Crows are highly intelligent birds that use a wide variety of vocalizations to communicate with each other. One of the most common crow calls is the “caw”, which can have different meanings depending on the context. When a crow caws three times in succession, it could be signaling one of several things to other crows.
A Warning Signal
One of the most well-known meanings of 3 crows caws is as a warning or alarm call. Crows are incredibly wary and watchful birds – they will keep an eye out for potential threats and alert the murder (group of crows) by cawing if they spot a predator or danger. Three short caws in quick succession from a crow signals to other crows in the area that a potential threat is nearby and they need to be on alert.
This warning call carries a lot of weight among crows – it will cause them to stop what they are doing and pay attention to their surroundings. Often, the caw will prompt other crows to scan the skies or area for the threat and join in the warning cries. This creates a chorus of alarm calls that notify the entire murder to the potential danger.
Some key things the 3 caws warn other crows about include:
- Predators – especially hawks, owls, falcons, cats, raccoons, snakes
- Humans getting too close to a nest
- Possible dangers like fast-moving vehicles
- Unidentified strange objects
So if you hear a crow caw 3 times in rapid succession, you can assume it has spotted something it perceives as an imminent threat and is letting other crows know about the danger.
Requesting Help
In some cases, a series of 3 caws from a crow signifies a request for help or recruitment. Crows are social birds that often forage, roost, and defend territory together as a group. When one crow encounters something too big for one bird alone – like harassing a large predator – it will sometimes let out 3 caws to call to its mate or other crows for backup.
Some examples of when a crow might caw 3 times to get help include:
- Mobbing a predator – Crows may work together to pester, harass, and drive away a predator near their nest by diving at it and cawing loudly. One crow starts but then calls for reinforcement.
- Defending territory – If an intruding crow enters an established crow territory, the resident crow may recruit others to help chase it away.
- Moving food – Crows struggle to carry large food items on their own, so one crow may caw to request others come help it transport something it found.
- Nest building – Building a nest takes a lot of effort and two birds working together to gather twigs and weave them in makes the process easier.
The 3 caws are especially common to request help from their mate. So if you hear it, there is a good chance a mated pair of crows are communicating!
Identifying Locations
Research has shown that crows also use their caws to identify specific locations. By cawing in unique patterns, crows label locations such as roosting sites and reliable food sources. This helps other crows in the murder find and remember these important spots in their home territory.
When a crow is occupying a location it wants other crows to know about, it will caw 3 times in steady succession. Nearby crows learn to associate the triple caw with that particular site and may join the vocalizing crow. Juvenile crows just learning the area pick up on these audible cues to help them navigate and find key resource sites.
So if you hear a crow caw 3 times repeatedly in one place, it is likely identifying and labeling that area for the rest of its group!
Saying Hello
In some cases, the 3 caw call serves as a friendly greeting among crows. Crows can recognize different individuals by their unique caws. When two crows that know each other come across one another, one may issue 3 short caws as a way of saying “hello!”.
This crow version of saying hello is most common between mated pairs and family groups. Parents will caw to their offspring in this manner to maintain contact when they are learning to fly and be independent. Crows also use it to greet their mate when they return to the same area.
So if you see two crows caw at each other a few times, they are likely just saying a quick crow hello!
Marking Territory Boundaries
Groups of crows establish territories that they defend and stay in year after year. The boundaries of these territories are not visible but the crows know them from experience. Issuing 3 loud caws as they fly over areas seems to be one way that crows identify and maintain these territorial edges.
By cawing in key spots around the territory, they remind other crows in adjacent territories where the borders lie and signal “this territory is occupied.” Juveniles also learn the territory limits this way when they first fledge and start ranging around.
Crows will be very vocal and issue series of triplets caws when defending against an intruding crow. So if you hear persistent triplet cawing from crows in different directions, chances are you are hearing territorial boundary reinforcement!
Funeral Calls
One of the more ominous meanings behind a series of 3 caws is as a funeral call. When a crow dies, other crows will gather around the deceased bird and call out loudly. This funeral gathering helps alert the rest of the murder while also serving as a warning about a dangerous location where a crow was killed.
The crows only do this for other dead crows – not for other animals or birds. During these funeral gatherings, the crows each take turns cawing 3 times as they stand over the fallen crow. Researchers believe this is a way of communicating the death rather than just alarm calls.
So if you come across a group of crows loudly cawing in 3s, they have likely found a dead crow and are mourning its passing.
Conclusion
In summary, the most common meanings behind 3 consecutive caws from an American crow include:
- Warning of danger
- Requesting help from other crows
- Marking a location
- Saying hello
- Signaling territory boundaries
- Funeral calls
Crows have a complex language of different caws, rattles, and notes. Their frequent triple caw carries multiple meanings depending on the situation and context. Now when you hear a crow caw 3 times, you can better understand what it is communicating!
