Befriending the Crows - Part 1: First Contact

Befriending the crows, or actually all corvids (crows, jackdaws and magpies), is the goal of this video. In this video we look at the first contact: getting to know the corvids and them getting to know me, which is done by feeding them on a semi-regular basis. After the first contact they seem to recognize me and I got a little gift of a magpie.
Enjoy!
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[@darthguilder1923]

The ideal crow befriending clothes

[@Intothewildblueyonder]

Because first impressions matter

[@LthrWrstlr1]

If I was a crow, I'd hire him

[@SteveMulberry]

The crows want an excellently dapper man to be their friend.

[@tethys17]

I'm going to cancel my Amazon order for a crow onesie

[@lotus.b.lazuli2020]

Totally.

[@sajeucettefoistunevaspasme]

part 2 : don't put it in a .Jar

[@NETBotic]

💀

[@Wario-The-Legend]

It's in his nature. You wouldn't tell a fish not to swim or an ant not to invade my house as soon as I drop a piece of candy. He must force a bird to live in a jar.

[@TalsBadKidney]

#triggered

[@lisa2stewart]

I used to keep a small colony of zebra finches in a 20 gallon aquarium in the winter -does that count 🤔(kept the draft off of them and a better shape to fly)

[@rldickie]

I put a crow in a jar three years ago and this happened...

[@thebiologist8662]

I've worked at a bird rescue center and had to take care of hundreds of corvids. If you want them to like you, give them bugs, specifically, crickets and mealworms. They also eat wet dog food. It was the main food we gave them. Something around 20% protein. You put the food with enough water and let it in the fridge for 24 hours. They like it better than seeds and nuts. Seeds and nuts they'll eat in winter to summer and late summer to winter they'll like fruits and berries. Dog food they eat year-round and insects are considered a treat. Young corvids are more likely to befriend you. You can notice this on jackdaws because they lack the feathers that cover the sides of the beak and their eyes have a more bright blue color. They are very playful but very demanding. They used to pull my earlobes demanding food or attention, scream into my ears, jump on top of my head and pull my hair, perch on my shoulders, pull on my laces and my apron and my pants, and steal the pincers I used to feed them with. Oh, and if you're gonna pet them, not on the wings, tail, or body feathers. Only the head. Birds produce a fatty oil to make themselves waterproof and our human skin oil destroys that. It's very costly for them to produce that oil. In my experience, jackdaws will get closer than any other corvids, then crows, then magpies.

[@grimroten3299]

i hear boiled chicken is something they like

[@_Chessa_]

Thank you kindly’ been getting one crow friend with the wet dog food overnight thanks to the puppies not finishing their foods. I found dog food in the water fountain a month ago and finally caught a lovely big crow taking the saturated dog food and putting it into the top of the fountain❤

[@MrFredstt]

I was thinking of doing this myself but now I may reconsider. Thank you for letting us know what to expect and the tidbit about their oil!

[@tylerwinsborrow]

This is going directly into my long-term memory

[@TestUser-cf4wj]

The ravens here are super friendly. If you feed them regularly they start talking to you. I taught one to play fetch but it's mate wouldn't play along.

[@GallowglassVT]

All crows are friend-shaped.

[@syco1998]

Pidgeons too!!

[@brightbkh07]

Don’t forget ducks! 🦆

[@GallowglassVT]

@@brightbkh07 I would, but... I've seen ducks mate.

[@brightbkh07]

@@GallowglassVT hahaha true that is brutal!

[@jaype331]

How do I lure a squeaky beak too my yard.

[@melanievarela4048]

Well done. A couple tips; Corvids like cat and dog food. Get as high quality as you can afford. If you drop or throw short, don't move forward and pick up. If it's on the ground, it's theirs. If you pick it up, you're a thief. Walk away from it for them to retrieve. After your walk, go to your balcony, make your noise, and show the food. Try to do the walk/feed at the same time everyday. Soon enough, they will be tapping your window at "Meal time".

[@tamarrajames3590]

They also LOVE mealworms, especially in baby season.🖤🇨🇦

[@LifeinJars]

Thanks!

[@megenberg8]

wasps will do the same, only they won't tap at your window, rather they'll hover there looking at you 'til they've your attention. you can sense the wasp watching you and turn to see who it could be and meet eyes directly. when you sit on the patio, they come to walk gently on your arm/hands while fanning you lightly w/ their wings. i fed them jelly and/or juice in a saucer daily, hanging it some distance from our patio so as to not disturb my mom when we sat outdoors. the rabbits knew the sound of my parents car and would all come into the yard when they went for an outing, and every time dispersing about 15 minutes prior to their return. I observed this many times from my window at my desk. 2 of the rabbits were like pets & came in winter also, along w/ a few others - even at below zero temps. I was surprised to see that they totally relaxed in such cold! but they were very well fed by yours truly. our yard was a real menagerie! life is a wonderful thing! 🐝

[@HaukeLaging]

@@tamarrajames3590 Your crows must be very different from mine (or more hungry or just a los less spoilt). I once bought dries mealworms form them. They ignored them completely for two days. Then they pooped in the bowl... They do eat house crickets and superworms but they are not really fond of them (they are very healthy, though). In my experience (which includes a lot of testing) crows love: cashews, fish (fingers/sticks; salmon), (unseasoned) raw meat and fried minced meat, egg yolk, and mice.

