CROWS ARE CURIOUS, SMART AND MISUNDERSTOOD by Sandy Beck When I talk about
crows, I always risk
the scientific sin of anthropomorphism:
ascribing human characteristics
to other species. However, I
will take that risk to shed light
on my favorite bird --
exceptionally curious, observant, sociable,
cooperative,
resourceful, intelligent, misunderstood and underappreciated. A local veterinarian suspected that the orphaned baby crow entrusted in my care had injested some type of poison. The bird was extremely weak and couldn't lift his head or move his legs. The doctor thought that he would never be releasable but, with proper diet and exercise, might become an excellent education bird. I fed him moistened high-protein dog food, insects, a variety of fruit, and vitamin supplements. He especially liked blueberries. He grew stronger and more alert, but still hadn't regained full use of his legs. During the next few months, "Joe" and I were constant companions. I read everything I could find about crows. Crows are members of the family Corvidae, which includes jays, magpies, ravens and many varieties of crows. One of the most widespread and adaptable of birds, they are found in practically every part of the world except New Zealand. Many people think the large black birds they often see alongside vultures pecking at carrion on Florida's country roads and interstates are ravens. Ravens, in fact, do not live in Florida. But we do have two species of crows: the America crow and the fish crow. It is difficult to tell these two species apart. Their habitats overlap and, at first glance, they are indistinguishable. The American crow is about 17 inches from the tip of its bill to the end of its tail. Fish crows are a bit smaller. Their call is also a nasal "uh uh," as if saying "no." However, the juvenile American crow's begging call is similar, so it is especially difficult to tell these two species apart during the summer breeding months. Crows have a big fan club as well as well as a large number of critics. They have a reputation for destroying gardens, farm crops, and the nests of other birds. Corvids can and do eat almost anything. Hence the words ravenous, meaning extremely hungry or greedy, and ravage, meaning to destroy or plunder. Crows also have a wicked sense of humor. There are many stories of crows snipping clothespins off lines just to watch the clean sheets fall to the ground. Others like to undo shoelaces. One crow who lived with us for a while clearly enjoyed sneaking up behind our sleeping cats, pulling their tails, then running down the hallway to hide behind the bathroom door. He also liked to dive bomb them from his roost on the bookcase. We have unusually tolerant cats. This comes from being raised indoors, but that's another story. Crows are great mimics. Joe imitated my squeaky laugh. Jimbo, another of our education crows, calls like a barred owl, moos like a bull in heat, and clicks like a computer booting up. This was all accomplished without having their tongues cut. About 1900 years ago, a Roman called Piney the Elder wrote that if the tongue of a crow was split, it could then learn to talk. Of course, the only thing this will accomplish is having the crow bleed to death. It amazes and saddens me how many times I still hear this "fact." Crows also have their own, highly evolved language and society. They live in close-knit families of at least nine birds. The leader acts as a lookout, stationing himself at the top of the tallest tree while others forage or attend to other crow business. The leader uses a wide repertoire of calls to alert his family to different situations. A scolding call warns of an approaching predator, a fox or an owl; a rallying call, means that the predator is closing in; and an assembly call is sounded when it's time to mob the enemy. There is also a dispersal call, the crow equivalent of "scatter!" In all, 23 different "phrases" have been recorded. In Florida, crows are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and hunters are permitted to hunt them only in crow hunting season. There is, however the "Killing Destructive Birds and Mammals" rule: "Blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles or crows may be taken when committing or about to commit depredation upon ornamental trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife." Read: fair game any time of year. Few animals in North America have been as persecuted as the crow. Their roosts are still dynamited and thousands are poisoned each year. Fort Cobb Oklahoma, the heart of Oklahoma's rich peanut crop, boasts the world's largest crow roost. I learned this fact in a eye-opening but (mercifully) out-of-print book, The Varmint and Crow Hunter's Bible, which I picked up in a local used book store. It also includes chapters on such "nuisances" as bobcats, coyotes, snakes, and foxes. During harvest season, the Fort Cobb State Recreation Area drew as many as ten million crows. To coincide with this event, they hosted the annual Fort Cobb Crow Shoot. No bag limit. Red Watt, the author's "all-time favorite crow-shooting buddy" came all the way from Omaha to score between 80 and 90,000 each year. Red's pet crow named Judas was an excellent live decoy. Red was also great at mimicking a young crow's distress call. When I called Ft. Cobb recently to ask if they were still planning their crow shoot for this year, the park ranger said, "You know, it's the darndest thing. We haven't seen a single crow in these parts for six years now." Small wonder. There's no doubt that great flocks of crows descending on an orchard of ripening fruit or a field of corn or peanuts could do thousands of dollars worth of damage in a few hours. But no situation is ever totally white . . . or black. Case in point: A New Jersey farmer hired marksmen to stand in his field and shoot the crows which landed on his asparagus field each morning. They shot the crows, but the asparagus didn't grow. After careful investigation the farmer discovered a cutworm infestation. When the crows were allowed to return to return to the field, they resumed their cutworm feast and the farmer harvested his asparagus. Henry Ward Beecher, an eminent 19th century American preacher and naturalist once said that if human beings wore wings and feathers, very few would be clever enough to be crows. In the January 1996 issue of the British journal Nature, there was an account of apparent tool use among crows, specifically the New Caledonian Crow, found on islands which lie about 900 miles east of Australia. After spending three years observing these crows, biologist Gavin Hunt found that the birds used twigs and leaf spines to impale and extract insects from crevices in trees and from under loose bark. This activity among New Caledonia crows was first reported about 25 years ago, and many other mammals and birds, including several species of corvids, have been observed using sticks, leaves, stones and other objects to forage for food. However, in addition to using tools, these birds also appear to manufacture them. There have been very few reports of any other species doing this. According to Hunt, the New Caledonian crows made two distinct types of tools. Using their beaks as scissors and snippers, they fashioned hooks from twigs and barbed, serrated rakes or combs from stiff, leathery leaves. The crows also did not discard these tools after using them once but carried them from one foraging spot to another. For those who still subscribe to Descartes' philosophy which separated man from all other creatures by his power to reason (I think, therefore I am), this behavior may prove unsettling.
Joe the crow was extremely curious and observant. He liked to study things -- peanuts, raisins, specks of dust -- floating in his water dish. Then, for 20 minutes or so, he used his long beak to carefully sail these objects around the dish, like a child would move a wooden boat in a bathtub. It was fascinating to watch him. During one of these "play periods,"
we
happened to lock gazes. Have patience, I thought, you'll soon
be standing, maybe even flying. He held my finger tightly in
his beak and gave me a, beady, black stare as he softly gurgled
and cooed deep in his throat. During his six-month reevaluation exam, the veterinarian decided that Joe's condition had begun to deteriorate and that the kindest action would be euthanasia. I couldn't look back as I left his office. I tried to put Joe's life in perspective by thinking of the invaluable lessons this bird taught so many. All creatures, even crows, are thinking, feeling beings of intrinsic worth and intelligence. The Potawatomi Indians, who lived in our eastern forests, believed that crows were risen people. When I returned home, I found a shiny black feather in Joe's empty cage. Some Native Americans also believe if you take a feather from a bird who has died and toss it into the wind, that bird will fly forever. I stood on the back porch, blew the feather from my open hand, and watched as the wind carried it into the woods.
It is illegal to possess a crow or any wild bird protected by the Migratory Bird Species Act without proper state and federal permits. If you find a sick, injured, or ophaned wild bird or animal, please call the St. Francis Wildlife Association, who possess all necessary permits, at 386-6296. |
