Will a non-local bird in my Larsen Trap attract more crows?
I can't explain the increase, but one factor may be significant.
My decoy bird came from a friend who lives 80 miles away, whereas in previous years I've employed locally caught birds.
Do you think this strange bird on the patch could have made any difference?
![](https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/crow-1.jpg)
Our carrion crow population is divided into territory-holding pairs and non-breeders.
Territorial birds are dominant, with the males in turn dominant over the females.
Studies have shown the boundaries of a pair?s territory are most vigorously defended against unknown intruders, while familiar individuals from the adjoining territory are more likely to be tolerated.
This has the advantage of mutual defence against non-territory holders on the borders.
Thus it follows that a decoy bird brought in from some distance away is more likely to excite the residents than a local bird.
It would be interesting to hear from other readers whether they have noticed anything similar.
Given a choice of decoy bird I would always opt for the bird caught as far away as possible from the area in which I was trapping.