Field observations from 5th October 2021 to 23rd October 2021

When I arrived in Tartu, I was quite strangely welcomed by corvids. Corvus cornix, the hooded crow, started by throwing soil and moss from the roof almost on my head, foraging for food. To my knowledge, this behaviour was not present in my previous city of observation, Paris. Autumn is a creative season for corvids: in Tartu, as in Paris, they are not migrating, and they prepare themselves to pass winter in the city.

C. cornix is not the only corvid one can find in Tartu. It is oftenly confused with Corvus frugilegus, the rook. At the beginning, they seemed to be in conflict, fighting for feed, avoiding each other and sometimes chasing each other. But very soon, a careful observer will understand that things are much more complicated between corvids species. And you can see the two species resting very close to each other, in the same tree, on the same branche sometimes. On this picture, you can see the C. frugilegus on the right, with its naked and white beak.

Present everywhere in Tartu, corvids seem to appreciate the quiet atmosphere of the residential district, feeding in Kesklinn but resting in Annelinn.