I've been out of the country for two weeks and just saw these posts as I was scanning Birdingonthe.net to see what was happening in the basin.
Carol, very nice images! The crow was not amusing itself or playing with the vole, it was trying its best to kill and eat it. Crows love to eat mice, but they, quite frankly, make lousy predators. Crows do not have the weapons to efficiently catch or kill anything larger than a small lizard. They try hard, but they're not very good at it. Crows do not have the talons or foot strength to do any internal damage to a vole with their feet, and in fact will try to keep their feet well away from its teeth. Nor do they have the hooked beak or bite strength of a hawk to kill it that way. All they can do is peck the prey in the back of the head, and that is difficult to arrange. I think, but am not sure, that crows may stun their prey some by biting them behind the head first, then pecking. Getting a hold on the back of the head without getting bitten is tricky! I would interpret your pictures as a crow making attempts to get to the vole's neck, but getting frightened in the process and tossing the mouse before it could bite. The meadow voles love snow and will breed prodigiously all winter if they can do it under cover. When the snow melts crows are quick to take advantage of the uncovered burrows and runways and will seek out voles. Best, Kevin **************************************************** Ithaca, NY 14850 k...@cornell.edu<mailto:k...@cornell.edu> http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/ Subject: RE: crow behavior From: Meena Haribal <mmh3 AT cornell.edu> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:23:22 -0500<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> I think in general many animals behave in similar manner with their preys. Cat <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> plays with the mouse till it is dead, actually it is not game for cat but it is <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> making sure the mouse is killed. Here is a link to a similar behavior by a <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Great Egret at Bensten Rio Grande State park in Texas. <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> http://picasaweb.google.com/mharibal/TexasGreatEgret#5447545396804630162<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> I have some video footage too.<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> The egret initially seemed little lost as to how to handle this creature or it <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> was considering if the creature is dead as the smart rodent just clung limply <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> there. The egret tried to kill it by beating it to the ground and the rodent <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> clung to its life and beak of the egre. Finally rodent got away. Egret was not <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> very happy with itself in the end. <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Meena Haribal<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Ithaca NY<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> http://haribal.org/<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> -----Original Message-----<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> From: bounce-5419862-3493976 AT list.cornell.edu <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> [mailto:bounce-5419862-3493976 AT list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Carol Keeler <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:01 PM<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> To: cayugabirds<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] crow behavior<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Hi all,<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> I was out bird watching and photographing when I came upon some <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> interesting crow behavior which I tried to photograph. You can see 4 <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> of the images beginning with this image.<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> http://www.pbase.com/image/122666482<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> There is an explanation of what I saw below the first image. Any <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> comments or explanations from our crow experts would be welcome.<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Thanks!<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Carol Keeler<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> Auburn<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> --<http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> <http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/> -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
