American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

While visiting a park in Naples, Florida a pair of crows caught my attention. Normally I have found these birds to be highly suspicious of humans, flying away if approached. As I observed, I saw one crow fly to the sandy bank of a pond and begin to dig with it's long, sharp beak. I knew there were many ant mounds around the water's edge so, at first thought it was eating ants. Then I saw it fly away with it's prize, a turtle egg! While it was gone, I went to look down the hole, but it quickly returned and landed within three feet of me. It began walking right toward me, took a long look, then went back to the hole to resume digging. It was soon joined by it's mate and the pair took turns digging, pulling out an egg, flying away to eat it, then returning to dig up another until they took every last one, at least a dozen. Their normal fear of humans was clearly overcome with the desire to have a delicacy.

*See photo below of Crow with a Turtle egg.

Collier County Parks & Recreation, Naples, Florida, USA

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