Field observations from 10th January 2022 to 13th January 2022

In France, crows are a bit different than in Estonia. Even if they were considered as the same species for a long time, (and even now, it is not entirely clear), you can tell them apart in one look.

In Paris, I used to have two main observation spots, and both were disturbed this winter. In the Champs de Mars, a very long park between the Eiffel Tower and the War School, they used to be thousands of them. But today, only a single pair remains.

They don’t seem afraid, nor of humans, nor their dogs, but there is no sign of the rest of the flock.

The second spot is the botanical garden inside the MNHN (the National Museum of Natural History). For few months, an exhibit has implanted sculptures in the most visited area of the park. Crows are not disturbed, and even seem to like their new perches.

In this garden, as it can happen in few other parks in Paris, crows coexist with a quite strange and exotic neighbours, taking advantage of the warm winters of France: rose-ringed parakeet.

In the botanical garden, crows are very comfortable near humans, especially due to the benevolence of the Museum and garden employees, who bring them food and never try to chase or hurt them, even if they often damage grass and plantations.

To follow the flock and understand the species better, many of the individuals living in the botanical garden are marked with a numbered ring attached to their claws.