Growing up in a small town in Kansas, I listened to family and friends cussing the crows as a regular thing.  Besides raiding gardens and fields, they sometimes made enough noise to drive you nuts. I never was acquainted with any of the crows, but I had heard or read somewhere that crows were very smart.

Boss Crow as a Scout

The Boss Crow initiated our relationship some eight months ago when he landed on the roof of our garage. Our house and attached garage are configured in an L-shape and that makes it possible to see the front door from the garage. It was a nice, warm day, so the front door was open, and the screen door was closed and locked. From his perch on the roof, the crow looked through the screen door, saw Pat inside, and started talking to her. He was making his cawing noises in a quiet, conversational tone rather than the normal hysterical sounds that crows usually make. Pat came to the door and listened. From the sound of it, she decided that he must be telling her a story of hard times in the crow community. She heard him out and got a slice of bread, tore it into little pieces, and scattered it on the driveway. That was the start of this, and the whole thing is a mystery to me. Why did the crow pick our house? What made him tell his story to Pat? Does she emit some kind of vibe that says she is a good listener? I know that people like to confide in her. She can stand in line at the bank, the grocery store, or the post office, and then come home and tell me the life story of the person standing next to her.

Meet Boss Crow

Due to a vision problem, I’ve never seen Boss Crow. I’ve heard him every day he is here, and Pat fills me in on his demeanor and antics. All this input has made it possible for me to develop a good mental image of this guy. I see him as A Damon Runyon type character, wearing a hat and sunglasses and with the stub of a cigar sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He is never still prances or struts around, making one wisecrack after another. He is always ready to give you a wink to indicate that he knows his shtick is silly, but he uses it to maintain his position. Don’t get me wrong, though. I feel that he is quite a guy and a real crowmanitarian. He looks after his group, sees to it that they are fed, feeds the sick, and runs off anyone that interferes with them. I’ll try to describe some of the things we have learned from and about him.

Communication

The first few times the boss crow came, I thought he was just jabbering like crows do. Then, I began to notice that when Pat went out and put food down, he gave a distinct four caw cry. It was always, “Caw, caw, caw, caw.” Then, in a couple of minutes, the other members of his group would come swooping in. I took the four caws to mean “food” or perhaps was just a general summons. I told Pat about this so whenever she took food out, she would give the four caws. She would hear a four-caw response, sometimes from far away, and in a minute or two, the crows would come flying in. Sometimes Boss Crow wants to have a conversation with Pat. He will land on the driveway and walk up to within three or four feet of her and start pouring out his heart.  He talks in a quiet, conversational tone. His manner is that of a person talking about things of great importance. When it’s Pat’s turn, she speaks in a consoling voice and then lets him proceed. When he has got it out of his system, Pat feeds him. Of course, neither of them knows what the other has said, but Boss Crow seems satisfied. Pat is getting a little nervous about standing in the driveway and giving the four caws call. She is afraid the neighbors will think she is nuts. I’ve noticed she sometimes stands in the doorway and gives the call before going out.

The Group

Boss Crow has a group that he looks out for and that sticks with him. Initially, they were a 3-bird group. It was Boss Crow, a regular looking bird that stayed close to Boss and we figured was a spouse or mate, and a bird with a mangled foot. We don’t know if the crippled guy is a family member or just a friend. After a few weeks, two more birds came along. They looked to be a little smaller, and we thought they may be offspring. Recently, two more crows have sometimes come along with the group. They might also be offspring.

Boss Crow as Teacher/Trainer

Not long ago, Pat started seeing the mangled foot guy across the street on the roof or in the tree as a lookout. Then, one day last week, Boss Crow didn’t show up, but the mangled foot guy did. He stood there on the drive, and when Pat came out with the food, he gave the four-caw food call and brought the others in. He also came up close to Pat and had a conversation with her. This is strange because, up to now, he has never said a word or done anything to make himself noticed. We figured he was just observing and learning the ropes from Boss Crow.

Boss Crow, Caregiver

Some time ago, I wrote about the sick bird that came in with the group. I’ll briefly rehash that story. When the group showed up for breakfast one morning, there was an extra crow with them. This guy was sick. He wasn’t black and shiny like a crow should be. He looked almost gray and showed no vitality whatsoever. He was strong enough to fly in, but for some reason, couldn’t feed himself. Boss Crow and the others took turns picking up food and placing it in his mouth. When the food was gone, they flew away together.

The Protector

Boss Crow is happy taking care of his little group, but if any other crows try to join them, there is trouble. The Boss gets up in their faces and chest bumps them until they leave.

Dave Thomas

2/22/2024