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@HaukeLaging It depends on the season, of course they do have favourite foods, but don’t always get them. They like the worms live, probably better and easier to feed the babies. They are carrion eaters, and enjoy any raw meat or fish, and love various nuts, but nuts aren’t the dietary mainstay. I don’t know if they ever give nuts to their chicks, but raw meat and live crickets and mealworms do get fed to the babies.🖤🇨🇦

[@Psykrom]

The fact that you got something shiny in return on your plate is proof that you made at least one grateful birdy friend.

[@Eserchie]

"My neighbours don't want rats all over the place. ... for some reason." Never change LiJ?, never change.

[@jbutler8585]

But befriending rats could have been the followup vid

[@Eserchie]

@@jbutler8585 It may well have been, if the neighbours didn't have such baffling and incomprehensible dislikes.

[@LifeinJars]

Haha I'll try

[@Eserchie]

@@LifeinJars You mean try not to change, or try to befriend the rats? Hoping for option two!

[@RonnaHarlow]

Thinking outside the jar ... brilliant!!

[@thlee3]

HA

[@endlesswanderer1753]

My uncle had a pet crow he called Lugnut. It was the smartest bird I've ever seen and could catch food tossed in the air like a dog being thrown a frisbee. He would bring shiny things to my uncle all the time; coins, rings, rocks, screws, bolts, and you might have guessed it, lugnuts. He got the name 'Lugnut' because one of his neighbors told him about this crazy crow that swooped down and stole one of his lugnuts as he was changing a flat tire. Presumably to gift to my uncle moments later.

[@angierox6964]

Cool!

[@iggypeters5564]

I live in a small town and I started feeding corvids about two years ago. My goal was to have something similar to a pet because I couldn't have one at home. Now I'm the fatherbird of a murder of about 200 jackdaws. Mostly of the time they show up in groups of about 50 when walk to the bus when I wake up. But one time I fed them and they kept coming like a storm and I certainly did not have that much peanuts. It is amazing being greeted every morning

[@megenberg8]

the sparrows often fly to me as I m walking home from the stop. been feeding them peanuts most mornings for 30+ years. we had a pair of pigeons that were like pets to us for 7 years each summer! oh yes they are aware and quite smart - all the animals! now they say that the plants can talk and 'speak' to one another! 🌿

[@Jon1on]

The other day I was walking home from work through a Norwegian city that shall remain unnamed. When I rounded the corner by the harbor I suddenly saw a murder of about a dozen crows kind of milling or hovering around the building on the opposite side of the street. From behind the building stepped a long-haired, somewhat gruff man with a long brown beard, a drooping wide-brimmed hat and a walking stick. The crows were all following him. For all I knew it was old Yggr himself out for a stroll. Whoever it was, he looked like the peak of contentedness.

[@sokjeong-ho7033]

Was it Verdalsora?

[@Jon1on]

@@sokjeong-ho7033 More urban than that, and a good bit further south.

[@sokjeong-ho7033]

@@Jon1on ah well, I just googled a list of norwegian cities and picked one at random, on the off chance that it was the right one

[@2degucitas]

Were Geri and Freki with him?

[@Jon1on]

@@2degucitas Not that I could see, no. I guess he didn't want to cause too much of a scene (walking two great big wolves through a city might cause the police to take note), so he probably left them tied up with Sleipner somewhere on the outskirts of town.

[@Kraus-]

Bruh is living the dream. Ravens are peak corvid. He did it! A gift!

[@tamarrajames3590]

You are so right, and an early gift too.🖤🇨🇦

[@lukearts2954]

Though so funny that Ravens are not Ravenform birds (coraciimorphae) hehheh

[@cinnamonsugarcourtney6073]

The little charm they left for you is cute!

[@LifeinJars]

Right?!

[@mtrest4]

​@@LifeinJars It's good luck 🍀

[@RandomZShorts15]

IS THIS A DREAM? I LOVE CROWS AND I LOVE THESE TYPES OF VIDEOS AND I LOVE LIFE IN JARS AND LIFE IN JARS MADE THIS TYPE OF VIDEO THIS IS CRAZY Edit; also the reason pigeons trust you way more is because theyre actually among the first domesticated animals. They are domesticated pretty much like cats

[@coldhazzard]

Same

[@flapjackson9248]

Yes this was super.

