Why Are There So Many Crows In My Yard? (And How To Get Rid Of Them)

Crows are fascinating, intelligent, and seemingly fearless birds. They can also be very annoying, especially if you have a bunch of them living in your yard. The constant crowing in the morning is enough to drive you crazy, and they can make a mess of your fence and yard, especially as their numbers grow. If you’ve noticed an increase in the number of crows in your yard, you’ll want to find out the cause to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse.

Some common reasons you find lots of crows in a yard are that your trash, compost pile, or bird feeders are providing easy meals. Grubs in your lawn can attract these birds, as can fruit trees. To get rid of crows, you must secure lids on trash cans, cover your compost pile, and pick up fallen fruit promptly. Add a decoy predator, shiny moving objects, or install a motion-activated sprinkler system.

You might not notice one or two crows in a tree, but a murder of these loud black birds is hard to miss. While you should never harm these animals, you might feel the desire to get them out of your yard. Before you start finding ways to get rid of crows, however, you need to understand why there are so many in your yard in the first place.

Possible Reasons Why There Are So Many Crows In Your Yard

1. Your Trash Cans And Compost Provide Easy Meals

Crows are intelligent and hungry birds. They are opportunistic feeders, which means they are always on the lookout for an easy meal. If you aren’t properly securing your trash can, crows will notice and exploit this weakness quickly. If you have an exposed compost pile, don’t be surprised if you see crows pecking at it throughout the day. Trash and compost act as magnets for these birds, and the more you feed them, the more birds you’ll attract.

2. They’re Eating From Your Bird Feeders

Bird feeders are a fantastic way to attract a variety of bird species, especially in the winter when organic sightings are less common. Unfortunately, you can’t always choose which type of birds come into your yard. Bird feeders often attract crows, especially when there are limited food options. If you have one or multiple bird feeders, then there’s a strong possibility they are attracting a lot of crows to your yard. 

3. Your Lawn Has Grubs

Crows aren’t very picky eaters. They will eat garbage, rotten fruit, bird feed, and even bugs. Crows are particularly fond of grubs, which are often abundant in the ground and are highly nutritious. If your lawn has grubs, then you might notice an influx of crows pecking at the grass. Grubs aren’t good for your lawn, so as annoying as the crows may be, hey will help you get rid of these bugs.

4. There Are Shelter And Perch Locations

In addition to food, crows also congregate in areas where there are places to perch, build nests, and shelter. If you have a lot of trees, fences, and other sheltering spots, crows might feel at home on your property. If there is nothing to deter these birds from living in your trees and hanging out on fence posts, they are unlikely to move on to other yards.

5. They Are Attracted To Your Fruit Trees

Fruit trees can be a great investment, as they yield delicious, healthy fruit year after year. One problem with many fruit trees, however, is that they attract hungry animals. In addition to rodents, fruit trees attract birds, including crows that don’t often peck at underripe fruit but are more likely to indulge in fruit that’s rotting on the tree or on the ground.

Nine Ways To Help You Get Rid Of Crows In Your Yard

1. Secure Trash Bins

The best way to keep all sorts of scavenging pests, including crows, out of your yard is to secure your trash cans. Lids must stay on tight, with no risk of flying off or being pried open by an animal. Securing your trash can lids is a great way to cut off a major food source for these loud and intelligent birds. Once they realize they can’t access your trash, they will have to fly elsewhere to eat.

2. Cover Compost

Compost can attract birds, rodents, and other pests you don’t want in the yard. Still, composting is a great way to have an eco-friendly home, especially if you love gardening. Instead of giving up on composting, build a compost bin. Bins prevent most pests from entering the compost pile, which means they are less likely to stick around. You can also cover your compost, especially if crows are your main concern. If your compost is covered, birds can’t access it.

3. Remove Fallen Fruit Promptly

For those who have fruit trees, be diligent in picking the fruit. For one, the more often you pick fruit at its peak of freshness, the more you can enjoy it. When you leave rotten fruit on the ground or in the tree, it will attract various scavengers, including crows, to your yard. If there is never any rotten fruit in your yard, then these loud black birds are less likely to spend all day in your yard.

4. Incorporate Shiny Moving Objects

One great way to scare off many birds, including crows, is to add reflective and moving objects. There are all sorts of reflective garden decorations you can choose. If you don’t want to spend any money, you can hang old CDs on a fishing line. As these decorations randomly dance in the wind and reflect light, they will spook crows and other birds.

5. Buy A Decoy Predator Statue

An owl or a different kind of predator statue is another way to scare away crows. These statues are very effective, but crows are smart and have a very good memory. To ensure a predator sculpture scares all the crows away, move it every two days. Never leave the statue in the same place for more than three days, or the crows will start catching on, and it will become ineffective.

6. Motion-Activated Sprinklers

Motion-activated sprinklers are fantastic at keeping stray cats, deer, rabbits, and other unwanted wild animals off your property. Not surprisingly, the quick-acting bursts of water are also great at scaring away crows.  If you want a very effective, harmless, and long-lasting solution to your crow problem, motion-activated sprinklers are a great option.

7. Use Sound To Scare Them Away

Sound, especially random noises, will send every bird flying. Crows might be a bit stubborn, but unpredictable noises encourage them to fly away. The key is to use sounds that aren’t constant or predictable. Loud wind chimes are a good idea, as they only make noise when the wind hits them at the right speed and angle.

8. Stop Filling Bird Feeders

To ensure you remove all food sources that crows enjoy, stop filling your bird feeders. While you may notice a decline in other bird sightings, you must stop putting out food that attracts crows if you don’t want them on your property. Instead of a bird feeder, consider installing a bird house that only small, specific bird species (not crows) can fit in.

9. Remove Potential Nesting Locations

If a crow nests in your yard, then you’re stuck with it and its family until they move on. To prevent this from happening, try to make your property a less appealing nesting location. Add spiked bird deterrents to ledges and prune any trees in your yard. The fewer nesting locations you have, the less likely crows will stick around for the long term.

Wrapping Up Why There Are So Many Crows In Your Yard

Crows are interesting birds, but they can also be annoying. They are particularly irritating when there are dozens of them in your yard at any given time. Crows often congregate in yards with lots of food and ample shelter. Compost piles, exposed trash, bird feeders, and lawns with grubs can all attract crows.

To get rid of crows in your yard, eliminate all food sources. Next, consider installing a motion-activated sprinkler and adding shiny reflective objects, predator statues, or wind chimes to scare them off harmlessly.

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