Originally aired January 18, 2017
Crows are the stuff of movies, mysteries and dark lore. They are also smart, gregarious birds with fascinating habits including a gathering called the winter roost when thousands of crows group together late in the day.
Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland drove all around West Lebanon, New Hampshire, to follow a group of crows to a huge night roost.
There are many theories about why a flock of these birds is called a murder of crows, but what is for sure is the sight and deafening sound are breathtaking.
WATCH: A Murder Of Crows Gathering Late In The Day
- More on the etymology of the phrase "a murder of crows."
- Report your American Crow and other bird sightings at Vermont eBird, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life.
- View a map of recent American Crow sightings reported to Vermont eBird.
- Add your photographs and observations of winter roosts to the Crows of Vermont project on iNaturalist.
- Learn more about American Crows at All About Birds.
Outdoor Radio is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Center For Ecostudies and is made possible by the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.
