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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend October 3, 2005 Since You Asked Birds of a feather flock in Medford Hundreds of crows have been roosting here for weeks. It feels like we’re in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. What is going on? — Several readers Make you nervous, does it? In spring and summer, the nesting/breeding season, crows sleep in their own territories and take care of the kids. The communal roosts you’re seeing begin about this time every year and continue until spring. There are several theories. One is that the most favorable roosting spots simply draw the most birds. Another is that the birds are seeking safety in numbers. If you’re a crow, and you’re seen by a great-horned owl, it’s better to be one crow among hundreds. There is also a theory that birds join others in roosts in order to follow their most successful-looking fellows (fat, well-groomed, etc.) to their feeding grounds in the morning. Crows usually gather before sundown and socialize at a staging area before flying to the roost. The dean of the Since You Asked College of Ornithology reports that one such area is near his home in Medford. Advertisement Roosts of hundreds of crows are actually small. Roosts of thousands are common, and more than a million not unheard of. There is no substance whatever to those silly rumors that the birds are plotting to take over. Still, if you’re anywhere near the old schoolhouse in Bodega, it can’t hurt to watch your step. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since You Asked ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s