How To

	Quick Instructions
	Full Instructions
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	Enter your habitat data online

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	Guide to crow family
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FULL INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE TO CONDUCT Crows Count

LEARN ABOUT CROWS, RAVENS, MAGPIES, AND JAYS (Family Corvidae)

To learn about corvids click here.
FIND A STUDY SITE
Study Sites can be located by
Look in parks with lawns or picnic areas, at bird feeders or locations where birds find handouts from people, or anyplace they can get into garbage or compost.

NOTE: Please be sure to record data separately for each species at each location and each time that you conduct your observations.
COMPLETE A HABITAT FORM

For each study site you should fill out a Habitat Form before you count your birds. You can use the same Study Site for PigeonWatch,Crows Count, or Gulls Galore. Only fill out a Habitat Form once even if you use the site for more than one project. Click here for habitat definitions and forms.
PRACTICE COUNTING

You may want to print a Tally Sheet and practice counting crows before you collect data to submit to the Lab. This may help you to decide how to count the birds while they are moving around and flying away. Click here for hints on how to count birds.

MATERIALS NEEDED

a Tally Sheet recording your data
pen or pencil and clipboard or other hard surface

Optional

a bird field guide
binoculars

CONDUCT YOUR COUNT

ON THE TALLY SHEET FILL IN
1. Study Site name or number (needs to match Habitat Form)
2. date and start time
3. the species you are observing
BEGIN COUNTING CROWS, RAVENS, MAGPIES, OR JAYS
if you are observing more than one species record each species separately
1. count and record the total number of birds in the group
2. count and record the number of sentinels
3. observe and record the behaviors of the birds, make a check mark next to each behavior you observe

The behaviors you record will help us to determine if your group is made up of one or more families or if other circumstances have caused more than one "family" group to gather together. For example, if you recorded fighting or chasing, more than one family is probably involved.

Behavior Seen	Record as:
one or more birds sitting upright on high perch above or near group and looking around	sentinel
physically attacking another of the same species	fighting
flying closely (within 3 feet) behind another of the same species	chasing
eating walking/hopping on the ground standing on or near food (including dead animal)	feeding/foraging
picking up food and flying away with it	caching
perched quietly and still, not alert, usually low perch	sitting (silent)
making sounds as advertisement or because of disturbance	calling
flying high and then diving towards a perched predator bird (you may not be able to see the predator)	predator mobbing
flying above or behind a flying predator bird	predator chasing
at dusk, birds flying into and perching in trees at dawn, groups of birds flying from perches in trees	roosting
using head or beak to straighten or flatten feathers	preening
splashing water or dust over body	bathing
disturbing an ant mound with feet or belly; the bird may lie spread out on the ant mound or on its side for a long period of time (up to two hours); it may even appear to fall asleep; often spreads out one or both wings (note: it may be difficult to distinguish between sunning and anting)	anting
resting in a sunny spot on the ground or a rooftop; as in anting, the bird may remain in the sunny spot for a long time and may appear to fall asleep, even falling over onto its side as it relaxes; often spreads out one or both wings	sunning
flying high across your study site without stopping	flyover

Blue Jay anting:

When you are finished recording your observations, fill out the remaining parts of the Tally Sheet

weather
other notes
end time and length of observation

SUBMIT YOUR DATA TO THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY

Mail your Habitat Forms and Tally Sheets to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Send only one Habitat Form per Study Site. Send one Tally Sheet for each observation you have conducted.

Mail to:
Urban Bird Studies / Crows Count
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

You may include any questions, comments and concerns in the same envelope.