What Does It Mean When Crows Gather Around Your House?

What Does It Mean When Crows Gather Around Your House?

In the morning, you wake up and clearly hear endless cawing and swirling. Many crows gather around your house. This is definitely an unusual thing because it doesn’t happen every day. Does this mean a sign, a message, or something that you never think about?

So, what does it mean when crows gather around your house? Crows gather around your house because there might be a good source of food available for them. They might even find tall trees to roost, a reliable water source to bathe, or a dead crow in the backyard of your house.

Apart from that, there could be many reasons why crows gather around your house. In this article, we’re going to discuss all that. Once you finished reading this article, we would recommend you take a look at our comparison guide on crows and ravens.

Related Blog: Do Crows Attack Cats? [Read now]

What Is The Meaning of The Crows Around Your House?

When a murder of crows gathers around your house, it could mean a lot of things. People believe these meanings for years. Let’s see some of them in the following:

  • If you see a single crow close to your house, it’s believed that bad luck and destruction may occur in your life. If a crow caws at you, some believe that it means you have an imbalance life.
  • If you see a pair of crows, it refers to that good fortune is about to come. They’re going to bring good news or harmony.
  • In reality, if you see two crows near your house, it could mean they choose the surroundings of your house as a suitable nesting site for them.
  • If three crows around your house, a good blessing, particularly a blessing of good health, is about to come to you.
  • When four crows are cawing near your house, it’s believed that you’re going to get good fortune, prosperity, and abundance.
  • When there are five crows around your house, people believe that illness and poor health are going to take place.
  • Seeing six crows means a robbery or theft is going to happen.
  • If you see seven crows together near your house, this means you’re going to travel or move somewhere.
  • Having eight crows around your house means sorrow and grief are likely to come into your life.
  • If you see a murder of crows around your house, it’s believed that it means death.

Why Crows May Gather Around Your House

Black crows may refer to a lot of things, but you have to understand why these birds may actually gather around your house. Here are 5 reasons that unwantedly invite a murder of crows to your house.

1. Finding Available Food Source

Crows are omnivores, which means they can eat almost anything, including corpses, small animals, eggs, scraps, nuts, fruits, and many more. If you see a murder of crows around your house, it might be that these birds may find a potential food source.

Finding Available Food Source
Image Source: stock.adobe.com

2. Getting Fresh Water

If crows find there is a reliable water source out there, like a pond or a birdbath, near your house, it may invite a lot of corvids, particularly crows. If the water source is a pond, there may be a large number of crows out there. However, a small birdbath may not attract so many crows.

Getting Fresh Water
Image Source: flicker.com

3. Roosting In Tall Trees

Crows prefer to roost in tall trees at night in order to get warmth, protection from predators, successful mating, and knowledge about potential food sources. If there are many tall trees around your house, a large number of crows gather around them.

Roosting In Tall Trees
Image Source: stock.adobe.com

4. Holding Grudges & Mobbing

One of the intelligent birds, crows can remember human faces and hold grudges for up to 2 years. If you piss them, they may gather around your house to mob you. They may even inform other crows about you to make a large murder. Watch this video on YouTube.

5. Saying Goodbye To A Dead Crow

Crows may gather around your house to say goodbye to a dead crow. If a crow’s dead body is fallen in your backyard, its fellow black crows may gather around the dead like a funeral, looking like they’re mourning over the dead one.

Saying Goodbye To A Dead Crow
Image Source: pxfuel.com

How Do You Scare The Murder of Crows Away?

If you really hate crows, you would like to scare them away from your backyard. But, dealing with a large murder of crows can be a daunting task. However, here are a few simple techniques you can use to relocate these annoying birds.

How Do You Scare The Murder of Crows Away?

#Hang Owl Or Snake Decoys

In order to scare a murder of crows away, you can hang owl or snake decoys all around your house. You can easily find effigies at any prop store or order them online. Click this Amazon link and purchase which ones you would like to.

#Use Shiny Objects

If you want to scare crows away, you can use shiny objects. Hang shiny aluminum plates, reflective tapes, and old CDs throughout your yard. You can even shine a laser beam at them, which will force them to avoid the area. (Amazon Links Included)

#Play Crow Distress Calls

To keep the crows away from your house, you can play crow distress calls or the calls of crow predators, such as hawks and owls. You can find a wide variety of recorded distress calls online, allowing you to make loud sounds. Let your neighbors know about it.

