I’m a huge fan of the crow family. Well, Jays, not so much, having been attacked by a vigilant mother jay when I was young and only trying to return her baby to its nest. However I can, now being a mother myself, understand that furious protective instinct. I’m sure if I thought someone was trying to harm the LF or Milo, I would try and peck their eyes out.
But crows, ravens, rooks, magpies…love and adore them. I still plan on writing a book with a crow as the central character. I did write one which will never see the light of day. It was pretty awful stuff but the crow came out well. I did a lot of research so much of his character was based on actual crow behavior, but just in a magical fantasy context. Now, years after I wrote that ill-fated draft I’m not sure if I would do something more like Watership Down. We’ll see. It may never come to be but it’s on my list. The list where I jot down ideas for possible books.
Anyway I try to keep abreast of Crow study and my mother just sent me this amazing new finding.
What’s fascinating (and I believe this is the first time it has been observed) is that not only do crows use tools but they can also figure out a sequence of tools to get what they want. So one tool gets them to the next one and then the next and then to the bit of food.
And you know that fable of Aesop’s where the crow gets the drop of water from the bottom of the pitcher by dropping pebbles into it? Recently they discovered that rooks do this.
In terms of intelligence crows are right up there with dolphins. Unfortunately most people don’t think they’re cute. Even nowadays, crows are shot, poisoned and blown up, and they’ve not only learned how to recognize unpleasant humans by their facial features but also to share the information with all the other crows. I think a mass rebellion might be just around the corner and I warn the less evolved of you to start wearing hats with big brims outdoors.
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