Kingdom: Animalia
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Crows are species of birds
in the genus Corvus, and have a shiny jet black plumage and a high level of
intelligence. They are widely regarded as a bad omen, and are often brushed
aside as a simple nuisance, rather than recognised for the intelligent animals
that they are. They are actually very interesting creatures, but many people do
not give them the credit they deserve due to the bad luck associated with them.
What’s so great about them?
They are incredibly
intelligent! They have the biggest brain to body ratio among all bird species,
with a highly developed forebrain which is associated with intelligence. They
are cleverer than parrots, and Bonobo chimpanzees, which makes them the second
most intelligent creatures, beaten only by humans! This has given them the name
‘feathered apes’. For example, if a crow is unable to crack a nut, then it puts
it on a highway so a vehicle will pass over it and crack it open, and they
prefer to put it under smaller vehicles so the kernel is not completely
squashed.
Crow meat is edible for
humans and is served in Western parts of the globe, and is healthier than other
meats such as pork.
They can be used by humans
to destroy pests of crops and can form bonds with humans due to their social
nature.
They have an excellent
memory and can stash food in places, sometimes moving it several times, and
remember exactly where it is stored.
They are migratory birds,
and gather together in autumn and winter to migrate.
They have a characteristic
“cawing” and have developed a sophisticated form of language to communicate
with one another. The caws have different meanings at different times and can
mimic sounds of other animals. They can also associate different commotions to
different events. They also express emotions vocally, such as happiness, anger
and sadness.
When another crow is
dying, a group of crows flock around it and peck it aggressively to death,
which is why a group of crows is called a murder.
Crows mate for life, and
after hatching (usually 4-7 eggs) the male and female take it in turns to
incubate the eggs. Some of the offspring remain after they developed to assist
in co-operative breeding.
They can make tools for
food, a behaviour only otherwise shown in apes and humans. The New Caledion
crow can develop knife-like tools from stiff leaves and stiff stalks of grass.
The crows of Queensland, Australia have learned the skill of grabbing and
eating the toxic cane frog. The crows flip the frog at its back and start
stabbing its throat with their long and sharp beaks, thus consuming the
non-toxic innards.
They can imitate human
voice, like parrots. Some have even been taught to recite opera.
So why are they considered
to be bad omens?
They are associated with
bad omen, death, and dark witchcraft, as well as with the ability to manipulate
physical appearances, and magic in general. It
is said that if a black crow lands on a home’s roof, the inhabitants will
suffer bad luck or face death. This perhaps comes from a crow’s scavenger
personality, which leads to them hanging around human residences, and even
places like graveyards. For example, after Hiroshima, there was a famous plague
of crows on the city.
There are different crow
superstitions in different places all over the world. In Wales, the idea was
that if one crow crossed your path it was bad luck, whereas if two crows
crossed your path then it was good luck. They’re also considered good luck if
you find one dead on the road. The French had a saying that evil priests became
crows, and bad nuns became magpies. In Somerset, England, people used to carry
an onion with them for protection from crows. In New England, to see two crows
flying together from the left was bad luck. A general superstition was
releasing two crows together at a marriage ceremony, and if they flew away
together then it would be a long and happy marriage. If the crows separated,
the couple would part soon too. Sounds risky to me!
Personally, I think it’s high time that these superstitions were
forgotten, and let’s recognise crows for the incredibly intelligent, and
sociable, animals that they are. Although I perhaps won’t be saying that if one
now crosses my path or lands on the roof of my house…
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