Crows as Clever Creatures, Cleaning Crew and Bad Omen

Quick story time, Thirsty Crow throws pebbles in a mud pot as the water was at the bottom and quenches its thirst. Moral of the story? Be intelligent like crows.

Crows are often very misunderstood, as they are closely associated with signs of death and bad luck. No one really appreciates it, but they are super clever! They are valuable members of their communities, showcasing intelligence, social cooperation, and adaptability. Crows play a vital role in ecosystems, where they help clean up carrion.

Fun fact, Crows can recognize human faces and hold grudges against people who have treated them poorly. So look for yourself and appreciate them.

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Urban crows?

Crows belong to the Corvus genus which comprises approximately 40 species, ranging from pigeon-sized birds to the larger ravens, which can reach lengths of 24-27 inches. Crows are known for sticking with one mate for life and even helping raise younger siblings. If they make it through their first year, they can live for over 17 years. They form big family groups and gather together at night to roost. Crows are super social and clever too.

We are not sure why the crows are moving towards the cities but Migration is happening, found all over the world except Antarctica, their widespread infiltration into urban areas began around the middle of the last century.

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Corvids, including crows, ravens, jays, jackdaws, and magpies, have successfully adapted to urban environments, gradually expanding their presence in cities. The reasons for this shift could be due to factors like the urban heat island effect, artificial lighting making it easier to watch for predators, and the presence of protected trees in cities.

However, Urban crows are quite picky about interacting with humans. They prefer to observe from a safe distance rather than dive into scraps like pigeons and ducks. They are not shy but are smart enough to equally weigh both the risks and rewards. They might get less food by waiting until people leave, but they learn from watching and minimise the danger. But, this all might have changed or they have reacted differently only if the food was better quality.

crow sitting

Crows as Scavengers- They Cleanup the environment

"Crows Will Fight Over A Dead Man's Flesh And Kill Each Other For His Eyes."

-George R.R. Martin

If i say, Crows clean the environment, does it sound believable? Yes, they do because they are scavengers, the animals that eat dead organisms, helping to maintain the ecosystem by consuming carcasses and plant material.

So, Crows are both predators and scavengers, which means they'll eat pretty much anything they can find, from crops and garbage to earthworms, insects, carrion, and seeds. Their diet includes roadkill, insects, frogs, snakes, mice, corn, fast food leftovers from humans, and even eggs and nestlings of other birds.

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Crows play a crucial role in cleaning the environment and recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, acting as natural sanitation services. Scavengers like crows, often preying on smaller scavengers like rats, which can be pests and disease carriers.

Crows are really Intelligent!

"Cruel birds-ravens-but wise. And creatures should be loved for their wisdom if they cannot be loved for kindness."

-Hannah Kent

Crows are known for their intelligence, problem-solving abilities, and loud, clever nature. Interestingly, Their brain size and neuron count rival some monkeys', and they've been compared to seven-year-old children in terms of intelligence. They symbolise wisdom, intelligence, and adaptability in western culture, and their monogamous nature represents loyalty.

Crows are incredibly smart birds, not few, but there exist many instances where this has been proven as a fact. Let’s talk about some of their real skills.

Intelligence: can recognize themselves in mirrors, recognize human faces,
Mimic: imitate sounds, including words just like parrots
Clever and fast learner: they use tools to extract beetle larvae from cracks, usually learned from the older birds
Problem Solving: can use a short twig to retrieve a longer one for better results.
Communication: can communicate non-verbally
Teamwork and adaptability: working together to protect their young and investigate incidents within their group.
Planning: are skilled planners, hiding food in various places for later.
Cooperation: for defending against threats or intruders.

Some might think it's silly but they are actually known for their advanced skills like planning for the future, remembering spaces for a long time, using tools, communicating, even self- understanding.

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Bad omen- Symbol of death?

“Over time, I May forgive you but my crows will never”

-Ann Marie Eleazer

Yes, it is important to talk about this aswell, Crows are often feared as they are found near dead animals, battlefields, and flying in circles over cemeteries, giving a very ominous feeling. But that’s just common for scavengers. Moreover, They seem to be a little intimidating, their black appearance and harsh calads up to it.

They are considered Bad Omen. Here are some beliefs and superstitions linked to crows. Seeing unexpected crows means change is coming; it prompts self-reflection or communication. Conflict accompanied by frequent crow sightings suggests the need for introspection and accountability. Finding a dead crow marks the end of a phase in life. Crows scavenging on a dead animal imply impending misfortune and change. A crow following or staring at you urges trust in intuition and personal wisdom. An attacking crow signals upcoming challenges and growth. A large group of circling crows may symbolise imminent death. In dreams, crows convey subconscious messages; one crow signifies bad luck, while multiple crows encourage personal growth.

“Ever heard of a "murder of crows"? It's just what we call a bunch of crows together, basically a collective form. The term comes from old stories and beliefs. As people often think of crows as a sign of bad luck because they're always around dead things like bodies, battlefields, and graveyards, so when they see a bunch of crows circling, they assume that something bad might be about to happen. But really, it's just a fancy way of naming groups of animals. We call it ‘Parliament of Owls’ but do owls really make laws? No right!

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Crows in Hindu Mythology

We in Hindu Mythology really appreciate crows. In India, crows are seen as our deceased loved ones, especially our ancestors. When we spot a crow and it caws in front of us, we feed it and offer water because we believe it represents our ancestors. This tradition has been passed down for generations and is deeply rooted in our spiritual beliefs. While some might see it as superstition, for us, it's an important part of our culture and tradition that's been followed for thousands of years.

The end note

Our earth is a beautiful place to live, what really fascinates us is that we have so many creatures around us. Everyone has been given their share of work to perform on this earth, so as to crows. As scavengers they may eye on dead things, but they are cleaning up the ecosystem, so it's time to move past the superstitious things and maybe change the ‘murders of crows’ to something like ‘cleaning crew’ maybe.

Photo Credit: Abhishake Das, Vygr Content Head