Fall is here. We are hearing and seeing the birds of doom and gloom -- at least when it comes to the spookiness of Halloween! They are the crows, ravens, owls and vultures.
Why are these birds associated with Halloween, the night or when the dead come to life?
These night birds have been rumored to stalk the night or make you jump when you hear their sounds. Think about it: especially in old movies at least one scene shows a scary-looking bird lurking in the shadows, cawing at the moon, perched on a tombstone or even flapping silently through the misty eerie atmosphere.
All in good fun, let's talk about some of the details of the real-life versions.
CROWS
I grew up on a farm. Crows always appeared and ate any corn that escaped to the ground. .
Relative of the raven, blue jay and magpie, crows are known for their black feathers. Crows travel in flocks, have long legs, a fanned tail, heavy straight bill. The wingtip feathers spread to look like fingers. The wingspan is about 2.5 to 3 feet. They flap their wings, they walk around. They are aggressive are found in fields, woodlands, forests and yards. They are only scavengers part of the time. Crows eat a wide variety of foods, insects, trash, roadkill, fruits and nuts. They eat crops, drop berries and guano (excrement). Crows are social and quite intelligent.
RAVENS
Crows and ravens both get a bad rep and look a lot alike. Ravens are not seen as often as crows, making a comeback just over a decade ago.
The raven is larger, and their call is more like a low croaking noise, sometimes they scream. Ravens travel in pairs and tend to soar, not flap. Their tails are not fan-shaped like a crow's but have longer middle feathers, making the tail look more wedged-shaped. Their beaks are bigger and curvier.
The raven prefers animal matter food but will eat vegetation. These birds are intelligent and can talk better than some parrots. The thought of a raven suggests Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poem "The Raven." No wonder they are associated with the night and thought of as dark and murderous.
OWLS
Owls are also considered a Halloween bird. I think they conjure up scary feelings because they seem so quite silent and sneaky. Those piercing eyes stare at you, they turn their heads 270 degrees which looks like a full 360. They are nocturnal and hunt at night, fly much slower than most birds and appear to glide through the air. The "who" sound can be chilling when you are not expecting it.
VULTURES
I have one word -- YUCK! These birds are truly creepy. But, they do us a great favor by eating rotted flesh.
They are large birds with no feathers on the head. The most common vultures in Ohio are turkey and black vultures. Both weigh 3 to 4 pounds with 5- to 6-feet wingspans.
Black vulture populations are growing. They can be aggressive and will attack live animals.
There are many interesting myths and legends about these birds of Halloween, but nearly zero are true. Just enjoy the spooky stories and take time to do some bird watching this fall.
For details on these and other birds in Ohio, go to: https://go.osu.edu/ourohiobirds
McKinley is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.