[@EffToyz]

next on the show: Crows in Jars!

[@alveolate]

yea pigeons are simply friendlier because they don't hold grudges like corvids xD or at least i've never heard of a pigeon holding a grudge so far. their behaviour is simply more chill, and they seem far less territorial than crows. the shows of intelligence when it comes to corvids is how they would actually use tools to solve more complex problems, like getting food out of a bottle etc. they also appear to have some sort of social intelligence where they pass on knowledge, i.e. a person that one crow has recognised as "peck on sight" will soon get pecked by every crow in the same neighbourhood. so it's not just good memory, they even have language and culture to some extent.

[@emexfive]

This is therapeutic. It's peak mindfulness watching this - like feeding my crows.

[@jamesscarr5819]

Part of the reason the pigeons came so close is because they are domesticated! Pigeons were bred for generations to trust humans, the ones we see all over cities are the feral pigeon population. The reason they're so destructive in cities is because they don't have the proper diet (almost entirely seeds are what they need, if i remember correctly) which makes their waste extremely acidic. In healthy birds the waste can even be composted to make really good fertilizer, though when it inst composted it tends to be too high in nitrogen for delicate plants. Pigeons aren't necessarily stupid, they were just made to trust us :D

[@hayuseen6683]

The trust isn't a sign of being stupid but they are definitely stupid. Two brain cells to hold a single thought at a time.

[@francisconti9085]

Pigeons are extremely loyal and affectionate to those they "choose"..they are "reactive" rather than crows, who are extremely strategic..

[@Babesinthewood97]

Definitely.

[@Babesinthewood97]

It’s a cost benefit analysis going on.

[@Babesinthewood97]

@@francisconti9085interesting

[@stardustnebula8692]

Look at this distinguished gentleman! Wearing his best suit! Hello from Amsterdam, i'm a local and a big fan of your channel, and i've also begun befriending the crows in my neighbourhood

[@norseridersNL]

ik ook...amsterdam noord..

[@tamarrajames3590]

I am in Toronto, in Canada, and we lost almost all our corvids when West Nile virus came North from USA. They are finally returning in the last 3 years, and I have a mated pair in my oak tree this year.🖤🇨🇦

[@stardustnebula8692]

@@norseridersNL Oh cool! :D ik woon in nieuw west :)

[@stardustnebula8692]

@@tamarrajames3590 Oh my gosh! that's so cute! it's a real tragedy all the corvids were wiped out... i hope you soon get to enjoy their return to your city! time to befriend the pair for sure! :D

[@fedor4655]

Ik ben dikke vrienden met de grote groep kraaien in Flevopark

[@tracybowling1156]

So I raised a baby squirrel that I found in my backyard. He had fire ants all over him. He lives outside during the day. I helped him build his first drey in the bathroom. So that's where he sleeps at night. But I feed all the squirrels and crows, and red-bellied woodpeckers that want to eat. I make the same sound that you made. But when I call Rocky, my squirrel, they ALL come. They think that's the signal. I can even feed them by hand! It's so much fun!!!

[@EdgarStyles1234]

You rock

[@adamcummings20]

Actual disney princess

[@Stratoliner]

This is on my bucket list of things to do, honestly. I love crows, such an intelligent birb!

[@imthesweetgirl]

ITS YOUR YEAR

[@MalO.ver1.0.x]

Same! I can't wait to get my balcony so I can set something up for the hoodiecrows around my apartment! :D

[@fredvp]

@@MalO.ver1.0.xwe feed crows. We put the food in a small dish. Once, I put the food on the railing of the deck and the crows put back in the dish 😮

[@mystra13]

Look at you being all dapper and a David Tennant Doctor Who lookalike! Fun fact, pigeons don't run from humans because we domesticated them over 9,000 years ago.

[@Mikkelstorgaard]

Seconding one of the other commenters: Shelled, unsalted peanuts is a MAJOR hit with corvids. They're obviously fun to open, and they don't have to compete with pigeons for them since pigeons aren't able to open them at all. The jackdaws and the magpies can only really carry one peanut at a time, but my crows here sometimes takes 3-4 of them. And you'll likely see some crow caching as well 😁

[@JackdotC]

I'm glad we have this video as evidence for when the crowpocalyse happens so we know who is responsible for teaching crows how to sustain humans in sealed jars for years

[@Nyzrael]

Magnificent beings. Such glossy black feathers.

[@COLDCHEMICALpresents]

They waddle splendidly.

[@GageZiegman]

Literally dropped everything I was doing to come inside and watch this video.

[@eel5618]

Nice suit!

[@LifeinJars]

Thank you!

