Corvids

[voyageur]

Crows - Wise Guys

The following is a link to a very interesting discussion on Raven and Crows. This program is entitled ‘Wise Guys’ on CBC Radio.
The Radio Show is formally called ‘Ideas’ and in this episode it is a collection of discussions, observations and one scientific study by John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Science at University of Washington which is rather interesting concerning Crows communications and observation skills.

How is it that crows got such a bad rap? Yes, there’s the small matter of West Nile and dead crows being the harbinger of death. Then there’s also that Hitchcock fellow who took the meaning of a “murder of crows” literally. And why as we age, can’t we embrace and celebrate the inevitable lines on our face instead of giving them the derogatory name of “crow’s feet”.

While many of us may fear or loathe crows and their corvid cousins (ravens, magpies and jays), there are probably many more of us who are fascinated with these highly social animals. It’s a fascination that shows up, not only in our backyards, but also in our myths, songs and dreams. Bring up the subject of crows and like dogs and bears, most people have a crow story.

Ideas producer, Yvonne Gall takes us on a close encounter of the corvid kind and examines whether crows are pests in need of eradication or are simply misunderstood.

Note: this is 53 minutes, but it is a fun easy listening program if you have the time.

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/wise-guys/index.html

[treesparrow]

 Wise guys?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1279622/Fancy-Marlboro-flight-The-crows-took-crafty-cigarette-break-.html?ITO=1490

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Genuine photos?

(edit)

link not working for some reason - checked a couple of times.

[Vulcan59]

Hi treesparrow,

Is the photo below, the one you were trying to link to?   

[treesparrow]

Hi treesparrow,

Is the photo below, the one you were trying to link to?   

Yes - the link is now working again. Very amusing photos and hopefully entirely natural.

[Nienna]

This picture reminds me of a book I read a long time ago about a person trying to come to grips with nature  It was a comic look at nature.  In it he stated that from observing crows he had come to the conclusion that out of all the birds he had observed, he felt that the corw would be a candidate for breaking into a person's house, wreck the place and pistol-whip the occupants and then eat all of the food before leaving. 

I, myself, am really amazed at what crows, and their kin, are able to do.  Very intelligent little beings from what I have seen.

[Guardian]

This picture reminds me of a book I read a long time ago about a person trying to come to grips with nature  It was a comic look at nature.  In it he stated that from observing crows he had come to the conclusion that out of all the birds he had observed, he felt that the corw would be a candidate for breaking into a person's house, wreck the place and pistol-whip the occupants and then eat all of the food before leaving. 

No Kidding!!!  See the two cigarettes on the roof behind the crow in the top of the photo? I bet those belong to the third crow who went off to steal a lighter. 

[Gonzo]

I am really fascinated by crows and their ilk. This year we have seen entire flocks of crows that were around double their usual size, making them more like the size of ravens.

I remember recently reading a study of crows' use of tools,

In the experiment, the crow was given a stick and food behind a cage wall. The crow used the stick to drag the food within reach.

In another more complex experiment, the crow ended up using a sequence of three tools to get the food, rather ingeniously, I felt.

When I was a teen, I used to breed rats (domestic hooded rats) and thought that they were the most intelligent mammal for their size, but I now have to give the crown to the humble crow. 

Interesting how they do seem significantly smarter than many other breeds of bird.

Gonzo

[treesparrow]

 Regarding the authenticity of the photos. Initially I thought there was a strong possibility that they had been photoshopped. My suspicions grew when I noticed that although you can seen the shadows cast by the crows quite clearly, there are no discernable shadows of the cigarettes and packet. However, if you look at the very tip of the top cigarette under the upper crow you can see part of the shadow of the bird there. If the picture were a hoax, one might expect the shadows of all the objects (whether inserted or not) be clearly represented and not just this slightly obscure part of the photo. Just to insert a shadow solely here does not make much sense at all when  the shadows of all the added items (cigarettes, packet) could have been inserted (to give a realistic depiction). Based on this I think that the photo is therefore very likely genuine. Hope this all makes sense.

Fwiw.

[treesparrow]

6 Terrifying Ways Crows Are Way Smarter Than You Think

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_6-terrifying-ways-crows-are-way-smarter-than-you-think.html


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Some mind blowing stuff, corvids trully are amazing creatures! 

[treesparrow]

Another fascinating piece about the mental abilities of the corvid tribe.

Study finds crows can distinguish symbols representing quantities

MAEBASHI (Kyodo) -- A team of researchers said Monday they have found crows can recognize symbols representing different quantities, successfully selecting containers holding hidden food items in experiments when given a choice based only on symbols.

The research by Shoei Sugita, professor of animal morphology at Utsunomiya University, and others has confirmed for the first time in the world crows can distinguish quantities of items, suggesting the birds have the same numerical cognition ability as human beings.

The outcome of the tests involving eight jungle crows was published in the October issue of Animal Behavior, an international journal.

In the experiments, the researchers prepared two containers in a cage, showing the eight crows two sets of quantity symbols on their lids.

The jungle crows were initially presented with the choice between two and five, with only the container bearing the five symbols containing food. The crows were trained to get the food at a 70 percent success rate.

The crows later received tests for non-numerical clues such as element configuration, shape, total filled area and novel sets of quantity involving choices with figures ranging from two to eight.

The eight crows had a 70 to 90 percent success rate choosing the container holding food for 19 of the 20 choices with which they were presented.