#Install Bird Spikes

If you’re willing to discourage crows to come to your backyard, you can install bird spikes on the fences and the rooflines of your house. Consequently, crows won’t be able to perch on your house. However, they can even be seen on telephone wires afar from your house.

#Combine Multiple Techniques

If a murder of crows has already spent several seasons around your house, it will be difficult for you to scare them away. You may need to use multiple techniques to get better results. If you use all the techniques–we have stated–together, success will come faster.

What Can You Do If You Want to Befriend The Murder Of Crows?

Crows show affection to those who behave well with them. If you’re one of them who love crows, you may not scare them away. Here are a few tips and tricks you can follow to develop your relationship with crows to the next level.

1. Create A Crow-Friendly Environment

In order to befriend crows, you have to create a crow-friendly environment where they feel comfortable. Your backyard should have a wide variety of tall trees to allow them to roost. Keep the crow predators away from your backyard so that crows can make safe visiting.

Create A Crow-Friendly Environment
Image Source: stock.adobe.com

2. Offer Their Favorite Treats

Crows are opportunistic omnivores, sampling almost anything. If you’re willing to befriend crows, offer them their favorite treats, such as eggs, unsalted peanuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, dog or cat food, meat, and even kitchen scraps.

Offer Their Favorite Treats
Image Source: stock.adobe.com

3. Install a Birdbath

Like other birds, crows need a reliable source of water. Are you going to make crows your friends? Install a large, shallow birdbath in your backyard to invite many black crows to get a drink, bathe, and even wash their food in the water.

Install a Birdbath for Crows
Image Source: stock.adobe.com

Final Words

Now that you know what it means when crows gather around your house, you shouldn’t believe the superstitions about crows. Scare them away if you don’t like them. But, if you love them, offer them their favorite treats and freshwater.

However, we hope you have learned a lot about the meaning of the number of crows around your house. If you have ever been surrounded by a murder of crows, how did you escape from them? Let us know your experience below in the comment section.


45 responses to “What Does It Mean When Crows Gather Around Your House?”

  1. Avatar photo William Greer says:

    I love crows and ravens and that was quite interesting.

  2. I happened to have a crow in the backyard with a wing issue, he hung around in the bushes would come out every now and then look for some food and I would put out water. This has returned time and time again but coming with more and more friends I have up to eight that come all at once and they sqwuak and look for treats and I do give all of them treats. It has been 7 years. They are all my family, and I believe he thinks so. Beak is his name 💝🌎

  3. I like that one; I love his (or her) name, Beak!! Keep up the good work. I am an avid animal lover, a bird watcher and adore crows.
    Barbara.

  4. This story made my day! I want to have a murder at my house lol. But really!

  5. Avatar photo Tom Crotty says:

    When I was living in the country, in my own home I would always put out food and a large amounts of fresh water for my animal friends. A crow started showing up, he had a very crooked beak, which made it hard to eat. He had to bend his head side ways to try to get food off the grass. Seeing this I came up with an idea. I built a little table type piece, where I could place table scraps and some fresh meat. It was a good height for him or her to stand next to the table, crock his head and get at the meal with little strain. The truly amazing thing was the other crows would back off and let him have his fill and leave before they would finish the meal off.
    Tom Crotty

    • Your experience will hopefully help others who are likely to encounter such a crow.

  6. I’ve always wondered, they were at my last place I lived,alot of them.

    • A specific number of crows don’t mean anything people believe. They are just superstitions. Most probably, the crows found a reliable source of food where you lived.

  7. When my father died, I counted 22 crows in his tree.

  8. I have very old, tall trees in my back yard. Some are over 100 years old. We also have a large above ground pool, which can hold fresh water on top of the pool cover. Every year we have extremely large gatherings of large black birds. I believe that they are crows. I have many amazing videos of this mega murder of crows. They are so vast that they draw your attention even when you are inside. They almost darken the sky. I love them as well as
    all the other wild life in our neighborhood. We do not live in the country. We live in one of the oldest towns on Long Island, NY

    • You are surrounded by a beautiful nature and a flock of the smartest birds.

  9. Avatar photo Robin Hauser Franklin says:

    I have 4, Mr. &Mrs. Ha Ha, and 2 children Hoot and Nanny. Hoot has actually landed on my head while cleaning our giant 3 tier fountain! I stay in my garden most of the day, and even have a hawk that sits with ours squirrels while they eat peanuts. Have pictures of them.