[@Algrenion]

as an individual who is also just startng their crow-befriending-journey, i cannot tell you how much this video speaks to me

[@TruFrag]

I've befriended a *few* crows in my life. Looking them in the eyes is one way of communicating with them. Clicks, whistles and learning crow calls is great. Still in the shell unsalted Peanuts and still shelled unsalted sunflower seeds (they will love you for the enrichment alone), decent dog food, and berries are all great foods to share. You can start eating with them which makes them even more comfortable.

[@nickrider5220]

Great work, corvids are very suspicious of humans, mainly because they've learned that humans can't be trusted too much. They're so very observant, but certainly learn to trust, but it takes ages ! I had a young rook when I was a boy, for a year it stayed with me before making it's way in the wild, it was the most wonderful friendship - I've loved corvids ever since ❤

[@brettbeinke3257]

I live in Australia, and if you know anything about magpies, they get very aggressive during breeding season. Swooping and even injuring people. I give them worms on my front lawn. Not all the time. They are wild animals, and i don't want them to become dependent on my feeding. But once you have done this, they recognise you as not a threat, and you can walk or ride your bike under their trees without worry. Watering the lawn in summer is fun they come and bathe and meer feet from you. Befriending is very satisfying 😊

[@BenjaminRowe-hc7uo]

Too right Brett,I used to live on a farm in western Victoria and we had a magpie couple who lived in the gum tree next to the house,my mum&dad and myself would feed the magpies leftovers from our meals and in return we wouldn't get swooped,attacked or loud noises and the magpie parents would always show off their new babies every year.The original magpie couple were eventually superseded by their offspring and we were never hassled in anyway by the magpie family the whole time we lived there(15yrs), amazing animals they are.🇦🇺

[@Vpg001]

If you make this into a new series, I’d definitely get invested. Always fascinated by their intelligence

[@winterfox5]

Wow, I really didn't think the crow @7:25 was gonna notice. Also, I really like this idea for a video series it seems interesting so thanks for sharing it with us.

[@LifeinJars]

I was pleasantly surprised as well.

[@Asdayasman]

The true watermark of corvid friendship is when they attack your enemies. We've read the greentext. God speed on your journey.

[@ItsDrMcQuack]

God damn, looking dapper! Corvids, jars, three piece suits. You have it all 👌

[@LifeinJars]

Haha thanks

[@zachb8012]

I noticed a crow breaking walnuts by placing them in the road and letting cars drive over them. The crows in your area seem more trusting. Keep doing it, you made way more progress than I did. I tried so hard to earn the trust of that flock attracted to the walnut. I live in the Rocky Mountains in the US and the corvids in my area share their carrion dinner table with coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bob cats, lynxes, foxes, bears, wolverines, eagles, hawks, falcons, etc. Because of this I think they're extra flighty, you can see the magpies flinch and become uncomfortable when you even look at them. I eventually gave up on the corvids and was content to just sit next to my bird feeders. The chikadees, nut hatches, and woodpeckers don't have a problem hanging out next to me. I also feed a flock of wild turkeys through the Winter but they barely count as birds, they're more like feathered deer and will let me touch them. I think I will have to content myself with observing the corvids from a distance though.

[@LifeinJars]

Too bad, but also really cool!

[@megbuchanan1630]

I became accidental friends with a small murder of crows because I would feed them mice from my traps every morning. They would make a ruckus until I brought out a dead mouse. When I ran out as in no mice trapped for days, I would have to go out and apologize that there was no mouse that morning. For 4 days they did this and I felt bad I had no mice! Then one day they were quiet and not waiting any more.

[@LifeinJars]

Cool!

[@AmberExista]

Oh no! That makes me sad that they left. This is why actually it's better to make friends with them in other ways rather than food related. Search on youtube for "Woman Gives Toys to a Wild Magpie". It's a lovely story of friendship that doesn't involve any food.

[@sladoid]

I appreciate the realistic approach, this is actually what it's like to train a bird.

[@SaffronDallimore]

I absolutely love the fact they bring gifts back. ❤

[@arrozconmanzana]

Thank you for your videos. I had an encounter with a crow while working on someone's house. I shared some of my peanuts with a pair of them for a couple of days. I went back to work there after a couple of months and the crows either recognized my truck (I was placing the food on top of my truck) or me, as they came and landed on top of the truck staring at me. They are very interesting creatures. I will be waiting for part 2. Nice suit by the way.

[@LifeinJars]

Cool!

[@lordoflek]

pigeons are used to humans because we bred them to be around us, they were domesticated by us for hundreds, maybe thousands of years and then abandoned when something better came along and now we call them rats with wings and hate them... but they are what we made them to be. Great video, I might adopt some of your techniques for the magpies in my neighbourhood, who I currently have a rocky relationship with due to my cat trying to kill one of them three years ago.

[@legoguy23451]

if it wasn't the dapper suit, bird appreciation, and intriguing accent, then it was the post edited lip movement that won me over. take my sub!

