Ranked #2 in intelligence after Man!!
Flying straight is not the only thing crows are known for. Research over the years has shown that crows even have problem solving abilities!!
A crow is so common in most of the locations I haunt around the world that I hardly bother to even look at a crow - let alone photograph one. In May 2017 though, I had happened to watch an amazing video about Crows and hence, this solitary crow, meditating on a bridge railing caught my fancy and I took this photo with my Nikon P900.
So - what is it about the crows that I found which made me respect this bird?
I happened to watch this amazing BBC video on YouTube that showcases an experiment to verify the problem solving capabilities of crows. It is a very short video and I really recommend watching it:
This Einstein among birds actually managed to figure out the 8 different steps needed to be carried out to get to the prize!
Well - it is not this one crow that is intelligent. As a species, take a look at the following amazing facts about crows:
- Crows have the largest brain to body weight ration among birds
- The anatomy of the crow brain is very similar to humans and has a highly developed forebrain, responsible for their intelligence.
- Crows are very sociable and can co-exist with humans
- Crows have been tested to be more intelligent that even the Benobo Chimpanzee (considered earlier to be the most intelligent animal after man). Crows have, after the 2004 tests, earned the nickname - Feathered Apes.
- Crows have their own 'language' consisting of different sounds.
After watching the video above, if you had doubts about that particular crow having been trained for those tasks,
please take a look at following examples of the crows in the real world, solving problems related to their survival.
These examples are from across the globe and amply demonstrate the ability of the crow to perceive a problem, weigh couple of solutions and execute them to solve the problem.
In conclusion:
Next time you see a crow, please take note and show some respect!!
Steemians, please share your experiences, knowledge and views about Crows. It will be great to get more perspective and a lively dialogue going. Thanks
Note: All images except for the wildlife photo and the title image created by me are from pixabay.com
GIF designed for me by Stellabelle!