The Old Crow

A week ago at the hotel I watched a sick crow eating scraps thrown out in the parking lot. It could barely fly away and let me get within a few feet of it, a most unnatural, uncommon reaction to close human presence.

Many years ago West Nile virus swept through the Cities, and I had a sick crow that acted eerily similar to the crow that I saw 10 years ago. I did not want it to die under the evergreen tree so I shooed it into the neighbor's yard, but it came right back that night  to die under this shaded tree in the quiet back yard. I gathered it up, put it in a bag and put it in the garbage dumpster.

So, this past Sunday, I saw that sick crow again eating scraps of food left by guests out in the parking lot. I swung the van close and I noticed what looked like gray fuzz on top of its skull. It might be sick and close to death due to old age, rather than sickness.

It was being led by a healthy younger crow that led it to food, which it readily gulped down. This compassionate behavior stunned me. It could be that the old crow was a parent or a leader of the flock. It was an amazing pattern of behavior. The old crow surely cannot last the winter. If a coyote or fox find it on the ground, unable to fly, it may not make it to winter.