[@ZCScience]

Not going to lie the thumbnail made me think of the 10th doctor

[@phantomology404]

I thought the exact same. 😀

[@shinysnake]

me too lol. I’m sure the TARDIS translation circuit works for crowspeak

[@TheAmerz1]

totally, I follow all David Tennant news and thought this may be a new movie, lol

[@SapphySeebs]

Lol me too!

[@ravenrisby]

Glad to see humans befriending my awesome family ❤

[@grugnark]

Love the suit man! You look like an old poet handling those crows

[@LifeinJars]

Thanks haha

[@Fenrirsuneater69]

This is the content I've been desperately craving in my life

[@corvusaeternus]

Buy some peanuts with shell. I befriended a big murder of crows and I can say most of them prefer the ones with shell. They have a lot of fun opening it (it`s like a kinder egg with a suprise inside) but the shell is also good because they like to hide and store food and the peanuts inside will be good longer. They also like walnuts a lot. I didn`t know about your channel before but the thumbnail picked my interest. I`m interested to see your progress so you`ve got a new subscriber. Have fund with the crows! They are faszinating!

[@natureselement7588]

I have wanted for years to friend my crows. Love that their are people out there who love them like I do. Them magpies are so beautiful

[@MrFredstt]

You're living out what I've always thought about doing in my head. Very cool to see it irl

[@heykerryann]

If you ever find some time, you should look up Canuck. He was a very famous (as far as crows go) Canadian crow and even has a documentary. Canadians love our crows but we only have magpies on the west side of the country. Yesterday I sat on my lawn and fed chicken scraps to a crow the size of a puppy! They’ve given me pellets 2x, I may even have a video of it on one of my playlists. When I want them to know I’m out, I always say “hello crow hello” and in return, when I’m not in a window and they are hungry, I will hear them from the tree “hello”. I fed them turkey necks all winter because we had such large amounts of snow for a long time. Don’t get me started on the pigeons that live on my roof. I loves them. Oh and the bluejays respond to “where’s my pretty bird” and will come from out of nowhere for peanuts and cracked corn 🤗. Enjoy your new friends and don’t piss them off 😉🤣

[@LifeinJars]

That sounds awesome!

[@HaukeLaging]

Chicken is great for feeding baby crows but in winter they prefer nuts (cashew is their favorite) because they need the fat. Birds are really not related to us at all (or common ancestor lived 320 million years ago, that was before the dinosaurs!); they cannot use carbon they way our muscles do, they burn fat directly.

[@jasonz9902]

Peanuts in the shell are my go to for animals, a lot of critters will come for them and most with little training will take them from your hands except crows and ravens but chipmunks, magpies, blue Jays, squirrels love peanuts in the shell and will take them from your hands. I use sunflower seeds for small birds like Chick-Dee's and they too will feed from your hands. (I never feed pigeons tbh)

[@sairassiili]

It has always fascinated how aware the corvids always seem of possibility of traps, tricks and lures. Which makes sense, I have witnessed a crow tricking other crows it noticed were spying.

[@LifeinJars]

Haha awesome

[@huldu]

What's so interesting about the crows, from what I've heard, is that they remember faces. If you were to keep doing this and you encounter the same crows they would eventually be used to you and not find you as a threat.

[@tamarrajames3590]

They remember who they like, and who they don’t like…and they teach each generation who is good and bad too. They will harass a perceived enemy from the moment one sees him until they leave the area.🖤🇨🇦

[@drakehennig6239]

The gift bird brought you and the crow you called over that was on the antenna was really cool. And some good humor in there. I loved it!

[@Laarye]

Researchers often use Cheetos to attract them, as the bright orange color stands out and it is a rarer food to find, thus not only do they see it better, but learn that you are pretty much the only thing around that provides the tasty crunchies

[@LifeinJars]

That's funny

[@oliviaglass3843]

You may poison them with that manufactured artificial food products 😅

[@angierox6964]

I know they eat a lot of trash but if we are befriending and loving them, then I think we should serve them healthy food. No human chemical crap I also don’t think we should add salt etc

[@angierox6964]

13:38 Yeah! So Cool!

[@SarahMaeBea]

Oh my gosh, incredible. A gift after just 2 weeks? I didn't realize they were so bold/peanut motivated to accept your presence so readily! I definitely want to try this.

[@AmericaZass]

This video is great and taught me a lot, not only about corvids but about battling my own American ignorance and accepting that the accented man in the 3 piece suit befriending carrion birds is not a villain.

[@Cellticlink]

The added mouth cutout over your face😅 and " my neigbors don't want rats everywhere """for some reason"""" line. A Biologist through and through.

[@TechEreb]

I enjoyed this a lot! There's a lot of crows around my area and I've wanted to befriend them for a while. I leave raisins for them, but I don't know if they like raisins, or if they see me leave them food for them. People are saying bugs, dry dog food, seeds and unsalted nuts. I'll try everything but the bugs, as It'd be weird for me to carry around bugs, and idk if they prefer dead or alive bugs? Looking very suave my man and good luck with befriending the crows!

