GETTING THE CROWS IN A FLAP
THE QUARRY
CARRION CROW
Corvus corone
PEST STATUS: A major problem for farmers, especially in the spring, crows peck the eyes from newborn lambs. They also feed on the eggs and chicks of other birds, and on newly drilled crops.
HABITAT: Crows have a wide range of habitat, but feed mostly around farmyards, in woodland and on arable crops. They favour nesting sites in tall trees either in woods or along hedgerows.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Crows are sharp-eyed and very wary of man. Getting within range usually takes a high level of fieldcraft and concealment.
Crow control becomes particularly important during late winter and early spring. Lambing season is just about to get into full swing and these opportunistic scavengers don’t take long to home in on vulnerable lambs. The powerful birds usually go for lambs’ eyes first, and even if their attacks are not fatal, the wounds from their strong stabbing breaks are so severe that the animals they prey on have to be put down.
It’s not just lambs that suffer though — crows are also relentless nest thieves, and know very well that eggs and chicks provide them with a rich source of protein. It is a natural part of life in the wild, but if numbers of corvids are allowed to climb too high, they