  10. Really enjoyed reading about the crows..Interesting knowledge.

  11. I love animals (most especially Boo Boo Kitty, my orange tabby cat who was a starving kitten that adopted me to be his mom a month before Hurricane Isabel gobsmacked us 18 years ago!), feeding beautiful birds, then the bunnies who eat under the bird feeders in late afternoon, etc. in my backyard. This year a doe brought her precious fawn with her while she ate all of my beautiful ripe tomatoes but It was worth it! A big crow, Calvin, began bringing his bread slices to soak in the birdbath outside my kitchen window! He took up residence and I loved watching him! One day his girlfriend, Chloe, showed up! She had a deformed foot/claw but managed fine! Calvin kept me busy cleaning out the birdbath after he soaked his various meals-some were less than appetizing to me, like the dead mole! One day there were 2 new crows with Calvin and Chloe, almost the same size but they had little fuzzy heads! We decided they were their kids, perhaps, Curtis and Chrissy? They would have quite the pool party in the birdbath and then fly to the top of the shed for some preening and sunning! Just when we thought it couldn’t get anymore fun, Uncle and Auntie Crow made it six! They all fit together in the medium sized birdbath and had a fine time! When they flew between the bath and shed roof, it was like pterodactyls flying past the windows! They provided hours of enjoyment! My birthday was July 1, and that week-my murder disappeared! I was so sad and missed them terribly! I don’t know if they migrated or what but I sure hope my Crow family returns! I’m disabled and these wonderful birds brought so much joy into my life!

  12. Avatar photo Daniel Deutsch says:

    Awesome articles. Crows are my best friends. Yes they get just about everything you mentioned. Beyond my backyard is a farm field. Corn one year and soybeans the next. As soon as the crops are out the crows feed here. Yes all winter long. 3 pounds of unsalted peanuts a day plus table scraps. Eggs I get from a friend that has chickens. Just to listen to them in the early mornings like half hour before sunrise crowing to draw my attention to the back yard. I can’t put food out to early or the racoon get it. They have to go bye bye. So I’m working on a perch for the crows and the legs of the perch will have metal on them 6 ft. Of the ground to keep the coon off. Thank you Dan.

  13. Avatar photo Angela Hyatt says:

    I love all animals and I have a special place in my heart for birds. I have a quaker parrot and he’s my baby. A couple of years ago I was at my next door neighbors and we were out on her deck and all of a sudden I swear it looked like hundreds of crows were everywhere it was crazy and we were like what is going on. Anyways it never happened again.

  14. Avatar photo Laura Murphy says:

    What amazing stories..thank you for sharing…i lived on the Oregon coast and had a family of crows near us…i used to take bread and hold it up high and the whole family would eat from my hand..such a thrilling experience…there was a older mom im sure. That used to yell at hubby or son until they brought her food..they were my friends for nearly 10 years .i have more on this waldport ore saga…

  15. Avatar photo Laura Rogers says:

    I have only taken an interest in these babies over the last three years when we moved to a more treed area.
    I was at first caught off guard by their numbers, but being a long time bird lover of the native cardinals blue jays orioles etc. it didn’t take us long to welcome them into our hearts.
    We have gone from simple bird feeder to multiple feeders and bird baths/fountains . I love watching their interactions and often just sit in our yard trying to recognize them as oh that’s “ Big Ben “ lol. I have hand trained many parrot breeds and I recognize the intelligence in the crows eyes.
    Looking forward to building trust and relationships.

  16. Hindu on death of person on 10th day richual calls dash kriya the priest makes rice balls and water live out for crows to eat and wait for crows come and eat the rice , some time there are many crows but not eat the rice that means dead person sprit unfulfilled or some shortcomings in his passing and people will keep his favorite things then crows eat the rice. Some time crows eat rice immediately means the passing person had full of life and satisfied with his life just for information Hindu belief

  17. I love all these stories! I love all creatures and actually like them better than humans. I live in the country on 3 acres in Oregon and have all of it enclosed with cyclone fencing. I have very big feeders that are covered and feed all the birds and other critters. I also have 4 dogs, which definitely makes problems for the crows because the dogs bark at them at times, so I’ve had to feed them on the other side of the fence. I feed them boiled eggs, meat, vegetables, grapes and other fruits and they really like cat and dog food also. I have had conversations with 2 of them and they make funny little noises as they talk back to me.. I have 6 in total that come see me everyday. I really enjoy them a lot!

