A Murder Of Crows

It seems that the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa has had a problem with crows for a number of years. The feathered vandals, have been messing things up, quite literally, in downtown's Greene Square Park. But a few years back, a very smart city city veterinarian listened to a local hunter.

It seems that a murder of crows doesn't like to see murdered crows.

During winter months, crows congregate at Greene Square Park as it gleans warmth from nearby city buildings and asphalt. They eventually move on but leave plenty of droppings behind.

The crow coffin was born in 1991, when former city veterinarian Russell Anthony heard from a hunter that crows avoided a tree with a dead crow. He wired two dead crows — one face up and one face down — on a board to be placed high up in trees.

At Greene Square Park, city crews put the dead birds in place this week. The hordes of living crows have since vanished, Parks Director Dave Kramer said.

The coffins were on hiatus the last four years, after former parks commissioner Wade Wagner discontinued the practice during his tenure. Last January, however, Kramer brought back the practice, and today the city has 13 boards in place.

A new weapon against the Animal Uprising™! If it works with pigeons, we're golden!