I can see a large walnut tree from my window. Each fall, the local crows and jays find creative ways to get hold of and feed on the walnuts and it’s a lot of fun to watch them. Corvids are highly intelligent birds, and it’s fascinating to observe how they apply different methods to open the nuts, how they banter and try to steal them from each other, and once the nut is won, cache or store their food in different places. I’ve been gifted a few walnuts in my flower boxes too (they’re really yummy – sorry, my corvid friends!).
I’ve tried to sketch a bit of this spectacle the other day.
The crows do a really good job at selecting and loosening the nuts from their husks and picking them up with their beaks. Usually, they fly to a safe place and try to pry open the nut by fastening it between the feet and attacking it strategically with the beak. Often fellow crows will investigate this and try to steal the nut. Mostly, this looks very playful to me, in the same way that the local magpies will jump from the chimney into gusts of wind and sore for a few meters, just to do it all again. It’s one of their favorite games. There are also other more creative ways of nut-opening. One involves flying up very high and then letting the nut drop on a hard surface. Sometimes the crows let nuts fall directly on streets where they get opened by passing cars. Loose nut shells are rolling around everywhere in the neighborhood. Another method involves the rainwater pipe, although I’m not sure how, maybe it’s just a place to stabilize the nut from rolling away, or another caching place. There are a lot of nuts in our rain gutters right now.
Caching, or food storing, is a method used by many animals. Crows like to cache their food when no-one is watching, and they make sure to cover the nuts with leaves and walk around inconspicuously after the deed. Whether that’s learned behaviour or the birds are aware of their fellow crows’ plans to steal the food, science is not yet decided. In any case, it’s a lot of fun to watch and sketch the birds in action.
More resources can be found in these fabulous books on ravens by Bernd Heinrich, or if you want to learn more about sketching birds, this class by me:
Bernd Heinrich – Mind of the Raven
Bernd Heinrich – Ravens in Winter
How to draw birds
Julia,
I found your page of sketches of corvid caching behaviors to be wonderfully accurate and informative while delightfully charming illustrations as well, both in terms of the actual sketches and in the well-balanced but pleasant and natural layout of the images on the page. Very inspiring and lovely work. Thank you so much for sharing them and your suggestions for drawing birds.
Sincerely,
Roy
Thank you so much Roy, much appreciated!
I enjoy your blog, nature journal and YouTube channel so much. My husband and I love watching the birds from our kitchen window. They’re entertaining, diverse and beautiful. Thanks for your Corvid observations!
Thank you so much DeeAnn, I’m really happy to hear that! Yes, watching birds from the window is one of the most enjoyable pastimes there is, isn’t it?
I thoroughly enjoyed your sketches and descriptions of the birds in action. Finding walnuts in your flower beds reminds me of what is happening around here. My neighbor feeds the squirrels peanuts so every once in a while I find a peanut in my raised garden beds. That always makes me smile..
Thank you Gerry! Yes, squirrels also seem to be highly forgetful of their food caches, and they are so entertaining to watch. 🙂
This is such a good description of what goes on in our Walnut tree every fall. What the with squirrels and the crows it is a race to get the walnuts picked up before they are secreted away. Luckily it is quite an old and prolific tree and usually there are lots for everyone. The crows are particularly interesting to watch and this year we had a pair of Stellar Jays also looking for walnuts.
Your posts are always so interesting….thank you
Oh that sounds like there is a lot going on in your tree. 🙂 Our crows and a few jays are the only contenders here. Stellar jays are amazingly beautiful birds!
Hi Julia,
Always a pleasure to read you and view your youtube channel. This is so peaceful, thanks a lot.
You’re welcome and thank you!