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178 points wglb | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.242s | source
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djmips ◴[] No.43747742[source]
Kind of off topic but I just got back from the park and there is a public water bowl set out for dogs and a crow was manipulating something in the water - after a time my eyebrows went up as I realized the crow was softening some dried out discarded human food to make it easy to break up and eat!
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asmor ◴[] No.43749491[source]
They've been known to both wash the salt off french fries and dip chicken nuggets in sauce packs.

Anyone who's ever argued that you shouldn't feed crows because it interferes with nature hasn't figured out that crows already adopted to urban human-inhabited environments, and feeding them quality food (cat kibble is cheap and works) is very much a net positive. If you see crows with white feathers, that's malnutrition, and you should give them something good to eat.

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wpietri ◴[] No.43751368[source]
I can also recommend bulk roasted unsalted peanuts. They have some advantages: they're cheap, they don't crumble, so you can always have a few in your coat pocket, and they take some work from the crows. They'll enjoy the challenge, and you'll enjoy watching.

I once lived in territory of some ravens, and it was a deep pleasure to gradually become friends with one. It took maybe a year of consistent effort, but eventually he'd come hang out with me outdoors. I would say bits of Poe's "The Raven" to him, and when his turn came he'd respond with soft, friendly mutterings. He especially liked to visit when we'd grill and eat outdoors, as there was nothing he liked better than some some bone with bits of meat and gristle left on it.

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1. asmor ◴[] No.43755611[source]
Cashews are also great if you want to treat them. But we always bring kibble because most kibble is designed to be usable as a "sole" food covering a lot of nutritional needs at once. Extra points if you bring water and a flat bowl, they love to soften it up.