BlO—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 26,1984 Common crows get little respect WASHINGTON - Long before they want to wake up, thousands of American suburbanites are aroused each day by the raucous caw of a living alarm clock, the common crow. He’s not exactly a newcomer to their neighborhoods. His family, in fact, lived there for something like 25 million years before the first split-level rambler was built. The family’s name is Corvidae, and the crow’s official title is Corvus brachyrhynchos. The most prevalent member of the clan, the bumptious, coal-black bird is well-known in every part of the United States. His cousins include ravens, jays, magpies, and nutcrackers. Thriving in Adversity Intelligence and adaptability have been the crow’s trademarks over the millennia. No other species of bird has been more reviled and persecuted. Yet none has thrived more effectively in adversity. As a result, the U.S. crow population continues to grow, despite poisons, pesticides, dynamite, and guns. While less hardy creatures are succumbing to man’s depredations, the number of crows flourishes. One recent estimate; 3 billion in North America. In times past, when farms dominated the American land scape, farmers cursed the ever hungry avian marauders for eating grain, fruit, eggs, and smaller birds. The farmers tended to overlook the services the crows performed by also eating mice, grubs, cutworms, and grasshop pers. As housing developments and shopping centers have replaced barnyards and cornfields, crows have learned new tricks. With their w I . BLACK 2. REP 3. y euow 4. BLUE 5. BROWN SKATEBOARDING} : If me IN 1962 (NNENTNIS SPORT SUDDENLY BacaMG POPULAR. ITHPS THE PO TENTIAL FOR ENJOYMENT, CNAUENGE, BEAUT/AND . Benefits the body, it CAN ALSO BE A DANGEROUS SPORT RESULTING INMAN/ INJURIES. MANY CITIES NAVE ENACTED ORDINANCES BANNING 7NIS SPORT, long, powerful beaks and strong claws, they can effortlessly slash open plastic garbage bags and strew the contents over manicured suburban lawns. But the irate homeowner who shakes his fist at the squawking bandit that taunts him from a nearby branch can also thank him for a few favors. That same crow reduces the insect population in the suburbanite’s yard. And he helps remove animal carcasses from streets and highways. Scorned Despite Favors All his good deeds, however, won’t win him any popularity contests among his human neighbors. The best he can hope for is a standoff. Since 1973, the crow has been protected as a migratory bird. Hunting him requires a license. Still, he sometimes must be dealt with firmly, if not lethaUy. When thousands of crows roosted in trees next to a restaurant in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Md., the harried owner spent considerable money for aggravated customers’ dry cleaning bills and car washes. He finally removed some of the trees and set off fireworks to scare away the remaining birds. Whatever deterrents people may try, they’re likely to be effective only until the crow gets used to them and adapts, experts agree. His intelligence and flexibility are unmatched m the bird world. Scarecrows scare him only briefly. He quickly learns what a gun is, and stays out of its range. Stories of his wit and mimicry abound. “They’re smart, they’re very smart,” says Eleanor D. Brown, a Smithsonian Institution research associate who specializes in crow language. Capable of imitating human voices as well as 6. PEACH 7. GREEN 8. LT BROWN 9. LT. BLUE 10. LT. GREEN Conceding that many people don’t like crows, Brown says with some irritation, “I think a lot of this stems from the fact that they watched Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ when they were at an im pressionable age.” Earlier this century, another naturalist, Edward Howe Forbush, also acknowledged the crow’s unpopularity among humans. But, Forbush concluded, “He is well worth knowing. Each crow is a character.” TRENTON, N.J. - In Springtime, young people’s fancies often turn to thoughts of camp. And young Mercer Countians, ages 9- 14, have an opportunity to attend the 4-H camp at Beemerville, in Sussex County. The 4-H camp is unusual for many reasons, not the least of which is the modest cost of $67 for the week of July 16-21. Another reason, even more significant, is the close supervision provided - one adult counselor for every 10 campers. Activities include the usual - swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts but 4-H provides, in ad dition, activities that demonstrate 0 the sounds of other birds and animals, crows have a complex and distinctive system of songs and calls, she says. Crows mate for life, and in dividual families develop their own identifiable quirks of com munication. Legend and tradition perpetuate the crow’s ominous reputation as a harbinger of evil, a portent of death. & " 9 Fill in the squares above with the colors of the birds in the list on the right. Then rearrange the letters in the column with heavy lines to find another bird. 4-H camp open to youth an appreciation of the natural environment, including working with some of the animals found on New Jersey farms. There is freedom to explore and learn, but the close guidance provides a degree of safety that is one of the hallmarks of the 4-H camp, earned over a 35-year experience in camp administration. If you want to go to camp, it’s easy to sign up. Call the 4-H office between 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Friday (989-6833) and ask for an application, or stop by and pick one up at 930 Spruce Street, Trenton. Orientation sessions for both parents and children are required, and have been scheduled a pp[q £ Aeiß /Y>o]]aA ? pai j Answer to heavily lined column cardinal for Tuesday, June 12 or We nesday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. at tl 4-H office. Here’s a change for a happ; educational and safe week - economical, too sure to be a enriching experience for an youngster, especially yours. "sr SLOW —-P Call Now To Place Your CLASSIFIED AD Fh-717 3*4 3047 or 717-47* 11*4 ' il