Crows Courts

[healfdan]

During my many years of roaming the countryside I witnessed what is called the Crows Court. This took the form of a fairly wide circle of over one hundred carrion crows and in the middle a solitary crow. There was a lot of cawing going on and after 15 minutes or so two crows stepped out from the circle. They moved towards the lone bird and began pecking at it. The bird being attacked offered no defence and after a couple of minutes two other crows changed places with the executioners and continued the savage attack. The crows forming the circle were very excited and noisy and this continued until the victim was dead. When the crows had dispersed I checked the victim and although there was little blood, its body was badly damaged and the eyes had been pecked out. My question is are there any members who have witnessed a similar event, as I have often received disbelieving looks when telling this story.

[Wild-Woman]

I haven't witnessed this but it sounds quite fascinating. I wonder if they 'dispose' weak of ill individuals, keeping the genetic line strong.

[Wild-Woman]

Just thought- I wonder if that's how they decided the collective noun for crows ie murder!

[artdemole]

MY wife has told me of the same happening.This took place on grass at the back of our bungalow.It took place about 4 years ago.Some crows also came back after to check that it was dead.

[healfdan]

Hello artdemole Thanks for replying. It is reassuring that someone else has witnessed this rather gruesome spectacle.

[faz]

never seen it but i have heard of thgis thoiught it was just an urban myth

[Susie]

I watched a group of crows pecking another one to death once on a city street. It was quite horrific.

[Jonquil_d]

I have read not about Crows but about what is called a Rook Parliament when something similar has been observed. Apparently with the rooks the death sentence is not always carried out but the great mass of birds may fly off, leaving the "guilty" bird alone and in splendid isolation....for a bird which lives communally, I'm not sure which fate would be the worst.

On one occasion I did see a huge congregation of rooks fly off from a field leaving one bird all alone.....I had not been watching sufficiently long to know what had gone before the exodus but I did wonder if what I had seen had been the conclusion of such a Parliament.

[boogle]

Brilliant...i aint read anything so funny in ages ! i aint laughed so much since my nan trapped her hand in the mangle. i bet there is no strong photo evedience available either of this sighting.....is there ?
its right up there with the badgers funeral .
maybe the collective noun of a.. Bevy of quail..was given because they like the odd beer...or... a mob of emu's.... was given because of the strong ties they have towards the mafia...whatever the case maybe keep them coming i can't wait here...brilliant !!!!!!!

[Jonquil_d]

What sort of human being finds it hilarious when his "nan trapped her hand in the mangle? "


In this thread to date there are three posters who have witnessed something like the "alleged" incident, where the crow victim was killed. I would guess that a literature survey might turn up one or two more witnesses to such events...both for Crows and for Rooks.