My Relationship with the American Crow as a Wildlife Photographer

Today’s images feature an American Crow, with one photographed in a soybean field intentionally preserved for wildlife at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, while the other was captured near the Ouachita National Forest here in Arkansas.

I don’t think that I have ever written a post about my relationship with the American Crow. It seems like these birds are always nearby, no matter where I am. I first noticed it when I hiked the Ouachita National Forest here in Arkansas. I would be in the middle of know where in the forest, but I could count on the crows keeping me company.

I have even had a nesting pair of crows in my yard. I had one of the fledgling come for a visit [American Crow Fledgling].

I have had them nearby while I was camping, which is not unusual since they are known for stealing food at campsites. I photographed one during a hot camping trip eating ice [American Crow Eating Ice].

I even have a friend in Utah that has mentioned that they seem to always hear crows in the background while talking to me on the phone.

I have seen lots of videos of people feeding Crows and the Crows bring gifts in return. I have never tried this myself.

Here are a couple of reasons I think this crow companionship seems to happen to me frequently:

• Crows are intelligent and curious birds that may be interested in observing humans or other animals. Their curiosity likely draws them near.
• Crows are known for their unique gifts for communication and may be trying to interact with me in their own crow way.

I know this all seems crazy and that people may think I have been out in the wilderness with wildlife for too long. But I find my crow companions oddly comforting wherever my photography adventures take me. I’ve come to appreciate their watchful eyes and social antics. To me, the crows have become symbols of the wild places I love to capture through my lens.

Image Information (First Image):

• Date: 2/28/2023
• Time: 11:22 AM
• Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma
• Camera: Canon EOS R5
• Lens: Canon RF 800
• ISO: 1600
• Aperture: 11
• Shutter: 1/2000
• Exp. Comp.: -0.3
• Program: Manual