Very interesting observation.  I am currently reading Bernd Heinrich's excellent book Ravens in Winter in which he describes a desperate struggle between two ravens, with an aside that he does not see this kind of aggressive interaction in crows!  Ravens breed in winter.  Do crows?  Perhaps two Don Juans at it for a certain Señorita?

On Feb 21, 2016, at 12:00 AM, VTBIRD automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> There are 6 messages totaling 251 lines in this issue.
> 
> Topics of the day:
> 
>  1. advice needed re pugilistic crows (4)
>  2. Off topic - information request (2)
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 07:33:17 -0500
> From:    Maeve Kim <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: advice needed re pugilistic crows
> 
> Starting at 7:00 AM and ending just about two minutes ago, there has been a tremendous racket in my back yard. I counted eighteen crows and at least three ravens. I assumed they were mobbing a raptor, but I looked and looked without finding one. It appeared that the focus of attention was two crows on the ground, engaged in what looked like vicious combat. There’s no obvious blood or feathers strewn around, but the two have been tumbling and wrestling for a long time now and their struggles have covered several square yards of lawn. There are long minutes where the one on the bottom lies completely still, and then they’ll start tussling again, their talons locked and reaching out toward each other with their bills. Right now both birds are just lying there, breathing heavily.
> 
> Any thoughts about what’s going on? Do crows have battles for dominance? If so, I can see why a struggle between two crows would attract so many other crows, and why would ravens appear? 
> 
> I'm tempted to go out and see if the combatants would separate but I’m also thinking maybe I shouldn’t interfere. What do you all think?
> 
> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 07:43:17 -0500
> From:    Isis Erb <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: advice needed re pugilistic crows
> 
> Personally speaking I would continue to observe without interfering as it
> sounds like there's no obvious human cause. But if certainly keep notes &
> maybe try to video some of their action, or get still photos. It certainly
> sounds quite fascinating and is live to hear how it resolves.
> 
> I did see this take place last summer in a group of five crows, where two
> went at it fast and furious for some time (several minutes at least, with
> pauses to rest before resuming that behavior). Eventually they stopped and
> a while later all flew off together. I had wondered if it hadn't been two
> young crows trying to determine 'rank' within their larger family(?) group.
> 
> Interesting way to begin the day!
> 
> Isis Erb
> Burlington, VT
> 
> On Saturday, February 20, 2016, Maeve Kim <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> Starting at 7:00 AM and ending just about two minutes ago, there has been
>> a tremendous racket in my back yard. I counted eighteen crows and at least
>> three ravens. I assumed they were mobbing a raptor, but I looked and looked
>> without finding one. It appeared that the focus of attention was two crows
>> on the ground, engaged in what looked like vicious combat. There’s no
>> obvious blood or feathers strewn around, but the two have been tumbling and
>> wrestling for a long time now and their struggles have covered several
>> square yards of lawn. There are long minutes where the one on the bottom
>> lies completely still, and then they’ll start tussling again, their talons
>> locked and reaching out toward each other with their bills. Right now both
>> birds are just lying there, breathing heavily.
>> 
>> Any thoughts about what’s going on? Do crows have battles for dominance?
>> If so, I can see why a struggle between two crows would attract so many
>> other crows, and why would ravens appear?
>> 
>> I'm tempted to go out and see if the combatants would separate but I’m
>> also thinking maybe I shouldn’t interfere. What do you all think?
>> 
>> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:11:09 -0500
> From:    Henry Burton <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Off topic - information request
> 
> I stay at Holland Pond ( live in Ohio ). Are there any Yellow rail breeding
> sites in that northern Vermont area? If yes what is the breeding time of
> the Yellow rails. Thanks for the help.
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:06:44 -0500
> From:    hilke breder <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: advice needed re pugilistic crows
> 
> You'll probably find answers to your questions in a wonderful book on crow
> behavior: Gifts of the Crow by John Marzluff. He also has several
> fascinating videos on YouTube.
> Hilke Breder, Brattleboro
> 
> 
> On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 7:43 AM, Isis Erb <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> Personally speaking I would continue to observe without interfering as it
>> sounds like there's no obvious human cause. But if certainly keep notes &
>> maybe try to video some of their action, or get still photos. It certainly
>> sounds quite fascinating and is live to hear how it resolves.
>> 
>> I did see this take place last summer in a group of five crows, where two
>> went at it fast and furious for some time (several minutes at least, with
>> pauses to rest before resuming that behavior). Eventually they stopped and
>> a while later all flew off together. I had wondered if it hadn't been two
>> young crows trying to determine 'rank' within their larger family(?) group.
