"Corvine Glossary"

The following words/terminology and associated definitions will help you to better understand crows:

Allofeeding - crows feeding each other, such as crow parents or auxiliaries feeding a baby crow. Paired crows may also feed each other.

Allopreening - paired crows will preen each other around the eyes, beak and ears. This is called allopreening. This is another form of cooperation between crows, where one crow will preen another where it cannot reach itself.

Antelingual pouch - antelingual means "behind the tongue". Crows have a "pouch" behind their tongue in which they will often carry food.

Anting - crows will sometimes lay down, spread their wings, on or near an ant hill, picking up ants and tucking them into their feathers. Some think anting soothes the skin, others think it controls mites (parasites).

Auxiliaries - auxiliaries are juvenile crows who remain with and help the family unit for up to two years. They can be considered the "babysitters" of the crow world.

Bonding - Crows develop a strong attachment, or bond, to their families. Crows can bond to their crow family, or in the case of being in captivity, to their human family.

Caching - Crows will often cache, or store their food for later consumption when they have more food than they need. Crows have a very good memory and will go back to their food caches as the need arises. Crows have also been known to cache bright, shiny objects that they have found.

Cooperative breeding - Auxiliaries (defined above), will help the crow family unit during the breeding season. Auxiliaries help the family unit, which allows more time for the parents to take care of the young in the nest.

Corvidae - the family of birds to which crows belong.

Corvine- of, or resembling crows or ravens.

Imprinting- The learning process early in the life of a social animal, such as a crow. This is the time during which a "crow learns how to be a crow". Crows do not imprint on their family members upon hatching as chickens and ducks do. Crows imprint over a time period of several weeks.

Mobbing- Prior to mobbing, or attacking in large numbers, crows will send out a distress call, alerting others of danger, and often enlisting their help. Crows from other families and territories will often answer this distress call and assist in mobbing.

Murder of crows-A group, or flock of crows.

Simp- A baby crow.

If there are other words or terms which you think should be added, please send me an e-mail so that I may include them. Thank you.