The mysterious phenomenon of crow funerals
Crows, as it turns out, are far from being mere scavengers. They are deep thinkers, community organizers, and mourners. Yes, crows appear to recognize their dead and engage in a thing that scientist describe as 'crow funerals'.
Internationally acclaimed crow expert, John Marzluff, refers to this as 'crow grief' which is a way for these intelligent creatures to learn about dangerous situations. Unbelievably but factually correct, these intelligent creatures use these gatherings to learn about potential threats. When a crow dies, other crows in the area start to exhibit an unusual amount of noise and gather together around the body. This is a form of social learning where crows learn about the presence of a potential threat.
Equally fascinating, these bird brains can remember human faces. They can easily associate human faces with danger and act accordingly when they encounter a dangerous human. Equally compelling is a study conducted in the University of Cambridge which found that crows possess a form of consciousness and have a subjective experience of the world. This means they have an awareness of themselves and their surroundings which was once thought to be solely a human trait.
Crows have complex social structures known as 'crow societies.' They are primarily monogamous and raise families together. Offspring from previous seasons will even stick around to help their parents raise the next batch of baby crows. Ending this on a slightly ominous note, crows are known to be omens of death in many cultures due to their black feathers and eerie caw.
But next time you see a murder of crows cawing around a fellow fallen crow, remember - they are simply paying their respects, and possibly learning more about the occurrence of death in the process.
Internationally acclaimed crow expert, John Marzluff, refers to this as 'crow grief' which is a way for these intelligent creatures to learn about dangerous situations. Unbelievably but factually correct, these intelligent creatures use these gatherings to learn about potential threats. When a crow dies, other crows in the area start to exhibit an unusual amount of noise and gather together around the body. This is a form of social learning where crows learn about the presence of a potential threat.
Equally fascinating, these bird brains can remember human faces. They can easily associate human faces with danger and act accordingly when they encounter a dangerous human. Equally compelling is a study conducted in the University of Cambridge which found that crows possess a form of consciousness and have a subjective experience of the world. This means they have an awareness of themselves and their surroundings which was once thought to be solely a human trait.
Crows have complex social structures known as 'crow societies.' They are primarily monogamous and raise families together. Offspring from previous seasons will even stick around to help their parents raise the next batch of baby crows. Ending this on a slightly ominous note, crows are known to be omens of death in many cultures due to their black feathers and eerie caw.
But next time you see a murder of crows cawing around a fellow fallen crow, remember - they are simply paying their respects, and possibly learning more about the occurrence of death in the process.