  18. Avatar photo Shirley Hayes says:

    I can tell you one thing they love for sure and that’s waffles with maple syrup! After feeding them some in my yard they came knocking (literally!) the next day wanting more. They are very entertaining. My 2nd favorite is Mockingbirds. Haven’t heard any lately but one night years ago I counted 32 different calls! Now that’s talent!

  19. Years ago I was an exterminator and went to a house for pest control service. I was whistling to the birds in the backyard telling the lady it reminded me of home. Well I get back to the office and my boss tells me that the woman called to complain saying she never wants me back at her house because after I left, I murder of crows landed on and around her house, cawing and wouldn’t leave. She said I was a witch and summoned them with my bird calls – LOL

  20. Avatar photo Deborah Pegram says:

    I just only recently started feeding the crows. I have up to 7 now that come and eat. I put scraps and the critter food across the yard in piles near tall trees they come daily. They love pizza crust or even suet scraps

  21. Avatar photo Cristina Huie says:

    Omg answered sovled. I have an old house in the middle of nowhere. With stream. And very old and large walnut trees. I loved reading this article. I love my new friends.

  22. I leave food out for the all the critters, including all birds. I always have crows in my yard they wake me up almost every morning with the lovely sound.. I also have turkey vultures nesting in my adjacent property and I get to watch them every night come home. I also Have seen the turkey vultures up close they’re huge and amazing.

  23. Avatar photo Joyce M Loveland says:

    Crows are my spirit animal and I often have them flying or landing in my paths. I’ve seen a few roost of crows and simply observed and was amazed at how they communicate with other crows like we humans would do when we have community meetings. Perhaps crows discuss how to deal with us humans or give advice to younger crows on how to find food and water. Crows are the most intelligent of the animal world and I believe their senses are keener than dogs .. Thanks for listening

  24. Avatar photo Deborah Kinney says:

    These comments were great! But this article was Amazing! Very informative, thank you! Debbie

  25. They are just a sight to see, i have these crows coming in every morning, each one has a nature of his own, but they share whatever food is given. Love this in them.

  26. Avatar photo Pat Fredregill says:

    Years ago I lived across the street from an old cemetery. I often walked there. It was like a huge park. One day there was what looked like a black sweater crumpled at the base of an ancient cottonwood tree. There were a dozen crows overhead, harassing a red tailed hawk. As I got closer, I realized it was a dead crow at the base of the tree. Probably attacked from behind by the hawk. The next morning there over a hundred crows, completely covering the lanes around the dead crow. It was the saddest, most poignant sight. I will never forget it.

  27. I’m looking at about 40 crows mobbing a persimmon tree right outside my window. I can’t believe you linked to the schoolhouse scene from The Birds 🙂

  28. Avatar photo MoonDancer says:

    So I have a local murder that lands on my house maybe 4 times a day. I’m talking 100-200 crows. But their nesting sites down the street were destroyed for construction and it seems a bunch of normal sized murders blended together. Also you forgot the part that crows gathers around Witches (As I’m Wiccan I’d know, they do indeed follow us or me at least; Also I don’t hurt people or do stupid crap it’s about respecting Mother Nature) But I should mention my neighbourhood does not like me because of the enormous amount of crows even though I never bother my neighbourhood in anyway. They’ll eat cat food out of your hand if your patient enough to stand there (Wear sleeves) and the best thing to feed them is suet(lard and seed for wintering birds), seed, or cat food. They can be taught to talk and count. And of course crows don’t generally kill things, their scavengers. It’s RAVENS that kill things. So this whole “foresee death” thing kinda upsets me because yes they’ll be around after a dead body….after it’s DEAD, because it’s food. They don’t show up on a battlefield until there’s food around. Their no more evil than any other bird.

  29. As a child there was a family of crows that used to live in my trees.
    They would follow me up and down my street as I would play in different places.

    Since I’m of Norwegian descent I used to joke with people that it was Odin keeping an eye on me …

    But I do wonder, what could that have been ?

    To this day crows choose my house. I’ve never seen so many.
    I will try tips on befriending these , maybe my daughter can have a murder of crows protect her too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *