Crows are so smart!

Skyfarmr

Skyfarmr

Jedi Master
This is a beautiful story about a girl who inadvertently began feeding crows on her way to school. After awhile she began finding little "gifts" left by the crows she was feeding.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026 for complete story and photos

Gabi's relationship with the neighbourhood crows began accidentally in 2011. She was four years old, and prone to dropping food. She'd get out of the car, and a chicken nugget would tumble off her lap. A crow would rush in to recover it. Soon, the crows were watching for her, hoping for another bite.
[snip]
[after a couple of years...]
In 2013, Gabi and Lisa started offering food as a daily ritual, rather than dropping scraps from time to time.

Each morning, they fill the backyard birdbath with fresh water and cover bird-feeder platforms with peanuts. Gabi throws handfuls of dog food into the grass. As they work, crows assemble on the telephone lines, calling loudly to them.
It was after they adopted this routine that the gifts started appearing.

The crows would clear the feeder of peanuts, and leave shiny trinkets on the empty tray; an earring, a hinge, a polished rock. There wasn't a pattern. Gifts showed up sporadically - anything shiny and small enough to fit in a crow's mouth.

One time it was a tiny piece of metal with the word "best" printed on it. "I don't know if they still have the part that says 'friend'," Gabi laughs, amused by the thought of a crow wearing a matching necklace.

When you see Gabi's collection, it's hard not to wish for gift-giving crows of your own.
_81210316_gifts-purple-624.jpg

[snip...]

Lisa, Gabi's mom, regularly photographs the crows and charts their behaviour and interactions. Her most amazing gift came just a few weeks ago, when she lost a lens cap in a nearby alley while photographing a bald eagle as it circled over the neighbourhood.

She didn't even have to look for it. It was sitting on the edge of the birdbath.

Had the crows returned it? Lisa logged on to her computer and pulled up their bird-cam. There was the crow she suspected. "You can see it bringing it into the yard. Walks it to the birdbath and actually spends time rinsing this lens cap."

"I'm sure that it was intentional," she smiles. "They watch us all the time. I'm sure they knew I dropped it. I'm sure they decided they wanted to return it."

Writer and broadcaster Katy Sewall
Click to expand...



I just love hearing beautiful stories of children connecting/communing with nature. Restores my soul.
 
I think I saw this posted on facebook. It is an awesome story. Crows are very smart and bold birds. Those suckers will barely move two steps away from moving cars on the express way, whereas others birds will take flight. Not crows. They stand their ground.
 
I thought crows had the fame of being a bad luck sign,where I live people are afraid of them, they think that when they are seen someone is about to die. Beautiful story, specially when the crow rinsed the lens cap :lol:
 
Pretty cool story, thanks for sharing this.

Leonarda said:
I thought crows had the fame of being a bad luck sign,where I live people are afraid of them, they think that when they are seen someone is about to die. Beautiful story, specially when the crow rinsed the lens cap :lol:
Click to expand...

There is an old Crow thread with some misconceptions listed. The one thing is their uncanny memory of faces, either equated with a threat or, as the story above shows, with benevolence, and they seem to remember and pay it back as they did with this child. :)
 
Lilou said:
I think I saw this posted on facebook. It is an awesome story. Crows are very smart and bold birds. Those suckers will barely move two steps away from moving cars on the express way, whereas others birds will take flight. Not crows. They stand their ground.
Click to expand...

Aye, I also read this on FB. It is heart warming to hear about this young girl having a connection with these crows who come with these gifts. I wonder what she will do with them all?
 
Bird-people date back in human story-telling to ancient times. Thot/Hermes was an Ibis-headed person who is credited with bringing to the Egyptian people writing and medicine. I like the collection of items in the photo. I do see some patterns. Hexagons, objects with holes, symmetrical patterns, and twists. My meditation today included 2 tea light candles. Two burning spheres. These create the number 8, the infinity sign, and your crows brought you several of those.

The crows' choice of designs remind me of sacred geometry and of crop circles. Have C's commented on the nature of birds? Are they 4d? Hummingbirds seem to vibrate in and out of "here." Some birds, not only crows, seem to sit and "observe." They seem to know about cycles and seasons before we humans do, they know which direction to fly to and which to fly from. They are constantly showing us how to cooperate and communicate effectively. Their language is harmonious and musical. Sometimes I think they are just waiting for us to acknowledge them, so they can show us what they see...the friendship bracelet...somewhere is a bird with the other piece of it.

"Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
[Civilla D. Martin, 1905]

Aloha
 
Also in my country, the crows are to be noted. But it dipends how you see them...if they are just there in their nature, then there is nothing to notice, but if they make them selves noted, then you have to pay attention. There are many meanings for seeing the raven or crow in my country. Some think it only brings bad news, but it is not so. For the Raven or Crow has always brought important news, good or bad. I have had them standing at my window sill when important events were passing in my life, and I have had them fly across my car window while driving, like telling me that I was going in the wrong direction. But when they have something to say, they call out loud or do something to make you notice them, then for me it's a 'crow/raven' sign, something that I have to pay attention to. They have always bought important news.

Love the story about the girl feeding the crows, used to have many in my backyard in Iceland and loved having them their. ;)
 
voyageur said:
Pretty cool story, thanks for sharing this.

Leonarda said:
I thought crows had the fame of being a bad luck sign,where I live people are afraid of them, they think that when they are seen someone is about to die. Beautiful story, specially when the crow rinsed the lens cap :lol:
Click to expand...

There is an old Crow thread with some misconceptions listed. The one thing is their uncanny memory of faces, either equated with a threat or, as the story above shows, with benevolence, and they seem to remember and pay it back as they did with this child. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks voyageur, I had no idea that crows had that kind of abilities, like some primitive emotional intelligence. It's fascinating to get rid of misconceptions and get real knowledge.
 
Aloha said:
Bird-people date back in human story-telling to ancient times. Thot/Hermes was an Ibis-headed person who is credited with bringing to the Egyptian people writing and medicine. I like the collection of items in the photo. I do see some patterns. Hexagons, objects with holes, symmetrical patterns, and twists. My meditation today included 2 tea light candles. Two burning spheres. These create the number 8, the infinity sign, and your crows brought you several of those.

The crows' choice of designs remind me of sacred geometry and of crop circles. Have C's commented on the nature of birds? Are they 4d? Hummingbirds seem to vibrate in and out of "here." Some birds, not only crows, seem to sit and "observe." They seem to know about cycles and seasons before we humans do, they know which direction to fly to and which to fly from. They are constantly showing us how to cooperate and communicate effectively. Their language is harmonious and musical. Sometimes I think they are just waiting for us to acknowledge them, so they can show us what they see...the friendship bracelet...somewhere is a bird with the other piece of it.

"Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
[Civilla D. Martin, 1905]

Aloha
Click to expand...

Welcome to the Forum, Aloha.
It is customary for newbies to write something about themselves on the Newbies thread as a form of introduction, and tell us what you have read of Laura's work and where you are up to with it all.
I look forward to reading more of your postings.
 
I wanted to add a neat little story.


I sometimes feed the local crow populace myself and I notice any time I leave my home, they follow me up until I board the Skytrain or the bus.


Recently, my family moved to a new apartment and on moving day last week, (now, this could be a coincidence,) a large murder amassed on the roof of the condo I was moving out of and were cawing, circling above, they seemed excited in some way. I think it was a bit of a goodbye ceremony.

I don't think it helped that the night before I left them some chunks of beef sausage from a pizza I was taking home... I don't normally feed them meat, usually chunks of naan or bagel. The meat, I felt, was a goodbye of sorts. I wasn't anticipating such a strong reaction.

(Great article BTW, thanks!)
 
Leonarda said:
I thought crows had the fame of being a bad luck sign,where I live people are afraid of them, they think that when they are seen someone is about to die.
Click to expand...

Same in my country. Probably because of their color. Just like many people don't like black cats and make up all kinds of stories about them. Like "if black cat cross your path something bad will happen to you". :rolleyes:

I never had a crow bringing me stuff, but there is one magpie who often hides her nuts in my flowers. :)
 
What a really cool story and in such fashion. Kinda puts all that "animals can't remember, have a brain" argument to rest in a way. I personally have had some dealings with crows that at some point I called special however, now i just think my mind was playing tricks on me. Either way its a heart warming story. Thanks for sharing :)
 
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