ABOUT WINTER CROW ROOST

The city of Lawrence, MA lies in the heart of the Merrimack Valley near the border of southern New Hampshire. It is located in Essex County, along the Merrimack River, and is about twenty-five miles north of Boston. Lawrence enjoys a rich history as a city of immigrants, and has a large number of massive old brick textile mill buildings.

For decades, the city has hosted a significant winter crow roost. The winter crow roost consists of mostly American Crows, along with a smaller number of Fish Crows. Typically, an hour before sunset, the crows gather in smaller pre-roost groupings. These pre-roost (staging) locations may change on any given night. The crows then converge about a half hour after sunset, into a final roost location. For many years, the final roost location had been along the south side of the Merrimack River, by the New Balance building complex. Over the winter of 2017-2018, and 2018-2019, the final roost location changed many times.  Since October 2020, the roost has continued along the Merrimack River from the New Balance building, downriver as far as the Rt. 495 bridge, and an extended area around Lawrence General Hospital. The size of the winter roost typically grows from an initial group of 2,500 in October to almost 15,000 crows in late January and  early February!

All are welcome to join us and become members of the Crow Patrol! Don’t forget to subscribe to the new “Crow Patrol” podcast, and check back for very regular updates!

• The Boston Globe published a front page feature article on the Crow Patrol on Feb. 27, 2020. For those with an interest, here is the link to more on that informative article:  https://www.wintercrowroost.com/thousands-of-crows-have-descended-on-lawrence-and-nobody-knows-why/
• The Eagle Tribune published a front page feature article on the Crow Patrol on Jan. 28, 2020. For those with an interest, here is a link to more on that informative article: https://www.wintercrowroost.com/visit-of-15000-crows-to-lawrence-fascinates-researchers-bird-enthusiasts/
• Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds featured the Crow Patrol on his weekly radio show/podcast on Sunday, May 3, 2020. For those with an interest, here is a link to more on that recent interview: https://www.wintercrowroost.com/winter-crow-roost-talkin-birds-with-ray-brown/
• The Eagle Tribune published another front page feature article about the Crow Patrol on Feb. 14, 2024 by Terry Date. The article is very well done and provides a thoughtful update with a video clip on this amazing phenomenon: https://www.wintercrowroost.com/winter-crow-roost-eagle-tribune-front-page/ 
• WGBH Radio published a news story, video, and radio broadcast on March 27, 2024 featuring the amazing Winter Crow Roost in Lawrence; the video captured a record number of views and prompted tremendous feedback from viewers: https://www.wintercrowroost.com/gbh-news-crows-descent-in-lawrence/

It is an amazing sight to see and you are invited to take a closer look, through this blog, to learn more and enjoy this awesome avian experience.