
The crow walked up to its mate and began to preen indivudual feathers. This allopreening is important in building pair bond between the mates. (G. Thomas Bancroft) [Photographs are available as prints by clicking on the photo to go to www.thomasbancroft.com]
On Wednesday, I watched a pair of American Crows walking along the shoreline at Matthews Beach Park in Seattle. This pair was only partially interested in feeding and seemed to have something else on their mind. First one individual would approach the other and begin to preen the others feathers. A few minutes later the other individual would begin preening the first. This behaviour is known as allopreening and in crows is a behavior used in solidifying the pair pond. One individual seemed slightly larger than the other and I assumed this was the male. The sexes overlap in size but generally males are larger than females. Over a 30-minute period they worked several hundred feet along the shoreline. Stopping occasionally to pick things from the ground or along the shore. At one point, the presumed male held some food in its bill and the female took it by twisting its neck almost upside down and softly picking it from the other. I suspect the pair will nest in a tree in the vicinity of the park. The pair flew off when someone walked down close to the shore. Next time you see a crow, remember that they have complex behaviors and are quite fascinating socially.