1 Theme Park Workers
Around 20 years ago, Christophe Gaborit watched wild ravens sort through trash. Years later, Gaborit worked as a falconer at a theme park. Puy du Fou is located in France and enthralls the public with ancient gardens and villages. Visitors also enjoy historic reenactments but liberally sprinkle the park with litter.Seeking a solution, Gaborit’s memory of the ravens sparked a novel suggestion—train rooks to pick up the trash. Rooks belong to the crow family and share their smarts.In 2000, Gaborit hatched and trained his first two birds. He used a specially designed cabinet to dispense treats when the rooks put things like cigarette butts in the drawer. In this tasty manner, the falconer eventually raised and taught six rooks to recognize and remove litter. The feathery trash collectors graduated class in 2018 and now hop about the park, picking up rubbish[1]
2 Dead Crows Concern Them
Some people believe that crows hold funerals for their dead. This is pure whimsy, but it is not hard to understand why the notion persists. Some birds cannot give a hoot when they encounter a dead member of their species. On the other hand, crows gather around a fallen friend, call to each other, and pay unusual attention to the situation.However, they are not mourning the dead. The surviving flock recognizes that something killed a crow. They are crows. This thing can kill them, too. The show of concern is more about trying to find the threat and avoid it in the future.A large study of dead crows involved over 100 breeding sites in Washington State. It found that the birds viewed humans who handled a dead crow as a threat. They persistently stayed wary of feeding near such a person, even when the dead crow was removed from the picture.The birds did not brand any volunteers who stood there with empty hands or even with a dead pigeon. Those who held dead crows in the past (now empty-handed themselves) were scolded on sight for weeks.[2]
3 They Mob Ravens
Crows and ravens belong to the same family and share a resemblance. However, the two species are not buddies. Ravens are much bigger and often help themselves to a crow’s eggs. Sometimes, they will even eat the crow. Even so, the smaller cousin is not an easy victim.A recent study looked at both populations in cities and analyzed over 2,000 reports from bird-watchers describing interactions between crows and ravens. The results showed that crows actively worked together to ruin a raven’s day.Crow gangs are so aggressive that ravens avoid populating great environments that contain such mobs. Many bird species rely on coordinated attacks to drive off a larger predator. However, none match the crows’ technique: 2–5 birds move in a cohesive, tightly knit squad.[3]This successful behavior is largely due to the socialness of crows and the loner nature of ravens. Had ravens been more social and formed their own gangs, crows would come in a mangled second.