The incredible intelligence of crows

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the intelligence of crows, exploring their problem-solving abilities, behaviors, and interactions with their environment. Participants share anecdotes and observations, highlighting both specific instances of crow intelligence and comparisons with other birds, particularly parrots. The conversation includes elements of personal experience, observational studies, and concerns about crow populations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe instances of crows using tools and solving puzzles to access food, such as using sticks or soaking bread in water.
  • Others share observations of crows scavenging and displaying clever behaviors, like hiding food or manipulating their environment to their advantage.
  • A participant mentions the intelligence of other birds, particularly parrots, and their tool-using capabilities.
  • Concerns are raised about the declining crow population in certain areas, with a participant recounting a study that linked crow deaths to motorcycles, highlighting the birds' ability to warn each other about vehicles.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the perception of crows, including a personal anecdote about a crow's behavior that led to a negative experience with a hat.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the intelligence of crows, but there are multiple competing views regarding the implications of their behaviors and the challenges they face, particularly concerning their population decline.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes anecdotal evidence and personal observations, which may not be representative of broader trends. There are unresolved questions about the extent of crows' intelligence and the specific factors contributing to their population issues.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in animal behavior, ornithology, and the intelligence of birds may find this discussion particularly engaging.

ElliotSmith
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A crow solves an 8-part puzzle to use a longer stick to get at some food.

 
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We had a couple of threads here (or at least posts) about how smart crows are, and yeah, they ARE
 
Here (Perth) they always steal plastic and smash lunch boxes to uncover and get the remains of food.
 
phinds said:
We had a couple of threads here (or at least posts) about how smart crows are, and yeah, they ARE
Recently I saw a crow scavenged a dumped bag of potato crisps, then dumped the empty bag into a nearby wheelie bin!
 
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A few years ago, I watched a few years a couple of crows for about 10 minutes.
One had a walnut and was trying to drop it onto the street to break it open, but the second crow wanted to get the bits when the walnut broke so it was following the first bird around. The first crow therefore took lots of devious means to drop the walnut such that the nut would be on the ground near him (or her) before the other bird could get to it.
It was fascinating to watch.
 
Not just crows, but birds in general, particularly parrots.
 
  • #10
That's certainly not what I thought when a crow pooped on my favourite hat as a child.
 
  • #11
We don't have a lot of crows in NZ but we do have a very intelligent mountain parrot we call the Kea. They are great problem solvers but are mainly known for their ability to strip your car of every piece of plastic, rubber or material.

Cheers
 
  • #12
I once saw a crow on the street that was soaking a dry piece of bread in a puddle. Smart-ass ;)
 
  • #13
MulderFBI said:
I once saw a crow on the street that was soaking a dry piece of bread in a puddle. Smart-ass ;)
That's cool!

Prepare to be further amazed:
Smart Heron Used Bread To Fish - Super Smart Animals - BBC Earth
 
  • #14
Crows really are intelligent birds. Unfortunately they've been dying by the thousands up in my province lately.

The problem was so bad, the provincial government commissioned a study to see what was causing all the crow deaths. I have a friend who does a lot of those bird surveys and he was asked to help out by the group conducting the study.

My friend ended up spending weeks out in the fields, "counting crows" so to speak and at the conclusion of the study, it turned out the problem was motorcycles.

You see crows spend a lot of time or roads, either for the heat or to nibble on road kill or worms that have washed up after a storm. But they're smart enough to warn each other. When a four wheeled vehicle approaches they all start crying out: "CAW CAW CAW!"

But the problem is that none of them can say: "MOTOWCYCLE MOTOWCYCLE MOTOWCYCLE!"

o0)
 
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  • #15
How crows are making use of driving cars to open nuts really blew my mind:

 
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  • #16
http://www.crowdedcities.com/#training

"The crow goes out telling the others, or keeps this secret to himself – we are not sure."

It will be interesting to see how this works out in the real world.
 
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  • #17
Choppy said:
Crows really are intelligent birds. Unfortunately they've been dying by the thousands up in my province lately.

The problem was so bad, the provincial government commissioned a study to see what was causing all the crow deaths. I have a friend who does a lot of those bird surveys and he was asked to help out by the group conducting the study.

My friend ended up spending weeks out in the fields, "counting crows" so to speak and at the conclusion of the study, it turned out the problem was motorcycles.

You see crows spend a lot of time or roads, either for the heat or to nibble on road kill or worms that have washed up after a storm. But they're smart enough to warn each other. When a four wheeled vehicle approaches they all start crying out: "CAW CAW CAW!"

But the problem is that none of them can say: "MOTOWCYCLE MOTOWCYCLE MOTOWCYCLE!"

o0)
10/10 execution from antitheses to conclusion.
 

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