Why are crows damaging their car wipers?

Residents in a neighbouring village in Somerset are having their windscreen wipers destroyed by crows. I’m wondering, what would the birds gain from this behaviour? Sandra Jones

QNobody is really sure why crows attack the rubber parts of cars, but it is a fairly common occurrence around the world. Window seals are also a favourite target, both on cars and on houses. Several explanations have been advanced for the behaviour, some more plausible than others. Some experts think that the birds are actually attacking their own reflections, and the wipers and seals are simply collateral damage, while others think that

Athe crows are after a so far unspecified mineral present in the rubber, or are foraging for tiny insects on the rubber. There’s even a theory that the birds may mistake the car for a large dead animal, and are trying to peck through the soft bits to get at the insides! Some have also advanced the opinion that the crows just like the taste, or are using the rubber in some way to trim their bills, similar to the way rabbits will chew plastic-coated cables. On the other hand, it’s very possible that, as intelligent and playful birds, the crows are simply doing this just out of mischief. The only sure thing is that once started, the behaviour seems difficult to stop! Do let us know if this crow behaviour is continuing.