crow bodyguards as they actually recognise individuals as friends etc.

that's my current relationship to the corvids in town. a long time ago i rescued a magpie from two seagulls, and since then all the corvids no longer fly away when i come near them. the magpies even defended me from a seagull one day!

but they otherwise don't approach me, and we don't 'communicate'.

[-] nikaaa@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

oh okay, maybe the grass was just a gift to you, who knows?

[-] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 5 points 4 months ago

They also make fierce enemies, so watch out OP. The crow might hold a grudge if their friend died and they blame you.

Mostly /s

From the article:

Five years later, the same groups went out into the same park. The group that had trapped crows previously got mobbed by an angry flock, while the group that did not interact with the birds was left alone.

https://birdfact.com/articles/do-crows-remember-faces

[-] sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works 22 points 4 months ago

Maybe it needed human help and was trying to get your attention ?

[-] onoira@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 months ago

that was my first guess, but after i tried getting back on the path they only kept putting grass on my feet. i tried holding still, backing away, moving toward them, moving back into the grass, making noises, and checked in the bush — it just kept putting grass on me. i didn't immediately see anything. i was afraid of scaring or upsetting them, so i left.

someone else suggested they're a juvenile that doesn't know how to feed themself.

[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 15 points 4 months ago

Depends on the time of year, and the species.

If it's fucking season (spring time), and a bird like a red-winged blackbird (their sound is like okra-chee-chee-chee), I've had them keep flying in my face until I leave their area.

A smart bird like a crow during not-fucking season could be trying to tell you something. Especially if you are known to the murder as a nice person.

[-] sudoreboot@slrpnk.net 11 points 4 months ago

Our jackdaw regular will tear up things around it and throw them around when it gets frustrated (such as when it wants a treat without having to put in any effort).

It could simply be bold and really frustrated.

[-] nikaaa@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago

Animals sometimes have very weird, individual behavior. You can't just make any general rule what this specific bird was doing to you. Probably it wanted to communicate with you, tell you something. Maybe you should have observed it a bit, maybe it would have had something to show you, like maybe in the bush that it was coming from.

[-] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 4 months ago

That's how you get kidnapped by the corvid Mafia

[-] memfree@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 months ago

I agree with others here. It wanted your attention, probably for help -- either for a 'friend' or for itself. Could it have been a recently fledged juvenile wanting food? It may have seen mom looking for the grass and getting food from that activity, but unable to master the art.

Did you look for a nest or another bird in the original shrub? It could have been trying to keep you from finding an injured friend (killdeer fake wing injuries to lure you away from their nests).

Was it close enough that you can go back with some treats and a camera? I'd do that.

[-] onoira@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 months ago

Did you look for a nest or another bird in the original shrub?

i didn't see anything in the bush at first glance. i tried to see if it was leading me somewhere, but it didn't seem like it. i didn't want to stress them out by approaching them too quickly or digging thru the bush.

they did seem very small, so it's possible they don't know how to feed themself. it's not too far, so i can try checking on them sometime soon. i don't want to invade their home, tho.

[-] memfree@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago

I read the other posts about your relationship with the local birds and now I'm really thinking it is a kid saying, "Mom won't feed me anymore, but she said you'd do it. I CAN'T!!! Look! I'm TRYING and it doesn't WORK!"

[-] RBWells@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

It seems like it was trying to hide you! You are friends with this crow? Maybe there was a raccoon or other threat and it thought you were stupid to just be walking around?

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago

If it was a baby crow, it may have lost its mother at an age where it was too young to learn from her to fear hoomans.

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago

It was trying to buy weed from you

[-] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 months ago

If it's acting weird, assume it's got a parasite.

this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2024

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