Slog
News & ArtsSaturday, August 1, 2009
City Bird Brain
Posted by Charles Mudede on Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Crows! No! The awful things! They, they, they...know our faces:
Here's a surprise: Wild crows can recognize individual people. They can pick a person out of a crowd, follow them, and remember them — apparently for years. But people — even people who love crows — usually can't tell them apart.Watch the NPR video. It's about an experiment conducted at the UW. The conclusions will not make you happy. If rats are "gray alive," crows are "black thought." Rats in the streets; crows in the sky. One all about instinct; the other all about reason.
3
Crows are very intelligent animals. Every crow story I've ever heard involves this fact. I believe there are native tribes that deify crows as trickster spirits, and it's no coincidence.
7
We saw a crow fight a snake right outside our house a couple of months ago. It was amazing -- the crow picked up the snake in its beak, and then flew over and dropped it in the street, where it pecked it to death. Wonder what Charles would have thought of that....
9
Well obviously crows need to tell humans apart. How else to reward the faithful and cast out the unworthy?
10
all corvids are very smart. some jays hide hundreds (thousands?) of acorns every year and remember where most of them are months later. crows in new caladonia make and use tools. ravens will pull up ice fishing lines to steal the bait.
setting aside the importance of empirical evidence for a second, we kind of knew this already. just like any parrot owner knew parrots can keep a beat, another recent "discovery".
setting aside the importance of empirical evidence for a second, we kind of knew this already. just like any parrot owner knew parrots can keep a beat, another recent "discovery".
11
so, are you still of the belief that animals are bio-bots? do you imply with this post that you have finally joined us all in the 21st century?
12
Corvids are the only regular tool users apart from apes. Show them the respect they deserve. They're nature's garbage men and you should ALWAYS be kind to your garbage man.
13
Christ, I heard about this a million years ago. Nice of you to remind me...my memory isn't so good anymore.
14
I just finished the book "In the Company of Crows and Ravens" by the Dr. in this NPR article, Dr. Marzluff (among others) and it is an outstanding read. Makes you love and repect Crows even more.
15
Why would a person like something less because it's more intelligent than they thought?
By what criteria are crows judged to be horrible?
What harm do they do?
I can understand being neutral to crows. I find them entertaining. I enjoy their antics. I think they are pretty. I like the fact that there are intelligent non-human perspectives out there in the world.
Help me to understand why people don't like crows.
By what criteria are crows judged to be horrible?
What harm do they do?
I can understand being neutral to crows. I find them entertaining. I enjoy their antics. I think they are pretty. I like the fact that there are intelligent non-human perspectives out there in the world.
Help me to understand why people don't like crows.
16
Fnarf- crows are my favorite NW residents also.
Extremely intelligent birds and little tricksters.
Extremely intelligent birds and little tricksters.
17
@15, I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem with them if they didn't sit outside my bedroom window squawking their brains out at the fucking crack of dawn.
18
All members of the crow family (ravens, crows, jays, Clarks nutcrackers, mynahs, etc.) are the raucous bad-boy commenters of Nature's blog.
The 6 or 7 adolescent cut-ups just fledged from nests near my house often hang out, acting goofy, just a few feet away while I fill the birdbath so they can soak their bread crusts or road-kill jerky--but if I put on a cowboy hat to take a walk when the sun is low, they follow me shrieking for up to half a mile. I figure a rancher took a shot at them or a parent.
The 6 or 7 adolescent cut-ups just fledged from nests near my house often hang out, acting goofy, just a few feet away while I fill the birdbath so they can soak their bread crusts or road-kill jerky--but if I put on a cowboy hat to take a walk when the sun is low, they follow me shrieking for up to half a mile. I figure a rancher took a shot at them or a parent.
20
My own observations on individual crows at the Lynnwood Albertsons showed that they recognized me by my large canvas bag (I had dropped bagel crumbs before, and they took advantage of this). The few days I don't have my large bag, the seem not to pay attention to me.
BTW, I heard this NPR show on the radio months ago, its not a new story. But yeah, crows and parrots are well-known to be extremely intelligent, and its no surprise that they recognize individuals. Parrot owners already know this, and its well known that crows come to recognize people with guns. Not that shocking, really.
Toasterhedgehog: It's baffled me too, how people hate intelligent, adaptable animals. It's like some people feel that only humans can truly own intelligence. Coyotes, rats, crows are some of the most hated animals in Western Civilization--seemingly because they are like us--smart, innovative, resourceful. It is some kind of human self-loathing?
BTW, I heard this NPR show on the radio months ago, its not a new story. But yeah, crows and parrots are well-known to be extremely intelligent, and its no surprise that they recognize individuals. Parrot owners already know this, and its well known that crows come to recognize people with guns. Not that shocking, really.