Sugita and other researchers have also discovered that crows can distinguish between men's and women's faces, with the research results made public last year. "We want to reveal more about the unknown intelligence of crows," the professor said.

(Mainichi Japan) October 3, 2011

_http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111003p2g00m0dm076000c.html

[treesparrow]

Definitely not bird brains! Ravens are the only species other than apes who can 'point' and share objects like humans

Ravens ‘point to’ objects to attract each other’s attention in a similar way to humans, research has discovered.
Until now, it was thought the only animals which communicate this way were apes.
But a study by German and Austrian experts revealed ravens to be far more intelligent than previously thought.


Clever: A raven on Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. the birds have been observed to use objects to point and share, like humans do


They observed wild ravens using their beaks to show and offer each other objects such as moss, stones and twigs.
The birds, which belong to the corvid family with crows and magpies, made signals using their beaks as if they were hands. The experts likened this to the way very young children point and hold up objects as a way of saying ‘look here’ or ‘take this’.
The gestures were mainly between ravens of the opposite sex and helped them become closer. The ravens that attracted a potential mate using them often ended up ‘sharing’ the object with their friend.
The study’s author, Dr Simone Pika, of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, said it was the first evidence ravens use gestures ‘to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond’.

Dr Pika added: 'These results provide the first evidence that ravens also use so called deictic gestures in order to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond.
'We observed that ravens use their beaks similar to hands to show and offer objects such as moss, stones and twigs.
'These distinct gestures were predominantly aimed at partners of the opposite sex and resulted in frequent orientation of recipients to the object and the signallers.
'Subsequently, the ravens interacted with each other, for example, by example billing or joint manipulation of the object.'



Birds of a feather: Interaction was mainly between ravens of the opposite sex and helped them become closer by sharing the object


Dr Pika said that ravens are songbirds belonging to the corvid family like crows and magpies, and they surpass most of the other avian species in terms of intelligence.
He said: 'Their scores on various intelligence tests are similarly high than those of great apes. 
'Ravens in particular can be characterised by complex intra-pair communication, relatively long-time periods to form bonds and a relatively high degree of cooperation between partners. 
'Gesture studies have too long focused on communicative skills of primates only. 
'The mystery of the origins of human language, however, can only be solved if we look at the bigger picture and also consider the complexity of the communication systems of other animal groups.'

[Mac]

Crows were a rare sight around here for several years. They were hit hard by west nile, but recently have made a come back.

I have always seen them as intelligent even wise. I read in a article that they live in extended family groups. When their numbers were devastated by west nile more territories opened up for them. But they stayed together in their families. Those that had lost their young to disease stayed to help raise the remaining young, as loving aunts and uncles.

They can be taught to talk, with some alteration in their tongue. There was one at a zoo years ago. The sign on the cage said he could say his name "George". We stood before the cage saying "Hi, George" trying to get him/her to speak. Nothing until suddenly came: "I don't talk!" Probably on of his keepers taught him that line by rote, but after reading this article I am not so sure. 

To me not ominous, but strange and noble creatures.

Mac

[treesparrow]

Crow invasion frustrates California Borough residents

CALIFORNIA, Pa. -- California Borough residents said thousands of crows have invaded their neighborhoods, leaving behind a mess every night.

 People who live in the area said the birds arrive in the area at dusk and stay until sunrise.

 "At 7 in the morning, it's louder than my alarm," said Jess Priest.

 "It's really bad. It keeps us up at night. They go to the bathroom everywhere. Our cars get destroyed," said Jen Sasko.

Channel 11's Dave Bondy reported that California University of Pennsylvania used laser lights to get rid of the crows, and that's when they fled to the American Legion on Second Street.

One woman who lives in the area said she made a scarecrow in hopes of ridding her home of the problem.

"One day I was so mad I said I was going to build a scarecrow. I didn't know if they actually worked. I put it in the tree and it didn't," Bree Robinson said. 

 Experts said crows roost in cities to be warmer in the winter.

The roosting habits of these birds may reflect ordinary events but the numbers involved do seem to be a bit unusual. What a mess they leave behind!

Video report -
http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/crow-invasion-frustrates-california-borough-reside/nHbyq/

[voyageur]

It seems that when the Roost changes they get darn confused and rightly so. Remembered an article about this;

_http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=fa0190f1-14ea-480a-bad3-156be208e747

They arrive by the thousands, dark undulating lines flying low over the urban landscape, drawn nightly by some unknown force of nature to a patch of forest set in an unlikely tangle of commercial buildings and transportation corridors in Burnaby.

That's how it's been since the 1970s as northwestern crows from False Creek, the North Shore and north Surrey gather at their greatest roosting site in B.C., a spot near Willingdon Avenue and Still Creek, just north of Highway 1.

Could all that change? The destruction of the roost site earlier this year for development of a Costco outlet and new Keg restaurant has left one researcher concerned and more than a little saddened.

"They're very confused," said Michael Jackson, a research associate at the University of B.C., who's been studying the crows for the past two years.

"Most of them leave the roost in summer. They come back and expect to find their roost and it's no longer there."
...

Wonder what original Roost changes are involved in the California story referenced or is it completely something else?

[treesparrow]

Documentary about the intelligence and social life of crows (52 minutes long). Some fascinating sequences, particularly  about their tool using (and choosing) abilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ-i92ov5O8