AraU (Posturing During Nesting)

ARaU (3 videos, above)

March 11, 2015 (Nest building time) 1:00PM

Scene: One perturbed Crow in a high tree. Many other Crows around in other trees, mostly sitting after bath time.

Meaning: Unknown to me previously. First time hearing this.

Purpose: Probably to let everyone know that you are pregnant, and extremely "dangerous".

Uses: Defensive posturing around nesting time.

Interpretation: It sounds like perturbed territorial nesting ground protection, or practice for defending a brood. The bird threw a stick down at me during calling as you will see, and hear at the end of the longer video, but did not fly away, suggesting defensive posturing (usually, a Crow will fly away if approached, stared at, and filmed). Its calls were directed at Crows in its family, perched silently 100m away in other trees, however, not at me, though I seemed to make it more perturbed. I did not see a nest.

The Call:The call has a fantastic resonance, and projecting, operatic carry, yet is more beautiful than your average Crow call, to my ear.

Compared to Fig: Fig has never made this call, but Fig has also never made a nest; is she ever going to try? I can only imagine half the balcony piled up with twigs. I suppose I ought to let her have a try next March if she's game. She will be three, so I suppose hormones may drive her to nest building. OMG!

Fig's Reaction: Fig's reaction to hearing this call was to become quite animated, like children might get if their parent suddenly started lecturing. She called back moderately once, and paced a bit, ears pricked, but not a super heightened response. She became alerted and wary, as if she was perhaps in trouble, or expecting a scolding.