When you think of smart animals, which animals come to mind? Dolphins? Monkeys? Perhaps even dogs? While all of these animals possess qualities that could classify them as highly intelligent animals, there is one important animal that often gets forgotten when we think of the smartest in the bunch… and you probably see them every day.
The American crow, from the corvid family of birds, is one of the most intelligent animals living today. Research into crows’ level of intelligence is relatively new, but people have known for centuries that crows are smart.
References to crows (and ravens) can be found across cultures and from various time periods throughout history. Ancient Greeks and Romans, medieval Welsh mythology and Vikings all had beliefs and superstitions surrounding these incredible birds.
Many people historically have associated them with being messengers or bad omens. But despite their historically bad reputation, crows’ abilities span far beyond what our ancestors had initially thought. Researchers have found that crows are able to use tools to get food, hold funerals for their lost loved ones, and recognize human faces and voices, N.J. Emory wrote in 2004 in “The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Science.”
At the University of Washington, researchers had even discovered that crows can hold a grudge against humans that they’ve deemed to have wronged them, and that this grudge can last through future generations of local crows, too. Researchers H.N. Cornell, J.M. Marzluff and S. Pecoraro wrote about this in a 2011 article, “Social Learning Spreads Knowledge About Dangerous Humans Among American Crows” in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
This means that crows are among the small group of non-human animals that are able to have social networks and circulate cultural information like their human counterparts.
As interesting as these avians are, it is illegal to own crows in the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Anyone found owning a crow in captivity can face large fines and potential jail time.
It is, however perfectly legal to feed them and appreciate them from a distance.
Additionally, if you find a crow in distress, please contact a local wildlife specialist to help rehabilitate them rather than rescuing them yourself. Next time you see a crow in your yard, just remember: they probably know you better than you think! After all, when it comes to crows, being a “bird brain” is a huge compliment.
Stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society or check us out on Facebook. Please be responsible: spay and neuter your pets.
Holly Hess is on the Central Aroostook Humane Society Board of Directors.