[@Methodician]

This is very interesting and something I have long wanted to try myself. I am inspired. I have a few suggestions you may consider... Firstly, you could put some sort of motion capture camera on your patio to track who visits and their behavior. Secondly, when you venture out to interact with your avian friends, you could wear something easily recognizable such as a special scarf or a certain coat so that they have more to go on than just your head (fun twist: adorn it with the gifts they bring you). For humans, different clothes seem normal, but I suspect a magpie is focused on the entire entity and their behaviors and patterns rather than just the face.

[@tamarrajames3590]

Crows do facial recognition big time. They did an experiment where people wore masks, and harassed the crows. When they would walk in the area with the mask, the crows would all dive bomb them and warn all the others that here was an enemy. When they went out without the mask, the crows left them alone.🖤🇨🇦

[@cherylj7460]

Love that idea! To adorn something with the gifts they’ve brought.

[@nadamuhsin7303]

The way to a corvid's heart is through their stomach😂😂😂😂😂😂.I laughed out loud. Don't know what is wrong with me

[@allisonj7197]

Corvids could theoretically absolutely discover where you live depending on how far away that park is from your apartment. If you are out on your balcony when they fly by from hanging out at the park or whatever they will recognize you as the park guy. Recognition wouldn't even really take time just gaining trust enough to approach you.

[@SpaceSoups]

Can't wait for þe 20th episode with you sitting on your balcony surrounded by corvids.

[@anga9495]

LOVE your new idea here! Please keep it up! Your all grown up. Aww I love to feed all our local mammals and birds, especially our crows and bunnies. The crows especially love the whole peanuts I leave out for the squirrels. However, they'll happily share the mixed grain, nut & seed mix I put out for the many birds and animals we have locally. Our crows and bunnies 100% know me and don't get scared by me after years of doing this. My yard is a safety zone for them.

[@AlanaBananaCanada]

"I think he doesn't like raisins" Relatable.

[@karlharvymarx2650]

There used to be a lot of Florida Scub Jays at my grandfather's house. If you held your middle finger out and used thumb and index to hold a peanut, they would perch on the middle finger to eat it. They are in the Corvidae family. When they got their fill, they would stay on your finger wanting to be pet a little and to just sort of hang out. I don't know if the friendliness is a trait of their kind or if someone had tamed the group. Sadly their habitat was destroyed to build houses and I never saw them again after that. I was on good terms with a local murder of crows when I lived out west. They seemed to warm up to me just because I passed by them every day walking to work and made a point of saying hi and tried to respect their personal space. I didn't feed them. I'm pretty sure some from the group would follow me to work and from time to time even look in the windows to see what I was up to, I guess. Befriending as many as you are, I think you may eventually get a taste of crow Beatlemania. I'm imagining 20-50 following you everywhere you go. Where I live now, the crows aren't trusting at all. I suspect their experiences with humans weren't good, angry farmers perhaps. I might try out your technique to see if they warm up to me. How important is it to wear a suit?

[@VFL0519]

Florida Scrub Jays are almost extinct now from habitat loss. I had to climb the sand dunes around Lake Wales to find any. They were playful and unafraid though

[@yipperson2974]

as an australian, it is quite weird to see someone try to be noticed by magpies. usually we put our helmets on and hoodies up when we see them

[@amab2738]

😂

[@thrillhouse4151]

Wow I think this is the first time I’ve seen Life In Jars in the flesh, a successful pupation, a brilliant adult specimen.

[@jonBrown-k4p]

thanks, really cool, I've got a few interesting crow stories as we've interacted and have observed them over the years...

[@lordsofkobol7385]

Oh?

[@jonBrown-k4p]

@@lordsofkobol7385 okay, stuck in traffic in winter snow observing a squirrel on roadside shadowed by a crow, squirrel sniffing all around starts to dig, up comes acorn and crow jumps over rodent, grabs nut and flies. I think squirrel knew 1st nut was for his friend...i have a better story than that though...

[@wind_king-lh8zs]

I love your suit and I have loved your videos for a while but with the start of this series I think I will subscribe

[@LifeinJars]

Omg finally

[@toadallytcg1109]

The reason why pigeons especially get so close is because we domesticated them for messenger pigeons, pigeon racing, and lived as pets for centuries. Ducks have also always been in close contact with humans also since people typically feed them at ponds ect.

[@gafrers]

Professor Jar in action with Crows. Soon he'll have an Army of them to do his bidding

[@qwasedral]

This the most OG youtube video ive seen in months

[@yusufalfyfer9415]

I had a pet jackdaw as a kid on the farm I stupidly took one out of the nest in an old chimney it used to follow me everywhere. It would sit on my shoulder as I peddled along on my bike had it for about 7/8 years before it never turned up broke my heart lol 🤣🤣

[@daspi]

Really looking forward to new episodes in this great series!

