West Virginia is known for her birds, and we’re okay with that. We like that ornithologists from around the world can visit our abundance of rivers and wildlife management areas to spot eagles, hawks, and warblers. We’re proud to host a week-long birding festival every spring that draws crowds in the thousands.

But what happens when birds of a feather decide to keep on flocking together?
Daniel R. Blume/Flickr
Murder. That's what happens, as the residents of Bluefield can attest to. Or maybe just a good old fashioned story swap. Either way, every winter, thousands of crows descend on this small mountain town.
Jon Dawson/Flickr
A group of crows is called a "flock," "murder," "muster," or "storytelling."
This phenomenon, when thousands upon thousands of crows gather together, is known as a mega-flock. It creates quite a challenge for city officials, who are left scrambling to deal with the noise (and the poop) that the birds produce.
hettie/Flickr

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Crows are extremely intelligent animals, and studies have shown that they have an uncanny ability to recognize individual people.
katieb50/Flickr
Might that extend to cars, buildings, and even cities? Almost certainly!
rjp/Flickr
Once the birds move on from Bluefield in the spring, city officials are left with the task of cleaning up after them.
Aaron F. Stone/Flickr
The old Montgomery Ward Building provides an excellent target for crow droppings, as do all the other buildings, cars, and sidewalks in the city proper.
Who knows why these interesting birds have chosen Bluefield as a wintering place?
Jennifer C./Flickr
Residents speculate that perhaps Bluefield is targeted for its rural setting, perhaps for its warmth compared to the nearby mountain terrain, or perhaps for the food source a city provides. Regardless, the city doesn't expect to be rid of them anytime soon.

What do you think of Bluefield’s mega-flock? Creepy? Interesting? Do you know of any other cities in West Virginia that enjoy a love/hate relationship with crows? Let us know in the comments.

Oh, and crows aren’t the only thing to flock to the Mountain State–remember this invasion last year?

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