From time to time, we can see videos and posts about how smart they are in various places such as social media about crows. The main reason why they are so intelligent is that they are the bird species with the highest brain and body size ratios. It has a large brain-to-body ratio, especially as one would expect from a crow-like ape called a corvus.
This family of birds, known as crows, actually includes not only crows, but also creatures such as ravens, magpies, and waterfowl. There is even a bright blue species called the blue jay, although it is generally known for being black. Although it is often used as an element of fear, death or evil in cinema or mythology, we have compiled for you surprising facts about crows, which are very impressive animals with both appearance and intelligence!
Crows hold funerals.
Perhaps the reason why crows represent death in fields such as cinema and mythology is that crows hold a funeral ceremony when one of their species dies. The ceremony can also take place with just one crow or with a group. During the ceremony, they are very serious and quiet. Researchers have no way of knowing what an animal’s emotional state is, but crows are thought to have emotional intelligence.
Crows’ puzzle-solving abilities can be as advanced as those of a small child.
It’s not for nothing that crows are famous for their intelligence, because they can be equally capable of solving puzzles with a small child. According to a study in the journal ‘Current Biology’, crows can plan tool use while solving a puzzle. It is even said that they can achieve success by ignoring the traps that will make it difficult for them to solve the puzzle. Here’s a BBC video showing how the crow’s intelligence is developed and strategizing while solving puzzles.
Crows can use and make tools.
In the early 1960s, when a primatologist discovered that wild chimpanzees used branches for hunting, he refuted the idea that humans were the only species capable of using tools. However, not only primates but also other animals have been the subject of research, proving that crows have the ability to use and even make tools.
Many creatures in the crow family can already use tools, but there is one species that has an advanced ability to make tools, which is the New Caledonian crow. These crows have the ability to make tools that range from clearing a branch of leaves to making hooks from thorns.
Crows gossip and hold grudges.
Yes, crows gossip too. It has been proven that several crow species can recognize human faces. For example, magpies and ravens taken for research have been known to scold researchers who they know have gotten too close to their nests or to them in the past.
They never forget the person whom they knew to have touched evil at the time, and at the same time they hold a grudge against them and see them as enemies. Studies show that the only thing that the crows pay attention to in this regard is the face of the person they remember as the enemy, apart from the other physical appearance. This feeling is especially observed in crows living in cities with people.
Crows will try any means for their food.
Crows tend to be opportunistic and creative and are prone to develop new feeding strategies in order to easily survive. It has been observed that one type of crow catches its own fish and uses other food as bait to lure the fish close. They can also steal food from other animals and even humans if they can.
Crows can help at home.
Of course, crows also have a family. Young crows may remain attached to their parents for some time after leaving the nest. It has been observed that their parents still support their development and learning during adolescence, in a way. In some cases, young crows do not want to build their own nest for a certain period of time and do not find a mate. In such cases, they can stay at home with their family and help their parents take care of their second child, i.e. sibling.
Crows have dialects just like humans.
In fairy tales and stories, there are other sounds they use other than the crow’s voice, which is described as ‘cackling’, and each of them can have a different meaning. It has been observed that crow languages can vary even in two different populations. According to an ornithologist researcher, crows have dialects just like humans. In the crow language, which can vary regionally, if a crow changes a flock, it learns the new language by imitating the pack leaders.
Crows do not live for 200 years.
There is a known misconception about crows that there are species that live as long as 200 years. It is not known where this misconception comes from, but there is not a single crow species that lives for 200 years. Crows, which live for 15-20 years in nature, can possibly live up to 30 years if they are under special care. The longest recorded lifespan of a crow is 40 years.
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