Crows attack people, yes. But it happens only in exceptional cases, and these attacks are mostly harmless. Maybe you ask yourself why crows attack people? The reason is they remember people who have scared them for many years, so they do some kind of dive-bombing revenge.
While they are famous for being intelligent birds, they also portray darkness. Although such portrayal goes only in the mythical side of things, it will still make you wonder:
Are crows that mean? They are mere birds, but do they pose a threat or harm?
Let’s find out more about them!
Contents
Can crows harm you?
As animals, crows act primarily on instinct, despite their intelligence. For this reason, they can harm you for several reasons.
First, crows can harm you if they think you’re a threat to them.
These birds are territorial. As a result, they can be quite aloof to those who wander in the areas they think are theirs.
If you happen to come near their nest or the trees where they roost, these birds may come at you by pair or groups.
In any case, they don’t expect them hovering around you. Such a response means these birds are warning you to go away.
Second, they can harm you if you try to attack them or show them that you do.
It’s not in their nature to bother people, especially if they don’t do anything wrong.
However, if you act like you’re about to do something terrible, these birds might alert the others and stalk you for it.
The thing about these birds is that they can remember your face, and they can tell their fellow crows about it.
You May Also Read – Where do crows build their nests?
What does it mean if a crow attacks you?
If a crow attacks you, it might mean that you did something terrible to them.
Now, you may say that you did something terrible, but not on this particular crow, so how did it know?
They are social birds, and they usually caw loudly to tell their kin about a particular threat.
As intelligent birds, they never forget a face, and they can even pass the information to their young.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, these birds do recognize and remembers a face. They can even distinguish it in a crowd.
Thus, if you did something to threaten them, you’ll most likely be on their target until your death.
If a crow attacks you, it means that they remember you as a foe and not as a friend.
Another instance is when they see you or caught you attacking or harassing their young.
These birds are overprotective, and they can be quite a pain if they sense you as a threat to their nestlings.
Thus, as much as possible, it’s best to avoid any activity related to these birds.
Read more – What does it mean when crows gather around your house?
Do crows bite humans?
Crows may be fierce when they feel threatened. Still, they won’t bite you without any reason.
Further, crows are intelligent enough not to hunt down humans. Unlike the birds of prey, crows don’t have the killing tools such as sharp beaks and claws. (Though their beaks can tear meat in small animals)
Still, they know enough not to attack people, since they can’t beat us in terms of both strength and wit.
Still, it does not mean they get scared. When threatened, crows tend to fight back instead of fleeing.
Thus, don’t mess with any of these birds in the first place.
Still, there are things you can do to prevent these animals from attacking you.
What to do to keep crows outside your birdbath? Read here.
How do you stop crows from attacking me?
Below are some of the things you can do to ward off annoying crows. If most of them reside near your house, it’s best always to be ready all the time.
Bring an umbrella and use it in warding crows off. However, don’t use it to hurt them. Instead, use it to protect yourself.
Don’t hit them. Hurting these corvids may make the situation worse. Go away from the area.
Avoid wearing shiny objects when you’re near them. While they may hate shiny objects, it may induce them to harass you.
Don’t come near their babies. Going near their babies is the last thing you want to do. Since they are overprotective, they might see your approach as a threat.
Runaway from the area. Since they are territorial, they’ll probably leave you alone once you’re out of their sight.
Wear hats. Wearing a hat helps in concealing your face, especially if they already remember you.
Give them peanuts. If they keep on harassing you, throw some peanuts or other food to distract them.
Do you want to catch crow as a pet? Check it out.
What will scare crows away?
Scarecrows are the traditional way of scaring, such as unwanted birds. However, the thing that will scare them most is shiny objects.
Contrary to most beliefs, these birds usually flee when their eyes meet shiny objects.
Thus, most people use CDs and other shiny stuff around their house. Once sunlight hits these items, it can be an effective way to scare them away.
For more detailed information, check out how these shiny things affect crows.
Do black crows carry diseases?
Since crows are migratory birds, they are possible carriers of many diseases.
As such, a murder of crows with many members can quickly spread it, affecting us and our livestock.
They may carry prions, an infectious protein that can lead to:
- Mad cow disease
- Scrapie
- Chronic wasting disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Thus, it’s an important thing to do some measures to avoid problems involving such birds.
Summary
Crows may indeed attack people, but not without reason. Like animals, they only tend to respond according to their instinct.
Such birds are intelligent animals, and while they can remember you as a threat, they can do otherwise. These birds can be useful to you and can be quite fascinating, so long as you treat them well.
At the same time, though. If you don’t want any problems, it’s best to let them pass and leave them alone.
Resources
National Wildlife Federation study about crows recognition
Study about crows and prions
Image credits – Photos by Kevin Mueller and Kasturi Roy on Unsplash
