Ah, spring. That time of year when young crows and other birds are leaving the nest and learning to fly.
Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year when adult crows will go to great lengths to protect their nests and fledglings.
That’s the scenario playing out at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland, where recent human run-ins with crows reportedly have led to flyers being circulated to warn employees and where Legacy Health has posted signage to direct visitors away from a crow nest.
“Patient and visitor safety is our priority,” Legacy Health said in a statement. “We are working with Multnomah County Animal Control and have consulted with the National Audubon Society for guidance to ensure the nest remains untouched, as crows and their habitats are federally protected and cannot be removed.”
Blame the problem on protective parents.
After they leave the nest, young crows will spend about a week on the ground as they learn to fly, said Travis Koons, wildlife care center director at the Bird Alliance of Oregon.
“The parents are pretty protective during that period,” Koons said.
This timeframe when individual crows hatch and then leave their nest varies, so that week of learning to fly could happen anytime between now and the end of July, Koons said.
“I think the best thing is to try to give them a wide berth if it’s at all possible,” Koons said. “It’s not going to last long in one particular location. And I think it’s best just to avert your eyes, just keep going, just keep moving if they’re in your area.”
It’s unlikely that a high percentage of crows would be aggressive toward people, Koons said, but eye contact could come across as threatening by making these highly intelligent birds feel they have been recognized.
The Bird Alliance cares for injured birds, with about 20 crows currently in its hospital, Koons said. But people should take care to decipher the difference between an injured crow and a young, healthy one learning to spread its wings.
“The big thing right now is to try to make sure that you’re not kidnapping a crow,” Koons said.
Koons said people unknowingly brought various species of healthy birds to the Alliance on a daily basis.
“Very well-meaning people will find hummingbirds on the ground,” he said, “but they’ve just left the nest and they’re just learning to fly.”
People should almost always leave fully-feathered birds alone, Koons said, unless they are obviously injured. Fledgling crows are easy to spot because they have blue eyes and pink lips, he said.
Humans also can help fledgling birds by keeping cats indoors and dogs on leashes, Koons said.
“The reason that a lot of our crows are brought in,” he said, “is because they’ve had encounters with pets.”
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