Pauline Bartolone of Capital Public Radio digs into the story behind the large flocks of crows in downtown Sacramento, interviewing everyone from the local homeless to expert ornithologists to get a broad picture of this fascinating group of corvids:

Thousands of crows roost on tree tops along 10th street in downtown Sacramento. Over the years, they’ve been reported along K street and on J between 8th and 9th.

"I’ve lived here 30 years, and it was a well established pattern in the 1980s," says Dan Airola, Editor of the Central Valley Bird Club Bulletin.

Airola estimates anywhere between 10,000 and 20,000 crows roost downtown. During the day, they forage for nuts or grains in fields and suburbs as far as 20 miles away. At night, they come to sleep in the city because it’s safe and warm.

(photo by Peter Baer)