>> 
>> Interesting way to begin the day!
>> 
>> Isis Erb
>> Burlington, VT
>> 
>> On Saturday, February 20, 2016, Maeve Kim <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>>> Starting at 7:00 AM and ending just about two minutes ago, there has been
>>> a tremendous racket in my back yard. I counted eighteen crows and at
>> least
>>> three ravens. I assumed they were mobbing a raptor, but I looked and
>> looked
>>> without finding one. It appeared that the focus of attention was two
>> crows
>>> on the ground, engaged in what looked like vicious combat. There’s no
>>> obvious blood or feathers strewn around, but the two have been tumbling
>> and
>>> wrestling for a long time now and their struggles have covered several
>>> square yards of lawn. There are long minutes where the one on the bottom
>>> lies completely still, and then they’ll start tussling again, their
>> talons
>>> locked and reaching out toward each other with their bills. Right now
>> both
>>> birds are just lying there, breathing heavily.
>>> 
>>> Any thoughts about what’s going on? Do crows have battles for dominance?
>>> If so, I can see why a struggle between two crows would attract so many
>>> other crows, and why would ravens appear?
>>> 
>>> I'm tempted to go out and see if the combatants would separate but I’m
>>> also thinking maybe I shouldn’t interfere. What do you all think?
>>> 
>>> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
>>> 
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 11:20:43 -0500
> From:    Jane Stein <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: advice needed re pugilistic crows
> 
> Wow. A struggle over a mate that got out of hand maybe?  We're getting 
> not that far from breeding season.
> 
> Corvids in general like excitement and go towards it rather than away, 
> so the ravens probably just dropped in to watch a good fight.
> 
> I'd leave 'em alone unless it's really unnerving you.
> 
> What a sight!
> 
> Jane
> (Shoreham)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 2/20/2016 7:33 AM, Maeve Kim wrote:
>> Starting at 7:00 AM and ending just about two minutes ago, there has been a tremendous racket in my back yard. I counted eighteen crows and at least three ravens. I assumed they were mobbing a raptor, but I looked and looked without finding one. It appeared that the focus of attention was two crows on the ground, engaged in what looked like vicious combat. There’s no obvious blood or feathers strewn around, but the two have been tumbling and wrestling for a long time now and their struggles have covered several square yards of lawn. There are long minutes where the one on the bottom lies completely still, and then they’ll start tussling again, their talons locked and reaching out toward each other with their bills. Right now both birds are just lying there, breathing heavily.
>> 
>> Any thoughts about what’s going on? Do crows have battles for dominance? If so, I can see why a struggle between two crows would attract so many other crows, and why would ravens appear?
>> 
>> I'm tempted to go out and see if the combatants would separate but I’m also thinking maybe I shouldn’t interfere. What do you all think?
>> 
>> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:21:18 -0500
> From:    Kent McFarland <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Off topic - information request
> 
> Hi Henry,
> There were none found in VT during the Breeding Bird Atlas, see
> http://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vermont-breeding-bird-atlas/breeding-bird-species/
> You can see there are some very old records in Vermont eBird:
> http://ebird.org/ebird/vt/map/yelrai?neg=true&env.minX=-76.23533602109376&env.minY=42.6204360190194&env.maxX=-68.48448152890626&env.maxY=45.23874819310714&zh=true&gp=true&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all
> 
> T
> ​h​
> e Vermont Bird Records Committee has this information (
> http://vtecostudies.org/wildlife/wildlife-watching/vbrc/annotated-bird-list/):
> 
> The first accepted record of this species was recorded on 18 July 1887,
> collected by George H. Ross in Mount Holly. In 1913, another specimen was
> collected by Richard Marble in Windsor. From there the reports jump forward
> to a heard only bird at South Bay in Newport on 3 June 1975 and documented
> by Frank Oatman and Jon Wood, and two years later on 10 September 1977
> George O’Shea documented the fourth and last record of this species.
> 
> ​Hope that helps.
> Kent​
> 
> 
> ____________________________
> 
> Kent McFarland
> Vermont Center for Ecostudies
> PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
> 802.649.1431 x2
> 
> <http://vtecostudies.org/>
> 
> On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 8:11 AM, Henry Burton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> I stay at Holland Pond ( live in Ohio ). Are there any Yellow rail breeding
>> sites in that northern Vermont area? If yes what is the breeding time of
>> the Yellow rails. Thanks for the help.
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> End of VTBIRD Digest - 19 Feb 2016 to 20 Feb 2016 (#2016-47)
> ************************************************************