How to Attract Crows

Co-authored by Roger J. Lederer, PhD

Last Updated: August 14, 2024 Fact Checked

Crows are very bright creatures, one of the most intelligent animal species, and a group of crows, called a "flock" or a "murder," can be a useful addition to your yard. A small flock can keep plants free of insects and other pests, and their large size makes crows a deterrence to other predatory birds, like hawks. Attracting crows, and keeping them coming back, can be done quickly, and in an environmentally friendly way.

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Bringing Crows to Your Yard

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Crows will eat just about anything, so you are pretty safe regardless of the food you put out for them. To first attract crows, you will want something noticeable, like peanuts in the shell.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Roger J. Lederer, PhD
Ornithologist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2021.} Once they become regulars in your yard, you can use a wider variety of foods, including kibbled pet food or meat scraps. Crows can eat a lot of food, so don't be afraid to spread more if they eat it all.^{[2]
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Crows are easily spooked by random noises, so items like bells, wind chimes, and even squeaky loose gates can keep them away. Additionally, crows are frightened by reflective surfaces that move in the breeze, creating random flashes of light. Figures like scarecrows or owl decoys can be frightening to crows at first, but they are intelligent birds, and will not be fooled for long.^{[3]
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If it looks like one crow is in your yard, others will want to follow. It should appear natural and alive, and figures hung upside-down, or otherwise appearing dead, like some Halloween decorations, will scare them off.^{[4]
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Use crow calls. You can either purchase an electronic caller, or attempt using a hand caller yourself. There are a variety of different calls used by crows, many of which will draw a nearby group. Some popular calls are the Attention Call, the Rally Call, and the Distress Call, all of which will draw curious crows to your location.^{[5]
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- Hand calling is difficult, but can give you greater flexibility in calling and communication with the birds. Place the call between your thumb and index finger, making a cup around the end with your hands. Rather than blow through, you will want to make a growling noise into the call, as if you were clearing your throat.
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Create a roosting place. Crows like horizontal places to rest, like fences and tree branches. They are sociable birds, so you will need many places for them to sit and stay. Crows are large birds, so any roosting place should be very sturdy. Old fashioned concrete birdbaths can be very useful.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Roger J. Lederer, PhD
Ornithologist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2021.}
- You can also create an artificial structure if you do not have enough natural spaces. Drive or set poles into the ground, then place a cross-bar between them for more roosting room.

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Keeping Crows Coming Back

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Once you have started spreading food, create a regular feeding schedule. Crows are intelligent, and will quickly learn if you provide food regularly, and a regular source of food is very attractive to any wild animal.^{[7]
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Keep it in small, shallow containers for the crows and other birds to drink. You will want it to be sturdy, so that cats looking for a drink, or a bird, will not knock it over easily.^{[8]
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Research source} Make sure the water stays ice free during the winter.
Be patient. You may not get crows right away, as your food supplies may attract squirrels, blue jays, and other small birds. You may need to spread food for several days before crows follow the blue jays to your food supplies.

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What foods attract crows?

Roger J. Lederer, PhD
Ornithologist
Dr. Roger Lederer is an Ornithologist and the founder of Ornithology.com, an informative website about wild birds. Dr. Lederer has spent over 40 years teaching, studying, and writing about birds. He has traveled to over 100 countries to study birds. Dr. Lederer is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and has been a Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He has written more than 30 research papers and 10 books on birds and a textbook entitled “Ecology and Field Biology.” Dr. Lederer has consulted the BBC, National Geographic, National Public Radio, ABC News, the Guinness Book of World Records, and numerous other organizations and publications.

Roger J. Lederer, PhD

Ornithologist

Expert Answer

Leave out some larger food, like peanuts in the shell or sunflower seeds, for crows to find.

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Will a crow be good substitute for a friend?

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Depends on the friend. Any crow is probably better than an awful human friend.

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Do crows like corn on the cob?

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Yes. They like pretty much any food, as they are non-dieted animals and they are scavengers.

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Cats and dogs will not allow the crows to come to your yard. If you have a pet cat or dog keep him/her inside the house.

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If you want crows to help keep pests out of a garden, you may want to provide some covering to keep the birds from eating your plants.

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Crows can make a lot of racket. Make sure your neighbors are okay with it.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Crows are extremely smart and can even hold grudges, so treat them well! Studies have shown that they can recognize the faces of people they've met/seen before.
Don't feed them bread, even soaked in water. It's basically the same as candy for kids -- bread will fill the crows up, but it's not very nutritious for them.

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