Crow as a hunter

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sburke
Posts: 158
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:30 am
Location: Townsville Region

Crow as a hunter

Post by sburke »

Yesterday afternoon, just on dusk, I witnessed a Torresian Crow chasing a microbat over my house. I assumed it was hunting the bat. The bat escaped. It reminded me of an incident I witnessed some years ago now at Mt Gravatt in Brisbane when a Crow took a Galah in mid-flight and carried it off. Feathers flying everywhere and the Galah making a hell of a racket.

Do crows and ravens often exhibit aggressive hunting behaviour?

Cheers :)
Pat McConnell
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:42 pm

Crow as hunter

Post by Pat McConnell »

Steve, I read your article with interest. It would be quite spectacular to see a Torresian Crow take a Galah - and quite rare. I checked HANZAB and found that they mainly eat seeds, fruit, insects, carrion and small vertebrates including birds. A lot of the birds would be nestlings. There is mention that they "chase small birds in flight & capture them when they become exhausted". There is a record of one taking a young domestic chicken and another killing an adult Pale-headed Rosella. They sometimes also take weak/sick prey so maybe the Galah was sick. Whatever the reason it is a very unusual record.
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