Ivy, English or Atlantic (Hedera helix or Hedera hibernica) on Sep 17, 2008
Submitter has sample
Description of specimen
Crows has set up a roost in this area-over 50 crows and they are actually driving off the two pair of nesting osprey we have had in the area for the past 5 years. We also have TONS of the Herb Robert, Shinngstar geranium, and English Ivy.
Regarding crows, they are a native Oregon species. Here's some information on them:
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
RANGE: Breeds from north-central British Columbia and southwestern Mackenzie to central Quebec and southern Newfoundland south to Baja California, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, central and southeastern Texas, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida. Winters from southern Canada south throughout the breeding range.
STATUS: Common.
HABITAT: Most often inhabits open and semiopen habitats, favoring open deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, wooded river bottoms, groves, orchards, woodlands adjacent to agricultural land, suburban areas, parks, and woodlots.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Strongest Oregon nesting habitat association in (1)Coastal headland, grass and shrubland, (2) Urban and rural residential areas, and (3) Edges of cropland, pasture and orchard.
NEST: Builds a nest, a large platform of sticks, usually on a horizontal branch or in a crotch of a tree near the trunk, 10 to 75 feet above the ground. Prefers conifers and oaks as nest trees, but where trees are lacking, will build nests on the ground, on shrubs, or on telephone pole crossbars.
FOOD: Prefers to forage in cultivated fields. Has an omnivorous diet that is three-fourths vegetable foods, including cultivated grains, seeds, wild and cultivated fruits, and nuts. Also eats insects, millipedes, spiders, small crustaceans, small reptiles, frogs, small mammals, eggs and young of birds, and carrion.
Crows particularly favor nesting in urban and residential areas, as noted above. And as noted on Portland Audubon's website (they have a great web page on "living with crows")- http://www.audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/brochures/crows,
they are very common in the Portland area.
I suggest you view the brochure on their website, as it includes suggestions for deterring crows from nesting in certain locales.
Thank you again for your report!
Lisa DeBruyckere
Sept. 17, 2008, 9:23 a.m.