It's about 18 days from egg laying to hatching, then 20 - 40 days for the fledglings to leave the nest, so in about two months we'll probably be hearing the frequent loud squawks of the fledglings around town, bugging their parents to beak feed them even though the food is right there on the ground ready to eat.
Hell yeah.
This is an awesome community, thanks for posting this!
How would you recommend befriending neighborhood crows?
The best way to befriend them is to feed them. It does become a thing though, so be sure you're ready for a new hobby.
Some people recommend feeding them at the same time of day so they know when to expect you. I have crows around my neighborhood and at work, so I feed them whenever I'm leaving in the morning, at work, or come back home, or also going on walks at home or work..
Crows like peanuts in the shell. They'll also eat cat food and treats. You just want to make sure not to feed them anything salty, so no salted peanuts. They will eat other bird meat. I feed cats on my porch and I've had crows come up on the porch and snatch some wet chicken bits from the dish.
You can also put out a bird bath for them, depending on whether you're in an area with standing water issues like mosquitos.
What do you mean by "it becomes a thing"? What happens if you don't continue feeding them or if you only feed them irregularly?
They hang out around the outside of your house, wait for you to come out, squawk to get your attention, follow you around the neighborhood. If you don't remember to have treats on you, you feel guilty.
If you enjoy it, it can feel like you're a druid communing with animals, but if you decide you don't like it, it could feel like you're in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Crows have good memories and they tell their offspring about people they like and don't like. They may just stalk you and wonder why you stopped feeding them.
It could also become a burden depending on your income level and how often you feed them and how big the local murder is. It's not expensive, but I'd just recommend anyone who wants to get into it be prepared for the cost.
Thanks, man. I think I'll do that!
How do you recommend feeding them? I imagine starting out by leaving a tray wouldn't help them associate it with you but would they just ignore you if you start tossing peanuts on the ground?