Augustus (American Crow)
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Crows are medium to large-sized birds with bills not as long or heavy as those of ravens. Crows have a fan-shaped tail in flight which is different from the wedge-shaped tail of the raven. Crows make a characteristic “caw” call that is not as “throaty” or guttural as that of the raven. Crows live in a variety of habitats and are quite widespread.
One problem, when kind-hearted people take care of an orphaned bird, is that they become incredibly attached to it. This was the case for Augustine. An elderly lady found a baby crow. She was successful at raising it into adulthood. The crow became her pet. A disgruntled neighbor, several years later, called the Department of Fish and Game and complained about the crow. The warden had no choice but to confiscate the pet. Rather than euthanizing it, he brought it to us. Augustine resides on our back porch chanting some phrase that is hard to decipher. Some hear “Quit it!” others hear “Go away!” and so on. He is quite a chatterbox with several variations of whatever phrase he is mimicking probably in the elderly lady’s voice.