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How to Attract Crows to Your Yard – 16 Amazing Tips!

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It may sound different to your ears, but if you are a bird lover, you must know that crows, like other birds, add joy to your yard.

As a bird lover, you must not have an issue with any of them visiting your yard, be it a pigeon, sparrow, parrot, or crow.

But why is this guide only about how to attract crows to your yard?

Crows are interesting creatures that can add a bit of excitement to your yard. Other than this, there are many benefits to having crows around. While some people may see them as a garden nuisance, they can help control garden pests, aerate the soil, and even provide you with entertainment.

Have you ever thought of that?

This article has a lot of exciting facts about crows and the benefits they provide to your yard.

If you’re interested in attracting crows to your yard, this guide is for you. Keep reading to learn how to attract crows to your yard!

Two black crows—how to attract crows to your yard
How to attract crows to your yard? – Image via Ralph.

Why Should You Know How to Attract Crows to Your Yard?

Many people are here just to read the ultimate guide on attracting crows to their yards.

They already enjoy the sight and sound of crows and want to have them in their yards. In contrast, others may find the title catchy and are interested in knowing why one would have crows in his yard.

Crows are famous for eating leftover food, rotten fruits, etc.

So, it won’t be wrong to say that they clean up your garden mess by eating the discarded fruits on the grass carpet. The sight of food not being wasted and consumed by a living being gives you a feeling of satisfaction, right?

You must have witnessed that crows are common in many yards. You may see them perching on the branches of trees or hopping along the ground.

They often eat from your dog/cat food bowls or other human-provided food sources. Therefore, attracting some of these black birds to your yard can be an excellent choice!

How to Attract Crows to Your Yard?

It is essential to know how to attract crows to your yard, whether you enjoy crows or want them to remove food waste from your yard.

So, let’s learn!

If you enjoy the sight and sound of crows, there are a few things you can do to encourage them to visit your yard.

With the following tips, patience, and effort, you can soon have crows visiting your yard regularly.

1.     Food Source

Crows are attracted to areas where there is food available.

So, one of the best ways to attract crows is to offer them a food source. You can do this by putting out a bird feeder filled with their favorite foods.

Crows are omnivorous, and they will eat just about anything!

You can provide them with any food source, from a bird feeder to some meat scraps as crow bait. You may also tempt them with the proper treats.

Some of the best food options for crows include:

  • Raw peanuts
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Cracked corn
  • Leftover pasta
  • Bread Crusts
  • Fruit (especially apples and berries)
  • Leftover rice
  • Cooked chicken or other meat

If you offer crows any of these foods, they will likely be attracted to your yard in search of a tasty meal.

Just be sure to put the food in an open area so the crows can easily see and access it. If you have a fruit/vegetable garden, your garden is an open compost to attract birds, and no one can resist these creatures lingering in your yard.

2.    Lay Down Eggs

You can lay down chicken and duck eggs in your yard’s ground to attract crows.

You must have heard about crows stealing eggs from other birds’ nests. These intelligent yet savage birds enjoy eating those eggs or playing with them.

Laying small artificial eggs can also do the trick!

3.    Feeding Schedule

Crows are brilliant birds, and they quickly learn patterns. Therefore, if you start feeding them at the same time each day, they will soon catch on and start showing up on cue.

Here is a pro tip: Create a regular feeding schedule if you want to attract crows to your yard. And to create a regular feeding schedule, choose a time of day that you can stick to reasonably well.

For crows, early mornings/early evenings, or late afternoons are usually best. As far as the food is concerned, just put out a small amount, nothing too elaborate.

Although these smart birds are not attracted to bird feeders like smaller birds, a bird feeder with strong perches and enough room may attract crows.

Related article: Why Aren’t Birds Coming to My Feeder? | 7 Reasons for Them Doing So!

It would help if you were patient and consistent with your crow feeding schedule, and before long, you will have feathered friends visiting your yard regularly.

Garden birdbath with wild bird seed—how to attract crows to your yard
How to attract crows to your yard? Staying consistent with providing feed to the crows can help you attract them to your yard—Image via Robert Woeger.

4.    Ensure Water Availability

Another way to attract crows is to provide them with a water source.

  • Crows are attracted to water, and a small pond or bird bath attracts birds and adds aesthetic appeal to your garden.
  • Placing a birdbath in your yard is an excellent way to get crows to visit.
  • Be sure to keep the birdbath clean and filled with fresh water.
  • You can purchase a birdbath at your local store or online.
  • A shallow dish filled with water will also serve the same purpose giving crows a place to drink and bathe.
  • Be sure to place the birdbath where the crows can easily see it.

You may need to experiment with different locations to find the perfect spot!

5.     Suitable Habitat

If you see crows hovering around and want to draw them to your yard, you must go for crows’ favorite habitat.

Crows prefer areas with dense foliage, so planting trees and shrubs that provide this type of coverage will help entice them to your yard. Some species of trees and shrubs that crows like include junipers, pines, corns, maples, oaks, dogwoods, etc.

6.    Attractive Objects

Besides a natural environment with their favorite plants, you may attract crows through shiny and reflective objects.