[@watermelon5521]

I thought I was tripping when I saw the final shot was just a still image of you sitting 😂

[@LifeinJars]

Yeah I forgot to say some stuff

[@wiremonkeyshop]

Ready for the next installment please. Any more progress?

[@somedude5951]

What crows like most to eat, is big spiders. They also appreciate the worms you can buy in pet stores. Nice to see, they also love peanuts.

[@tamarrajames3590]

They like bits of raw meat too, and love chicken hearts.🖤🇨🇦

[@AlanaBananaCanada]

I've been trying to befriend the ravens near my house by leaving them shiney things and cawing at them. My neighbors hate what im doing.

[@byquette9504]

We had chickens trained to come when we called. And when they were free roaming they only really cared about us once we called. So I really think that adding a call to your feeding is a great idea and is going to make it a bit easier.

[@payt01]

I've been feeding a group of crows, magpies and the occasional jackdaw peanuts on my hike aroiund the local lake. I've been doing that for a couple of years now. usually when I park my car, they've already recognized my car and sit waiting on a nearby lamppost or tree for me to get out of my car and feed them peanuts. Initiually they'll eat the peanuts, but at some point they've had enough and they start hiding them for later use. Corvids are interesting and funny creatures. During my hike they'll sometimes zoom right past me, flapping their wings extra hard to let me know they're still around. Or they'll land right in front of me to let me know they want a peanut. They all have their own little personality traits. Crows always stay a little skittish, while magpies tend to get a little closer. When magpies have several unshelled peanuts to choose from, they will try and weigh a couple to see which one they like the best (usually the biggest one which contains the most peanuts), grab it and fly off. Anyway there have been a couple of times when I had the impression a crow tried to land on me, but that seems to be a big step for them. After all they are wild critters.. Maybe you'll be more lucky in that regard. All the best to you!

[@tambaloneusderpaloneus6626]

Here in Australia people befriend our local magpie (which are not the same as elsewhere but I am forgetting what ours are specifically) but we are told not to feed them minced meat but instead give them whole insects because they feed their young and if not given something that has all the nutrients their young need then they don't develop properly and it's a problem. I am not sure what the birds in your area need specifically but I would bet on there being a few great sources of local information around. Good luck with your new friends, may they bring you lots of joy :)

[@HaukeLaging]

Insects are probably the healthiest food for them (they do not prefer insects, though). But feeding them is not just about quality but about quantity. Providing them with a variety of food solves most of the problem. Minced meat is fine for adult crows but contains too much fat for their chicks. Give them (unseasoned) meat, fish, and egg yolk (and the shell for its calcium). Those are easy to handle in large quantities. And if you provide them with enough food then they save a huge amount of time looking for food, are not forced to eat garbage (or give it to their young) and can use the saved time for hunting insects.

[@getahanddown]

Wow your magpies are so delicate looking! Ours (New Zealand) look like crows with white panels

[@maycontainnuts3127]

in the UK it is tradition that a Magpie alone is seen as bad luck, to alleviate luck, one must salute the Magpie and greet him most graciously, inquiring on his health and that of his family. "How do you do, Mr Magpie, Sir? How goes your lady wife and darling children?" or other such greetings, and for some, just a salute can suffice.

[@michellecorson6025]

Oh my God...I am not the only one!!! I just watched your video. I live in France and around 2020 started the same experiment for the same reasons. The magpies and crows follow me around the neighborhood when I am out. At this point I cannot leave the house without a pocket-full of peanuts. They call to me, sit on low branches and flutter their wings to let me know they are present. I am so very smitten. I am so jealous that you were given a gift! I have yet to experience this. I have learned that magpies and crows will bury food for later, just like squirrels. I have found a few peanuts and moldy dried dog food in the soil in plants on my balcony. How cute is that! Please continue posting. (It was difficult to keep my comment short because I now have years of corvid data.)

[@blackbird7889]

My partner and I feed the crows around our neighbourhood. Sadly we aren't allowed to feed them directly off our balcony but we throw them unshelled peanuts (and sometimes walnuts and other nuts when the stores put them out in the winter) when we walk around. We aren't the only people who feed them either. I've seen them actively pester people who have obviously been feeding them for awhile XD. I believe people started feeding them here because they were being quite aggressive in the nesting season. Seems to have shown them that people are not enemies lol

[@LifeinJars]

Haha nice

[@purpleworm4725]

When i lived in Helsinki, Finland I had befriended a crow couple. They would fly to me every time I left my house. If i didn't have peanuts on me, they would wait until I went to the store to get them. They would also occasionally follow me home and sit on the bench next to the entrance until I brought out a snack :) I sometimes think if they miss me...or the snacks :D

[@imthesweetgirl]

thats a cool gift they got you. it got shiny, it got shape✨⚙✨...RRHEUGH!!!

