SCOTT SHALAWAY Reader's query delves into the behavior of crows

The best part of writing a column is hearing from readers. I answer as many letters as possible, but I read and appreciate every one. Occasionally I answer a few in print.
Evelyn Eisenbraun of Struthers, Ohio asks, "Can you write something about crows? They began showing up around here three years ago. Now there are thousands perching in the park behind my house at night. They pick my compost pile apart, looking for bugs, I suppose."
Crows belong to an unusually intelligent family of birds, the Corvidae, which also includes jays, ravens, and magpies.
Recognizes gun
And any crow hunter knows crows can recognize a gun. Unarmed, you can easily walk within shooting range of perched or feeding crows. But carry a gun, and they stay out of range. That's why crow hunters use camouflage and calls.
Despite a superior intellect, however, crows don't get much respect. Many wildlife agencies permit them to be killed without limit simply for sport.
In the fall and winter, crows are particularly conspicuous. Large flocks gather at dusk and fly to roosts they use year after year. Roost size varies from hundreds or even thousands of crows to, in some extreme cases, millions. Each morning they fly as far as 50 miles to their favorite feeding grounds.
In the spring, flocks break up and crows become surprisingly quiet and inconspicuous. Adults pair off at this time and begin building a nest in the fork of a large tree.
Throughout the nesting season, pairs are often assisted by "helpers" -- nonbreeding offspring from previous years. Helpers collect nesting material, defend the nest from predators, and even feed nestlings. The female incubates four to six eggs for 18 days. Young crows remain in the nest for about five weeks before fledging.
Crows are classic scavengers. They eat everything from insects, earthworms, frogs and small snakes to eggs, small birds, grains, fruits, and berries. So, Evelyn, it's no surprise they work your compost pile.
Pile of feathers
0 Vasicek of Fairmont, W.Va. asks about a mysterious pile of feathers he found in his backyard. "I discovered what appeared to be every feather, but no body parts, of an unidentifiable bird. Can you tell me what critter was responsible?"
A pile of feathers is evidence of hawk predation, most likely a sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk. These predators specialize in small birds and often hunt near well stocked backyard feeding stations. After capturing a bird, they pluck the feathers before eating the body, even the feet. A pile of feathers is typically all that remains.
A pleasantly surprising number of readers wrote to tell me how much they enjoyed my recent column about Lewis and Clark. The response has strengthened my resolve to devote occasional columns to the accomplishments of the Corps of Discovery over the next two years to mark its bicentennial.
sshalaway@aol.com