Black crows – making our environment work better!

August 24, 2022

If you haven’t seen the black crow, it is likely you have heard them before!

The call of the crow is unmistakable .. it is a loud and deep booming “caw” sound. Crows are an easy to recognise large black bird with shiny feathers and they are often found around urban areas and cities.

Crows are a bird species that has a reputation for being highly intelligent, adaptable and empathetic. Unfortunately, they are often disliked due to a reputation for being destructive, however, it may surprise you that not only do crows make our environment work better, they are critical to supporting our urban landscape with waste management!

See below five ways crows are integral to our environment!

Contributing to the balance of our ecosystem

Crows are an integral link in nature’s cycle, helping to maintain a balance between predators and prey. Crows feed on pests and worms for survival and increase the diversity of species in the areas they are located.

Masters of waste management

As humans have developed urban landscapes and cities, the intelligent crow has largely abandoned rural areas for the safety of urban settlements where there is an abundance of food that is readily available. Put simply, crows feed on waste for survival and help clean up organic disposal.

Crows feed on food and scattered garbage, eating the organic waste and cleaning our garbage which when accumulated can often become toxic and breed diseases that humans are susceptible to.

Saviours of disease

These masters of waste management help protect humans from potential diseases that may develop from garbage. Crows feed on fruits and vegetables that are rotting and in the process reduce or eliminate organic waste. With the reduction or elimination of waste, germs, fungus and bacteria are either eliminated or cannot develop, and as such diseases are eradicated or stopped from developing.

Natural pesticides

Crows are protectors of pests! Toxic and costly pesticides are often used to protect crops and farms! The crow is nature’s non-toxic solution. They feed on pests, worms and larvae, which provide cleaner produce.

Supports seed dispersion

In addition to being nature’s natural pesticide, it also helps nature grow. As crows feed on a variety of waste, vegetation and organic material, they develop clean, highly nutritious droppings which can be spread through different habitats, starting new vegetation or helping restore habitats.

Crows help keep our environment free of waste and eliminate decaying animals. This in turn helps to reduce the bacteria which inevitably can lead to to diseases.

References

At the Bird Advocacy Foundation (BAF), we promote better outcomes for our native bird species. We work with a range of partners to drive new initiatives which promote the availability of food, water and shelter for the preservation of our bird wildlife. Our research suggests that many challenges faced between humans and birds can be remedied with proactive planning and the implementation of wildlife support strategies.