Like other birds, the sunlight reflecting through various objects entices the crows. Old cd food wrappers, aluminum foil, plastic pieces, glassware, or coins are the few objects that lure crows.

Moreover, embellishing your yard with decorative objects builds trust between you and your feathery friends.

7.     Roosting Ground

Once you have got the crow’s attention, make sure you have some perching spots available.

Crows are very social creatures and love to roost in large groups above the landscape.

You can provide them with a safe and comfortable roosting ground by creating a simple platform out of wood or other materials. If you have large trees around, you don’t need to go for another roosting ground; trees will serve the purpose best!

Please ensure the platform is large enough to accommodate several birds and place it in a spot safe from predators.

Furthermore, crows like to feel safe in a new area

 Ensure your trees have dense foliage by cutting down the pruning so the crows can have somewhere to perch and hide if they want.

8.    Place Decoy Crows

You can place some decoy crows in your yard to attract more of these fascinating birds.

  • Crows are social birds and like to be in a place where they see their community members.
  • Hence decoy crows help lure the hovering crows to your yard.
  • You can purchase these decoys at any garden or bird supply store.
  • Be sure to position the decoys to make them visible from a distance.

You may need to move the decoys around occasionally to keep the crows interested.

9.    Lure With Crow Calls

If you want to attract crows to your yard, one of the best things you can do is mimic their calls.

These intelligent birds are known for their ability to communicate with one another using a variety of sounds.

By imitating the calls of a crow, you can easily lure them into your yard for a closer look.

One of the most common crows calls is the “caw!”.

If you want to attract crows to your yard, try imitating this call. You can use your voice or even an artificial crow call device.

A very effective strategy is using electronic callers that attract crows’ attention by making sounds.

10.          Make a Compost Bin

Making a compost bin is a reliable way to attract crows to your yard.

Crows are attracted to the smell of decomposing food, and a compost bin is a perfect place to find it.

Ensure your compost bin contains some soil and kitchen scraps; discard fruit, veggies, eggshells, and the like.

You may add your pet’s dry kibble that it has refused to eat.

Now all you have to do is wait for the crows to come!

Compost bin—how to attract crows to your yard
How to attract crows to your yard? An outdoor compost bin can easily attract crows to your yard—Image via Eva Bronzini.

11.  Keep Predators Away

Crows are brainy birds and will quickly learn to associate your yard with food. However, they are hesitant of your dogs and cats, which means they will refrain from your yard if they see any such predators.

To keep predators away from your crows, take the following precautions:

  • Keep your yard clean of debris and garbage where predators could hide.
  • Put up a fence or other barrier around your yard to deter predators from entering.
  • If you have cats or dogs, keep them inside when crows are present.
  • Do not leave food out overnight, as this will attract rodents which could attract predators.

By taking these simple steps, you can help ensure that your crows stay safe from harm.

12. Remove All Noise

Despite being highly vocal, noise is a significant deterrent for crows.

If you have a lot of noise in your yard, crows will likely avoid it. If you can remove all noise sources from your yard, it’s much more likely that crows will be attracted to it.

There are a few things you can do to reduce noise in your yard:

  • Turn off any music or other sound sources.
  • Ensure you don’t use noisy equipment (such as lawnmowers) during the crow’s visit timings.
  • Remove any windchimes or bells you might have hung in your yard for decoration.

Although crows are loud creatures, they don’t like others to be loud. 😅

13. A Birdhouse

You can also try putting up a birdhouse or nesting box to give crows a place to stay.

As bigger birds, crows need large, open birdhouses with plenty of space. Ensure the birdhouse rests on a solid surface to bear the crows’ weight.

14. Remove Hurdles

Crows are big birds that appreciate a bigger space for roosting.

Make sure your garden is free of hurdles and heavy objects so that your feathery fellows have plenty of room to scavenge their food.

Replace that squeaky gate of your yard with a silent one, and ensure you remove any creaking or moving objects from your yard.

A ladder or wood propped against a barn can easily scarecrow, so keep them away.

15.  Keep Yard Toxin Free

As a bird lover, you should keep your yard eco-friendly to make it a happy place for crows and other birds.

Make sure your yard is free of toxins and chemicals—crows are sensitive to these things and will avoid yards that have them.

The best to keep your yard free of toxins is to go for an organic pest removal method instead of chemical treatments.

If chemical treatments become essential, use harmless chemicals taking proper advice from a gardening expert.

16. Be Patient!

It would help if you were patient in attracting crows to your yard.

It may take some time for crows to discover your yard and start frequenting it regularly. But once they do, you will be glad you took the time to attract them!


Conclusion

Attracting crows is a great option if you’re looking for a way to add some avian interest to your yard.

With their distinctive black plumage and squeaky calls, crows are sure to make an impression. They help keep your yard free of mess, insects, and other pests.

These intelligent birds are fascinating to watch and can be pretty entertaining.

Attracting crows to your yard is easy with the right tools and tips. If you’re interested in bringing crows to your property, follow the information in this article.

Let us know in the comment section if this guide on how to attract crows to your yard was helpful!

Regards.