Blog

26 October 2022

Throughout the summer season corvids keep house to lift their households however as quickly because the breeding season is over they transfer round. In autumn giant flocks of American crows return to Pittsburgh to affix the winter roost whereas a couple of widespread ravens present up, alone or in pairs.

By now the crows and ravens are again on the town. This fall their populations have gone by a number of phases.

Late August: On 30 August a stunning depend of 380 fish crows gathered on rooftops at Fifth & Craig but solely 12 American crows had been current that night.

September: By 6 September fish crow numbers dropped to 30 after which zero. American crow numbers rose by the a whole bunch. No ravens.

October up to now: On 10 October a excessive depend 620 American crows flew previous “the doorknob” at nightfall. By late-October no crows had been counted as a result of they modified their route. Nonetheless we now see and listen to ravens!

Ravens on the town?

Crows migrate; grownup ravens keep at house in winter. Nonetheless, younger ravens depart house to go exploring till they’re sexually mature at three years outdated. From fall by early spring a handful of those ravens go to Pittsburgh.

Final Sunday 23 October Andrea Lavin Kossis noticed a raven over Dawson Road, above, that stayed within the space to dine on some “scrumptious roadkill.” The raven even had one thing to say about it.

Brock! Brock!

p.s. In December I’ll enlist your assist to search out the crow roost in time for the Pittsburgh Christmas Fowl Rely.

(photographs by Andrea Lavin Kossis and Kate St. John)