[@mefreakenow498]

Oh my goodness !!! I cannot tell you how happy this video made me. The feeling you must have felt when you first realized what you were doing worked. I know just watching it work for you was awesome, I love crows. I am going to check out pt2 now. Thank you for making this video.

[@jordanrich4850]

I hope to do this too with the crows and ravens that live near my home.

[@FiltyIncognito]

Hah, nice humor. Yeah most prey animals tend to be instinctually cautious when eating or drinking. It's a moment of vulnerability that predators can easily capitalize on. A technique you might want to try to get them to recognize and react to you more is, rather than approaching, stopping and feeding them a lot, walk through their area of observation, give them a bit of food in the same spot and walk away. If they display a behavior you like or leave you a little gift, drop off more food. Also try to hang out near their area without feeding them, sometimes. Always keep a distance, try not to move body parts in their direction, and try not to point your head or body directly at them. It's so you don't trigger their prey instincts. Let them determine the pace of things. Even if you get them to land on you someday, don't reach over and try to touch them. The purpose is for them to register you as passive being in their environment, and that you aren't a GUARANTEED source of food but a CONDITIONAL one.

[@TerraTinkering]

This was a lot of fun to watch! That is so cool that you already have gotten a gift!!! We had started to try and befriend our local neighborhood crows, but they started getting SUPER demanding haha. They would sit and just make an absolute racket at like 5am demanding more nuts. Our neighbors were starting to complain so we had to stop before any gifts unfortunately.

[@tamarrajames3590]

They can definitely be like that. Best to make friends on a walking path or in a park. I used to have one that tap danced on my neighbour’s metal covered edge of the garage roof that was outside my window.🖤🇨🇦

[@TerraTinkering]

@@tamarrajames3590 Next time I think making friends with them out and about is definitely the way to go with this. We just did it on our balcony haha. I bet the one on the metal roof made a whole lot of noise. Ours were also greedy, we had a small tray of nuts out one of them would try and grab as many as he could before flying off, but really just managed to toss most of them off the balcony before flying off with like 2 lol!

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@TerraTinkering it is all a big game of who can get the most lol. My tap dancer did indeed make much noise, and knew I would wake, and put out the goodies to curtail his performance lol.🖤🇨🇦

[@LifeinJars]

Good to hear from you guys again! That's definitely something to keep in mind.

[@-..l]

A pigeon brought me a penny. It was so cool. I had been feeding a bunch of pigeons, a few got scared by some annoying kids running at them, and flew off and some came back, and then a pigeon dropped me a penny before it went off to go eat the rest of the chips I was dropping for the pigeons. Lays potato chips to be specific. It’s too bad all the pigeons looked almost identical, so after that one pigeon dropped me the penny and went to go eat with the other pigeons, I lost sight of which one it was :( I still got the penny.

[@Horus9339]

We have an entire (Edited wrong collective - murder) Clatter of Jackdaws coming to our bird feeder to eat the mealworms, in winter they liked the suet/seed balls. They are beautiful birds and have left us several shiny gifts. Keep up the great work. (Wales UK)

[@tamarrajames3590]

A group of jackdaws, among other collective terms is best known as a clatter here, crows are a murder, and ravens are an unkindness. I love them all.🖤🇨🇦

[@ayylien3070]

I'm amazed they already left you a present. Their ability to appreciate shows how intelligent they are.

[@thornhedge9639]

I always loved the life in jars video's. Now this. You are turning out to be a regular Dr Doolittle. Very impressive! I look forward to your future endeavors! :)

[@nizzie0267]

I'm tearing up over the little gift! I love corvids, and befriending one would be a dream come true, but I also am too scared of getting in trouble for feeding wildlife or messing up the natural ecosystem to ever try this myself. So I will enjoy the experience through your videos. Best of luck!

[@marsbron767]

Crows said “heres a tip”

[@zeshwonsos]

I've wanted to do this! Maybe I'll learn some good tips. Nice work

[@snakehead214]

Love the pace of the video and the topic too. Any idea how often this series will show up?

[@LifeinJars]

No clue, depends on the birds I guess :)

[@Ernoiserniet]

In 2007 I lived in Australia for half a year. The first week I was in that country I found a magpie youngling that fell out of it's nest. To protect it from all the deadly Australian animals we took it in and fed it mealworms daily untill it was able to fly. When we released it, it's parents started attacking us to protect their lost child. It was an amazing experience to see the protective nature of the Australian Magpie and to take care of a corvid.

[@justbeeeb2061]

Very nice, I hope you end up with a big friend group of corvids

[@tamarrajames3590]

They will love him.🖤🇨🇦

[@caryreed1563]

I'm sure dressing so distinguished will help them distinguish (Lol) you from everyone else!