Have you ever gone to look for a American Crow roost in the United States? In winter, crows gather by the thousands for form large roosts and sleep in the winter time. Some will travel as far as 20 miles during the day to forage, but return in late afternoon.

American Crow

It seems that more and more, American Crows are choosing to roost in urban areas. It could be that they are less likely to be shot at and driven away or there are fewer natural predators to disturb them at night.  Now matter how you slice it, seeing a crow roost in an urban area gets the attention of non birders.

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We have a large crow roost in downtown Minneapolis it takes forever for them to finally settle into sleep. It’s strange to walk under bare-limbed trees at night while hundreds of crows sleep directly overhead.

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There are websites that track crow roosts because there’s still quite a bit we don’t know about them.  If you haven’t checked out a crow roost do.  Yes, these are common birds, yes they sometimes eat eggs and baby birds (even woodpeckers do that) but it’s unbelievable to see that much bird mass in one spot. It gives those Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska a run for their money.

Written by Birdchick
Sharon Stiteler was given a Peterson Field Guide to Birds when she was seven years old and snapped. She loves birds - it’s just the way she’s wired. Since 1997, she has made it her goal to get paid to go birding. She runs the popular birding blog, Birdchick.com, and has been in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and on NBC Nightly News as well as making regular appearances on Twin Cities’ TV and radio stations. She’s a professional speaker and story-teller and her writing can be found in several publications including WildBird Magazine, Outdoor News, and Birding Business. She wrote the books 1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know, Disapproving Rabbits and City Birds/Country Birds. When she’s not digiscoping, tweeting or banding birds, she’s a part-time park ranger and award-winning beekeeper.