Cawing

The act or sound of a crow or other corvid bird making its characteristic loud, harsh cry. This vocalization typically serves as a form of communication, used for various purposes such as attracting mates, signaling danger, establishing territory, or coordinating flock movements. The sound itself is generally perceived as guttural and repetitive, often described as "caw-caw." It is a significant component of their behavioral repertoire and can carry distinct contextual meanings understood within the social structure of corvids. The intensity, duration, and frequency of the caw can all vary to convey different messages.

Cawing meaning with examples

• The morning was broken by the incessant cawing of the crows perched in the old oak tree outside my window. It was their daily morning chorus, signaling the start of a new day for the neighborhood, and I could tell their routine from how the sound changed as the flock dispersed.
• As the hawk soared overhead, the cawing of the crows intensified, a clear warning signal to their kin and any other small animals in the vicinity. Their cacophony made the hawk change direction, as the crow's territorial defence was an established behaviour.
• The researcher recorded the varying patterns of cawing to study how the crows communicated about food sources. By analysing the different calls, the researcher could then understand how the messages were sent between crows in a large group.
• During the stormy weather, the wind carried the distant cawing of the crows. The sound was often muffled, yet it brought a sense of melancholy to my afternoon while indoors away from the storm.
• The farmer was annoyed by the constant cawing, as the crows were damaging the cornfield. Every morning, he'd go and try to scare the flock away from eating the crop, but to no avail.