Rain Crow

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Rain Crow

by Jenny Serbes
(Lithia springs, Ga.)

I have lived in northwestern Georgia all
my life and my father and grandfather
referred to the mourning dove as the
"rain crow". Because of their mournful
cry, they believed it was calling for
rain. I would be interested to know if
others are familiar with this term in regard to this beautiful bird.

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Rain Crow

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Jan 06, 2012
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Rain Crow
by: Carolyn

I live in Ohio.
My dad was born in 1915 and always referred to the mourning dove as a rain crow.

Aug 14, 2011
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Rain Crow
by: Mark

There is no way a morning dove can make a sound
that travels more than a mile.
The sound of a rain crow is heard on holy days and before rain.
I'm 77 heard this sound all my life, and have looked for the source, never seen it.
Mark

Jul 23, 2011
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Rain Crow vs. Mourning Dove
by: Anonymous

I am 76 years young and my mother always told us about the "rain crow". If she heard one in the neighborhood, she would say, "thank goodness, we'll have rain" and sure enough, it would rain! My daughter (who knows everything) says it is the mourning dove but I don't believe her for one moment. We have mourning doves all the time at our feeder and all I ever hear from them is a coo.
Thanks for giving us this web site. I have thoroughly enjoyed the comments from other readers.

Jul 20, 2011
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Huge Doves /Yellow-billed Cuckoo
by: Anonymous

We have some HUGE Doves that feed at our feeders and love the water sprinklers ; I`ll look closer ; they must be rain crows ""Yellow-billed Cuckoos"" i have never seen a dove this large before hunted them for years ; Gave it up ; they are far to beautiful to do that to ! Have a great day of watching the birds ! These Dove are the size of Healthy Pigeons !

Jul 20, 2011
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Love them Rain Crows ; Yellow-billed Cuckoo
by: Nick

Really love this Mournful sound ; familiar with it since i was very small in eastern Okla. we have them her in Ardmore.OK comforting sound they make ; often wondered why they are always solitary calls never more than one bird at a time ? Rain in our near future ! Yellow-billed Cuckoo ; doing what comes natural .

Jul 16, 2011
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Rain Crow
by: Anonymous

I had never heard of the mourning dove called a "Rain Crow" but I do know this. Farming here in West Virginia the past 6 years I have found it's song a certain call for rain. Not showers or T-storms but a good steady rainfall. I usually hear it about 6 to 12 hours before the event and it's reliable. (And sometimes VERY welcome.)

Jul 12, 2011
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Rain Crow
by: HotRod

I have lived in the Southwestern Virginia hills all my life. My father and my father-in-law were born there in the early 1900's and both called the Mourning Dove when it called the "Rain Crow" because it predicted coming rain. We live in a rural area and just recently obtained a 911 system. The drive which I live on is called "Rain Crow" and I a very proud of name on which I live. By the way we have a flock of "Rain Crows" which I call my 'chickens' and they do predict the rain.

Apr 21, 2011
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Rain Crow
by: W. Mueller

I grew up in the 1920's with my grandparents (b. 1875) in the wooded area south of the Red River in far N. central Texas. I have heard and seen the illusive "rain crow". Many people, who have never actually seen one, mistake a "rain crow" (yellow-billed cuckoo) for a dove, because it's call is somewhat similar, though different, to that of a dove. Both are beautiful birds, and it's certainly worth the time to learn to distinguish and appreciate both of them.

Apr 17, 2011
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rain crow
by: jpickering

I grew up in the Tidewater Region of Virginia. My father, born in Virginia in 1912, always referred to the mourning dove as a rain crow.

Feb 23, 2011
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Rain Crow
by: Darlena

My Mother was born in 1926 in the mountains of East Tennessee. She also referred to the Mouning Dove as a Rain Crow. I'm sure this something she learned from her parents and grandparents. She never believed me when I told her it was a Dove.

Dec 31, 2010
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ghost birds....rain crows
by: J.BIRWELL

I grew up in Texas and have known about the raincrow since childhood.

If your lucky enough to get a glimpse of one it will only be for an instant usually during flight .

I don't know how or why they are so secretive- I've never even seen a dead one.

I heard one during the summer and tried my best to sneak up and get a good look saw it for only a couple of seconds as it flew back into hiding.

Jul 22, 2010
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Rain Crow
by: Doug

I grew up and still live on my Grandfather's farm in the piedmont area of North Carolina.

The Rain Crow that we are familiar with is not the mourning dove but a larger brown bird about half the size of a Crow and seldom seen. It prefers heavy woodland and the call is not the low-high low-low cooing of the dove but a coarser monotone call with a plaintive sound.

It sounds like it is coming from inside a drum and is soft and short,being repeated several times for each call. It always comes from the "woods" and the bird is very seldom seen,just heard.Local as well as Virginia mountain lore handed down to me from parents and grandparents says it portends rain.

Jun 26, 2010
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Rain Crow
by: Anonymous

I never heard of a dove being referred to as a rain crow. The rain crow is a yellow billed cuckoo.
http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/what/Birds/cuckoos/ybc.cfm

May 18, 2010
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Rain Rrow
by: Joe Crask

I was born and raised in southern Illinois and all my life we have referred to the mournful sounds coming from the mourning dove as the Rain crow. My Grandfather swore by it as a chance of rain.

May 16, 2010
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Rain Crow Calling
by: MaryMargaret

My father was born in central Illinois in 1911 and raised in Kentucky. He had sayings and special names for many things. Raising me in Illinois,he always referred to the Mourning Dove call as the Rain Crow calling. Whenever i hear someone say "they are calling for rain", i picture the Rain Crow and think fondly of Dad!

May 02, 2010
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Rain Crow Memories
by: Anonymous

As a child in the '30s, living on a farm in Nebraska, my Mother identified the bird, with a mournful song, as a Rain Crow. In later years, I'd ask people about the Rain Crow. Puzzled looks. Only once, have I seen it used in a book. Author/humorist, Roger Welsch, referred to the Rain Bird. I continue to hear the "Rain Bird" and memories return. At sometime, I learned that it is the Dove. Glad to read of others who "know" of the Rain Crow.

Apr 30, 2010
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Rain Crow from West Virginia
by: Anonymous

My mother-in-law was born in 1918 and grew up in southern West Virginia also always called the mourning dove a Rain Crow. My husband used to try to tell her it was a dove, but I don't think she really believed him.

Jun 28, 2009
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rain crow
by: Jim N Birdwell

I live in North central Tennessee. My now deceased father who was born on a farm in 1914 also referred to the mournful sound of the mourning dove as the rain crow.

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Rain Crow

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Rain Crow