Serious Question! I live about 10 minutes outside of town, and I want to befriend my local crows. However, I’m not sure how to go about it because any attempt to feed them would just open the buffet to our a*hole blue jay cousins and bully squirrels. So how do I feed my future friends but not the neighborhood riffraff?
Pic of our local flock of turkeys for visibility!
Since crows are pretty smart maybe you could try placing treats in one of those puzzle pet toys (or make your own)? They’d probably enjoy the challenge and it might deter invaders, although the Jays (being corvids themselves) might figure it out, too.
Otherwise, you’re limited to putting out treats to when they’re nearby and can see you doing so. They’re quite skittish though, so avoid looking at or towards them while doing so. Eventually they should acclimate to your putting food out and get more comfortable with you.