Apparently, if you spend enough time negotiating with nature, you might just end up with an elite security team patrolling your backyard. Brian, the homesteader behind B&R Homestead in North Georgia, has officially seen his three-month-long negotiation project pay off. So, he took to Instagram and YouTube to share his success in a post that has racked up 27.1 million views, showing his local murder of crows successfully driving off a hawk that was threatening his chickens. Brian starts the video standing against a wooden fence as he tells the camera, “Hey everybody, we had a hawk attack today.” He mimics his audience to ask if that was scary, before gleefully stating, “Yeah, everything is scary… Until The Avengers Assemble!” The footage then cuts to the sky, where you can see four crows aggressively circling a hawk. You can hear Brian shouting at the sky, cheering on his new allies as he yells, “Yeah! Get him!” and “It’s working!” Brian tells us that he has been working toward building this crow army this for months. In a whole lot of Instagram posts, he set up the feed tray, brought shiny trinkets, and even spoke to the crows. His goal was never just to have backyard visitors. As he explained in the video, “I wanted a group of mercenaries, some assassins, a murder if you will… to do my bidding and to protect my chickens from hawks. And It worked!” He pitted bird against bird The comments section is full of fans weighing in on his unique security strategy. User jorgelo24 joked, “Bro created a restricted air space,” while jarafro pointed out the clever wordplay by saying, “Scarecrow Crowscare .” Another user, sarajen__, highlighted the intelligence of the birds, noting, “They have generational memory too! AVENGERS FOR GENERATIONS .” Other reactions were equally enthusiastic, with tk.fareed commenting, “They better be getting paid gooooood today ,” and sophie_hines adding, “Harnessing birds to protect birds from birds .” Even those with their own experience chimed in, like reckless_the_arabian, who wrote, “I have my own murder of crows that I feed and they protect my chickens. It works.” Protecting a flock from aerial predators is a serious challenge for any homesteader. According to the Poultry Extension, hawks—including Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks—are common predators that hunt during the day. They have incredibly sharp eyesight and often swoop down to kill on impact. When dealing with this danger, there is one important thing to remember: these raptors are federally protected. As noted by the Connecticut Energy and Environment Department, it is unlawful under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act to hunt, capture, or kill any migratory bird, including all hawks and owls. Fines for violating this can reach $15,000, and there is no unconditional right for a property owner to kill these birds to protect their livestock. So, many owners utilize the other advice given on both platforms, like modifying the habitat or using covered runs. However, Brian’s method of using crows is a fascinating use of actual reported natural behavior. Crows are known for “mobbing,” a tactic where smaller birds chase and harass larger predators to drive them away from their territory. As explained by Bird Watching Daily, crows don’t usually intend to cause physical harm during these encounters. Instead, they use their agility and numbers to make the environment so unpleasant that the hawk decides it’s not worth the energy to stick around. June Hunter, a photographer who has spent over 20 years befriending crows, emphasizes that if you want to replicate this friendship, you have to be patient and treat crows with respect. Her advice includes finding a local crow territory, offering protein-based treats like peanuts or high-quality dog food, and establishing a routine without making the birds reliant on you. As he celebrates his success, Brian says, ““It’s hard to explain the feeling. The feeling of wielding the power, of the local crow community. To defend your property and attack your mortal enemy, the hawk. We have had hawk problems for years, and we tried every solution known to man, but to think that my solution was just up in the trees, staring at me.” Bird Watching Daily notes that crows might be devious and mischievous, but they are also highly intelligent. Last year, a family nursed an injured crow back to health, and now the corvid is part of their family. However, on the more mischievous front, one man taught his crow friends to identify and attack specific types of hats.