The Crow Report

Crows gathering to roost in a tree near the Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)
Crows gathering in a roosting tree near the Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)

The black silhouettes in this tree near the Cathedral of Learning are not leaves. They’re crows.

Pittsburgh’s crow population has swelled since the weather turned cold last weekend.  On Monday I counted 4,000 flying into Oakland from the south, pausing on the roof of Carnegie Museum before heading to their final destination.

American crows gather on the roof of Carnegie Museum, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)
American crows gather on the roof of Carnegie Museum, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)

I couldn’t even see the crows arriving from east, west and north but distant trees at Schenley Farms were coated with crows and hundreds, perhaps thousands, gathered on the rooftops north of Fifth Avenue.  My cellphone barely captured a look at them as night was falling.

Crows fly at dusk, Fifth Avenue in Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)
Crows fly at dusk, north of Fifth Avenue in Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)

Where did they roost?  I didn’t stay long enough to find out, but they left their evidence behind.

On Tuesday Claire Staples sent me photos from St. Paul’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.  The crows left a mess on the wall and sidewalk below the stately London plane trees.

Evidence of the crow roost near St. Paul's Cathedral, Nov 14, 2017 (photo by Claire Staples)
Evidence of the crow roost near St. Paul’s Cathedral, Nov 14, 2017 (photo by Claire Staples)
Sidewalk evidence of the crow roost near St. Paul's Cathedral, Nov 14, 2017 (photo by Claire Staples)
Sidewalk evidence of the crow roost near St. Paul’s Cathedral, Nov 14, 2017 (photo by Claire Staples)

For now the crows are roosting near Fifth Ave and Craig Street but that will change.   They’re wearing out their welcome.

(photos by Kate St. John and Claire Staples)

4 thoughts on “The Crow Report

  1. Where do they feed and what do the eat Kate? In the UK we had huge flocks of Starlings descending on urban centers. I remember their noisy chatter in Newcastle.

    1. Elizabeth, the crows travel up to 30 miles to find food. They are particularly fond of landfills.

  2. Once when my English friend was visiting, I referred to the “sanitary landfill”. She said, “What’s that?” I searched my British English vocabulary and said, “the tip.”

    1. The language differences in English can be odd. “The tip” in England is the dump; “the tip” in America is the gratuity.

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