Often when I talk to passersby about crows, they will say things such as "they're very smart," "they recognize faces," and "they will follow you if you feed them." These are all well-known attributes of crows, and corvids in general. Lesser known characteristics of crows include mating for life, having strong extended family bonds, doing things for fun, and grieving for their dead through what is referred to as a crow funeral.
Last week as I was out walking on one of my regular crow-feeding walks, I noticed that one of the families seemed particularly jumpy and fearful. Because they are usually calm and confident around me and my dog, I had a feeling that something traumatic had happened. I looked around, not necessarily expecting to see anything that would indicate why this family was so upset. Then I saw the dead crow.
WARNING, this image may be disturbing. But there is no blood or gore, and I have cropped out the crow's face out of respect for the deceased. Crows may not follow these customs, but I will. I wanted to share the unusual place in which this crow died. I believe that the bird was a fledgling, though it was difficult to confirm from that distance. I am not sure the cause of death, but they appeared to be caught between a telephone pole and a housing cannister for power lines.
I have read about crow funerals before, but never witnessed one in person. The closest I have come was when I encountered a dead crow on the side of the road. There was a loud screaming reaction from a few crows, but I believe most of them were already aware of this fallen comrade and there was no funeral.
The deceased crow was actually at a junction where three territories meet, and there were many crows around waiting to be fed and arguing about whose turn it was. I continued to stare at the dead crow until the others stopped to look at what I was looking at.
I had my camera with me. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next but I filmed it anyway. It was a very painful experience, witnessing the grief and fear. I cried. While I do not have as close a relationship with these crows as I do with Bo and his parents, I still visit them almost every day. It was heartbreaking.
This is a video of the funeral. It's around 6 minutes long.
After several minutes of loud and emotional calls, the crows quieted down, and, just I have read in my studies, spent a few silent moments near the dead crow.
Eventually they all flew away except for one, who stayed for a while.
This photo is my entry to the #smap contest⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️
The one other time when I experienced the crows reacting to a dead crow, I also witnessed a lone crow lingering for a very long time at the end, perched up on the highest point in the area. I have not read anything about this in my crow studies, but I would guess that it is a part of the crow funerary ritual. Perhaps this crow was closest to the deceased, or this is their first time seeing another dead crow and they are trying to understand the situation. The crow may also be standing as a guard while other crows grieve and mourn, in case there are any dangers. There are many possibilities. For all we know, crows may have a kind of religion, and this crow is guarding the spirit of the deceased until it crosses over.
The funeral happened in the evening, and the next day I contacted the local electric company to let them know. The woman I spoke to was very sweet and said she would send someone out to remove the body. When I walked by later that day, it was gone. This is helpful for the crows, because it allows them to resume their daily activities without the pain and fear a dead crow instills. Often crows will abandon a location or even an entire territory after seeing a dead crow in it, but this is a highly trafficked area for crows. I am grateful that the electric company was so expedient. The last few times I have passed through this area, I have still been visited by my crow friends.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog about crow funerals. While a dead crow is always a very emotional situation, seeing how other crows react helps us to see our commonalities. Crows and other corvids (ravens, jays, magpies, jackdaws) are such intelligent, social, and emotional animals. In many ways they remind me of people the way they interact and look out for each other. Crows have feelings, just like we do.
This is also my entry to the weekly Show Me a Photo Contest in the Feathered Friends Community.
The crows in this post are American Crows in Portland, Oregon.