Being woken up by crows lately? An expert explains why

Large group of crows annoys local neighbourhood A Waterloo neighbourhood asks, what's going on with all these crows? Krista Sharpe reports.

Large groups of loud crows are waking up residents in Waterloo region and beyond.

"They're like an alarm clock," one woman told CTV News.

Experts say in the winter and early spring, crows will congregate at night, often in large numbers.

A video supplied to CTV News by a resident in the Westmount neighbourhood of Kitchener shows dozens of crows sitting in the same tree, squawking loudly around 6 a.m.

The crows have been roosting in the same tree in Westmount for three nights now, frustrating some who live nearby.

“I know that they are loud and somewhat annoying, but rest assured they will not be there forever,” University of Guelph professor and bird expert Ryan Norris said.

Norris explained crows are highly intelligent and even have hierarchies.

In this video, he says they’re likely talking to each other about where local food sources are.

“They come together at night for warmth and then they disperse in the morning,” Norris said.

His best advice for residents living near a roost?

“I would recommend you go out and embrace the crows and observe them for a while,” Norris said.

Norris explained crows can roost in the same location for several days, possibly more than a week.

He does not recommend disturbing them in any way, including "dusting off a BB gun from your closet."

“They are part of our world too, animals, and the disruption could have a negative effect on them,” he said.

So if a group of crows finds a home next to you, your best bet might just be earplugs and patience.