Let Me Get That Fly for You
Crows use their beaks to get at those itchy spots their mates can’t quite reach. They do this to help with grooming and removing mites, flies, and other annoying things. This behavior is called allopreening.
Some experts believe allopreening is also a way crows show affection. Because nothing says I love you like, “I just ate a fly off your back.”
When you look, you see.
As I mentioned in Copper’s Distract Fact about crow mobbing, American crows live in cities and rural areas throughout the United States, so you’ve got a great chance of finding some crows near you. All you need is a few trees and a good listening ear and you’ll likely find them by their familiar caws.
To see crows allopreening, you’ll of course need to spot a pair together, usually perched on a branch. You are more likely to see a pair allopreening during nesting season, which would generally be in the spring. There are other birds who allopreen as well, but since crows are so abundant you might find it easier to find them picking those bugs off one another.
In his book In the Company of Crows and Ravens, crow expert extraordinaire John Marzluff mentions that allopreening is very common in primates but more rare in birds. Keep your eyes peeled on the trees when you get outside and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to see it!
Take your pick.
I’ve picked out some resources below that you might want to nibble on. Hopefully, you’ll pluck out some more insight into crow relationships.
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- The BirdNote audio stories are always fun, and this one tells you all about allopreening: https://www.birdnote.org/show/crows-preening
- BirdNote also has a video of a pair of crows you can watch of two crows grooming those feathers and picking those flies. That’s amore! https://www.birdnote.org/video/2014/02/american-crows-preening
- Audubon’s online field guide will fill you in on lots of interesting crow behaviors, including allopreening and the fact that crow parents sometimes get help from their other offspring to help raise new little ones! https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-crow
- Want more crow behavior goodness? Take a stroll through Cornell University’s All About Birds to glean more stuff about crows, including where they like to live, eat, and sound like. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/lifehistory