13 October 2025
My sixth floor windows are a good place to watch birds in flight. Last month I saw chimney swifts diving into Cathedral Mansions chimney (see chimney swifts video in 2020). This month Pittsburgh’s growing winter crow flock flies past my window on their way to the roost.
They’re Back!!!!
On Saturday 10 October I counted 3,000 crows but was too busy counting to take pictures.
Last night I captured lots of video which I stitched together for a minute+ of crows in flight. Crow fans will watch the whole thing but most of you will want to ditch out early without watching every single crow.
Several times in the video: Wondering why a single crow wheels, turns, and heads backward and down? He’s seen his buddies on the roof next door and wants to join them.
For now the crows are roosting somewhere near Pitt but as their numbers grow to 10,000 or 20,000 they’ll wear out their welcome and be urged to “move along” and change the roost. When that happens they won’t fly past my building anymore. The last few days have been a rare opportunity to count crows outside my window.
Hi Kate, yesterday around 4PM I saw an endless flock of crows like this on their way to roost for the night. I was taking a walk in Churchill Cemetery and stopped to watch and listen for a good 15 minutes. I wondered where they were headed to spend the night, so I did an internet search and found your blog. You posted this in October; I wonder if they are still roosting near Pitt. Fascinating! I love crows!
Janet, this week there were about 3,500 to 4,000 roosting in one block of Bigelow between Fifth and Forbes. I wonder if they are “your” crows. … 😉
Kate, enjoyed your comments today in the OF regarding crows – continued best to you, rickvac