Birds carry and transmit over 60 different types of diseases! Here are just a few that negatively affect humans, pets, and livestock: Aspergillosis Avian Influenza (H5N1) Blastomycosis Candidiasis Capillariasis Chlamydial Chlamydiosis Coccidiosis Cryptococcosis Dermatosis Echinostoma revolutum Encephalitis Erysipeloid Fowl Cholera Fowl Typhoid Haplorchis Pumilio Histoplasmosis Hypoderaeum conoideum Infectious Coryza Listerious Meningitis Mycotic Diseases New Castle Disease Parasitic Nematodes Parasitic Trematodes Paratyphoid Pasteurellosis Protozoal Diseases Pullorum Disease Salmonellosis Sarcosporidiosis Schistosomiasis Spirochetosis St. Louis Encephalitis Streptococosis Taxoplasmosis Trichomoniasis Tuberculosis Ulcerative Enteritis Vibriosis Viral Diseases West Nile Virus Yersiniosis

Crows are known to live 7-8 years in the wild. Their lifespan is dependent on their ability to evade predators and to get food. There are some crows that are known to live up to 20 years. While the life span of the crow is an average of 7-8 years, over 50% of crows die within their first year of life because of competing flocks, starvation, and predators.

There is an estimated population of 31 million crows in the US. In the US, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, crows are a protected species. However, under this act, crows may be controlled without a federal permit when they are found, “committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance.” You will need to consider your local and state laws before you take any type of control measures against crows.

Crow nests are built 15 to 60 feet above the ground in tall trees. These nests are typically 1 to 2 feet in diameter and are built in the limbs or in the trunk of trees. There are some cases where crows will build nests in shrubs or hedge grows when there are no trees available. In urban areas, crows can place their nests in the sides of buildings or on window ledges. Nests are made up of branches and twigs and lined with moss, hair, twine, cloth, and other soft materials.

Feed per day: .15lbs per bird Crows are known to damage seedling corn plants by pulling the sprouts and consuming the kernels and at times damage ripening corn during the milk and dough stages of development. Other crops that may be damaged by crows include ripening grain sorghum, commercial sunflowers, pecans, various fruits, watermelons, and various other crops. Crows are also known to eat eggs and sometimes the young of waterfowl, pheasants, and other birds during nesting season. This can be a localized problem where breeding waterfowl are concentrated and where there is too little habitat cover to hide nests.

Both male and female crows will build the nest between March and July. The female crow will lay 4-5 eggs with an 18 day incubation period. Young chicks are fledged and ready to leave the nest after 4 weeks. Young chicks will typically stay with their parents and the rest of the flock even after being fledged and can continue to be fed by adults for another 30 days. Young crows will frequently stay with the flock for the next or even several nesting seasons to help with nestlings.