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Comment by lhorie | Hacker News Reader

I'm actually worried they won't show up in the numbers they're expected to. I've read several old stories about thick clouds of birds and/or insects literally eclipsing the sun (the biblical plagues of egypt is one notorious example), but then I also read some recent articles about how some species that used to show up seasonally in large swarms suddenly had their numbers drastically decreased one year (monarch butterflies are a famous instance of this)

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As I understand it, the largest consensus around probable cause for that decrease has to do with neonicotinoid pesticides, which both bioaccumulate and also affect many more species than their intended targets. I don't actually know whether larvae of a brood that's been underground for over a decade would be more or less likely to be exposed to concentrations significant enough to do harm.

An echo of the clouds of birds is a daily “commute” of black crows in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Around sunrise, they head to forested land northeast of the city. At sundown, they head back to their roosting grounds in Victoria Park. The sky is filled with hundreds of crows for approximately 10 to 15 minutes during this rush hour. It’s absolutely fascinating to watch.

Every so often, you get to be “lucky” winner of them roosting in a tree in your back yard overnight. They cackle throughout the night. Anything under the tree will be caked in droppings by morning.

Are they protected....?

I wouldn't stand for that....uh...shit.

Does the self-protection and vengeance of a crow society count?

Crows are way too smart for decoys or actual scarecrows. The only thing that scares them away would be an owl or another dead crow. Someone did try shoot one early last year, but police investigated because setting off a firearm is prohibited within city limits.

The term "murder of crows" contains a clear message to those who are attuned.

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