Asked by: Mary Woods, Chichester
Not especially. It’s true that they don’t swoop through the air like starlings or swallows, but crows can often be seen circling above their nests on a winter’s afternoon. The phrase comes from the 18th Century, and probably simply stems from the fact that crows are large, noisy, conspicuous birds often seen flying alone across open countryside.
A related phrase to ‘as the crow flies’ is ‘making a beeline’, but bees don’t fly in particularly straight lines, either.
Read more about birds:
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