Toasterhedgehog: It's baffled me too, how people hate intelligent, adaptable animals. It's like some people feel that only humans can truly own intelligence. Coyotes, rats, crows are some of the most hated animals in Western Civilization--seemingly because they are like us--smart, innovative, resourceful. It is some kind of human self-loathing?
21
@ 18 apologies for nitpicking, but mynahs are in the starling family not the crow family. they're not very closely related groups.
22
@17 That's a valid point. I think they may be psyching themselves out.
Coach Crow: Are we gonna forage today?!
Crow foraging team: Yes we are!
Crow Coach: I can't hear you!! Are we foraging like hell today!
Crow foraging team: Hell Yeah we are going to forage today!!!
Crow Coach: Well get out there and forage!
Crow Foraging Team: Woooooohoooooo!
I know this because of science.
@20 I doubt Mudede or other crow haters are reading this thread from all the way from last night. I am just perplexed by their attitude.
Coach Crow: Are we gonna forage today?!
Crow foraging team: Yes we are!
Crow Coach: I can't hear you!! Are we foraging like hell today!
Crow foraging team: Hell Yeah we are going to forage today!!!
Crow Coach: Well get out there and forage!
Crow Foraging Team: Woooooohoooooo!
I know this because of science.
@20 I doubt Mudede or other crow haters are reading this thread from all the way from last night. I am just perplexed by their attitude.
23
why the FUCK would this not make me happy?
i love crows and the smarter the better. this is awesome.
and another thing: to those poohpoohing the science that showed this. we kinda need something like that to be done in a controlled manner. people claim shit about animals that isn't true, all the time. if you want behavior to be respected as a science and abilities of animals to be fact, you gotta have people go out there and do all the tedious boring repetitious work to prove stuff.
yeah, and someone needed to do the statistical analysis on that dancing parrot to prove that he could dance. really. or else it is just hearsay.
want to claim that dancing is an ancient trait? gotta do the stats on the parrot.
i love crows and the smarter the better. this is awesome.
and another thing: to those poohpoohing the science that showed this. we kinda need something like that to be done in a controlled manner. people claim shit about animals that isn't true, all the time. if you want behavior to be respected as a science and abilities of animals to be fact, you gotta have people go out there and do all the tedious boring repetitious work to prove stuff.
yeah, and someone needed to do the statistical analysis on that dancing parrot to prove that he could dance. really. or else it is just hearsay.
want to claim that dancing is an ancient trait? gotta do the stats on the parrot.
24
MEATY MEAT SAUCE IZ WHAT THE CROWS WILL MAKE OF KARLES MUDDY.
RATZ R RLY SMURT 2. U R NOT PICKING UP ON THIS, UR DESIRE TO FORM DIALECTICAL RELATIONS SABOTAGEZ UR BRAIN AND LOCKS U IN2 STATE PHILOSOPHY AND THE FASCIST MIND-MELD.
RATZ R RLY SMURT 2. U R NOT PICKING UP ON THIS, UR DESIRE TO FORM DIALECTICAL RELATIONS SABOTAGEZ UR BRAIN AND LOCKS U IN2 STATE PHILOSOPHY AND THE FASCIST MIND-MELD.
25
Crows are great. And yeah... this is a little bit old news. The Seattle Times syndicated an article about this research a year ago
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo…
26
@24: While I frequently find myself disagreeing with your implied points, I must say that you are one of my favoritest trolls ever. You prove that it is, indeed, an art form if done correctly.
Well done, sir/madame.
Well done, sir/madame.
28
@27 nuh uh.
Trolling is the toddler throwing a temper tantrum in a mall of the internet. It is artless and grating to troll.
Trolling is the toddler throwing a temper tantrum in a mall of the internet. It is artless and grating to troll.
29
I USED TO BE A TODDLER IN A MALL. THEN I GREW UPS AND ATED ALL THE TANTRUMS AND SYNTHENIZED DEM INTO A COOT KITTY WITH RAZOR SHARP WEB-CLAWS THAT WANTS TO FILET MIGNON THAT PUSSAY.
LINDY BABY, I'LL SEE YOU AT SAM I AM THIS FRIDAY!
DON'T WURRY KARLES, YOUR APPT. WIT DA DOKTOR IZ COMING UP.
LINDY BABY, I'LL SEE YOU AT SAM I AM THIS FRIDAY!
DON'T WURRY KARLES, YOUR APPT. WIT DA DOKTOR IZ COMING UP.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
NYC Man Ticketed for Not Riding in the Bike Lane by Jonathan Golob
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (31) RSS