Feeding crows a few times a week is often enough to befriend them (Image: Getty)
Crows are among the cleverest birds you'll encounter in your garden, and befriending them is surprisingly straightforward as long as you offer the right food. What makes crows so extraordinary is their ability to remember human faces, and if you treat them kindly, they'll often become regular visitors.
Gardeners frequently appreciate crows, as these opportunistic feeders will happily munch on numerous garden pests and, during summer, help eliminate slugs, leatherjackets and even flies. One of the most delightful reasons to feed crows is their occasional habit of leaving small tokens for humans who care for them — often shiny treasures they've discovered, such as pebbles, old coins or misplaced jewellery.
Bird photographer June Hunter has revealed that gaining a crow's trust is incredibly fulfilling, and the first step is simply to put out peanuts for them.
Crows are very clever and are known to befriend humans if you feed them the right food(Image: Getty)
She said: "A safe bet is to feed a crow shelled peanuts. They seem to like this. But you don't want to feed crows bread because it fills them up but doesn't contain proper nutrients."
Many people put bread out for birds, but it's actually one of the worst things to give them, as it fills their stomachs without providing any nutritional benefit.
This can lead to malnutrition and digestive problems, but bread can also absorb significant moisture, which can prove very harmful for birds during summer.
Peanuts are packed with calories and loaded with fats and proteins, making them a favourite among crows, as they provide a high-energy food source that keeps them satisfied without needing to forage constantly throughout the day.
Crows are also natural problem-solvers and will relish the challenge of working out how to crack open peanuts using their feet.
That said, you should only offer birds unsalted and unflavoured peanuts, preferably purchased from a pet shop or the pet section of a supermarket.
Birds are unable to process salt in the same way humans do, and even a tiny amount can place excessive strain on their kidneys, potentially causing serious harm or even proving fatal.
Crows are useful to have in your garden as they will eat up many summer pests(Image: Getty)
Once you've got the appropriate food, it's crucial to maintain consistency and feed crows at the same time and in the same location.
Crows possess remarkable memories and will remember anyone who feeds them regularly, though they shouldn't be fed daily, as they are wild creatures and doing so can discourage their natural foraging behaviour.
It's advisable to feed crows no more than three times weekly to establish trust without creating dependency, and over time they'll recognise you and become frequent visitors to your garden.
Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.
