Why Are There So Many Crows in My Yard? (5 Likely Reasons)

Nobody wants to wake up in the morning to cawing and swirling noises, which might be the case if you have many crows coming into your yard. When this happens, the most common questions most homeowners ask are: why is there a large number of crows in my yard and is it a good or bad sign?

So, what causes it, and are the myths surrounding it true? A large group of crows is called a murder, and they mostly gather around your yard in large numbers if there is a food source available for them.

What Causes Crows to Come Around Your Yard in Large Numbers?

You might have many crows in your yard for several reasons, and understanding them could help you get rid of them. They include:

1. Available Food Sources

Crows are omnivores and can eat anything from food scraps, rotten fruits, small animals, and corpses. If you see many crows in your yard, the first step should be checking for a potential food source in and around your yard.

Although you might not be able to remove all the food sources at once, you can reduce the amount so that they are motivated to look elsewhere.

2. Roosting

Crows roost on tall trees at night for warmth and protection from the elements and other natural predators. If you have tall trees around your house, it’s common to find many crows gathered around them.

3. Fresh Water

Like other birds and animals, crows need clean, fresh water to drink. If you have a reliable water source in your yard, like a bird bath or a pond, it might attract a lot of crows. Ponds and fountains are more likely to attract many crows than a birdbath.

4. Holding a Funeral for a Dead Crow

Surprisingly, crows gather to say goodbye to dead crows. If you recently saw a dead crow in your yard, the other crows in the area have probably gathered around the body to mourn.

In this case, it’s better to leave them alone since they’ll disband as soon as they are done. You can then take the dead crow and bury it in your backyard to prevent the crows from returning.

5. Holding a Grudge

Crows are some of the most intelligent birds, and they can remember human faces for more than 2 years. This also means that they can hold grudges. If you or a household member angers them, they can gather around your home and mob you. They can also influence the other crows against you to form an even bigger group.

Is It a Good Sign to Have Crows in Your Yard?

A large number of crows in your yard could mean many things, and different cultures understand it differently. It’s believed that seeing a single crow close to your house could signify bad luck. If the crow caws at you, that could mean there is an imbalance in your life.

However, seeing a pair of crows in your yard could mean that you are having good luck coming your way. Three crows around your home also signify good luck and good health. On the other hand, five to eight crows symbolize bad luck, such as poor health, grief, and sorrow.

How to Deal With Crows in Your Yard

If you hate crows or are terrified of them, you might want them gone from your yard. Luckily, there are several ways you can do this without causing any harm to the crows or yourself.

Thinning Tall Trees

Crows return to the same roosting area yearly to mate and raise their young. Thinning the tall trees around your home may discourage the birds from roosting there and from coming back. This method is pretty harmless because it doesn’t harm the crows or the environment.

Setting Automatic Sprinklers

Resetting an automatic sprinkler during the day discourages crows from gathering in your yard during the day, which is when they are most active. Over time, the crows will know not to come to your yard. However, this means paying a high water bill.

Installing Bird Spikes

Installing bird spikes on your roof and fence prevents the crows from hanging around and discourages them from coming to your backyard. Although the crows won’t be able to perch around your house, they can hang around your neighbor’s house or on telephone lines. Another downside to this technique is that the crows will hold a grudge against you if one of them gets hurt on the spikes.

Covering the Trash

Trash bags and overfilled bins attract crows to your yard as they look for food. Dogs and raccoons can also spill the trash as they ravage for food remains overnight, and the crows might come in the morning to eat the leftovers after they are gone. Covering the bins and tying the trash bags securely is a foolproof method to keep them away.

Hang Snake Decoys

Snakes are natural predators of crows, and crows are afraid of them. Hanging snake decoys around your house can discourage the crows from perching there. You can purchase these decoys online or from your local toy shop.

Install an Automatic Alarm

To keep crows from your yard, you can install an automatic alarm that plays crow distress calls or calls of other predators, including owls. You can find various relevant sounds online and program them to the alarm. Ensure you let your neighbors know about it in advance.

How to Befriend the Crows

Since crows have a relatively good memory, you can form a close friendship with them. They are known to bring gifts to people who befriend them and also warn them in case of danger. If you are not afraid of them, the best solution would be to befriend them.

Here are a few tips you can use to develop your friendship with the crows:

Give Them Treats

Crows will eat anything if given a chance. However, they favor eggs, peanuts, meat, vegetables, and seeds. Offering them their favorite treats is the easiest way to get them to like you. Don’t be shocked if they repay your favor with shiny objects, small rocks, and sticks.

Install a Birdbath

Crows need a reliable source of freshwater. Installing a large birdbath that allows them to cool down on hot days, get a drink, and wash their food may invite many of them to your backyard along with other birds in the area.

Create a Friendly Environment

If you are dead set on befriending the crows in your backyard, you need to create a crow-friendly environment where they can feel comfortable. You can do this by planting trees in your backyard, building roosting posts, and keeping their natural predators or anything that mimics them away.

Conclusion

Crows are very social and tend to pick favorites close to where they live. They also work together to mob anything they think is a threat which is another good reason to have them around.

A family of crows can also eat 4,000 grubs, armyworms, caterpillars, and other small insects that gardeners consider pests. They also transport seeds to various places they transverse during migration, contributing to forest renewal.

See also: How to Keep Geese Out of Your Yard (10 Safe & Humane Tips)

Featured Image Credit: samray, Shutterstock