Well deserved title

By Michelle Lancaster ~ Education Coordinator Osoyoos Desert Society

There are multiple ways to describe intelligence. It has been defined as one’s ability for logic, communication and abstract thought or the ability to learn, plan, problem solve and memorize. Webster’s dictionary defines intelligence as the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations. Whichever definition you choose, one thing is for sure … crows are pretty smart. When it comes to the animal kingdom, crows exhibit more complex communication than most other species. They use their beaks, wings and body language much like we use hand gestures to point or draw attention. Such complex gestures have only been documented in humans and primates.

Crows also communicate with warning calls, and have different warning calls for people, hawks and cats. In fact, scientists have identified over 250 distinct crow calls. Each crow has an individual voice as well, with at least two different dialects. One loud version for the general crow community and a separate soft version for talk within the family. Research has shown crows have the ability to recognize human faces and even pick a particular face out of a crowd. In a study by wildlife biologist John M. Marzluff with the University of Washington, crows were able to recognize a “dangerous” face and remember it. They were also able to pass this information on to other crows and teach it to their young. The young birds learned “that person is dangerous” without ever directly experiencing the danger first hand. This means that crows are able to pass information on to the next generation. This type of communication has only been recorded in a few species such as humans, apes, monkeys and dolphins. Scientists have done other tests to see if crows have the ability to use tools. Not only were most test subjects able to master the different challenges, the majority were able to figure out the solution on the first attempt. One such experiment forced crows to think “outside the box”.

Scientists armed a crow with a short stick then left the crow in a room with two cages. One cage housed a tempting chunk of meat just out of reach of the short stick. The second cage contained a longer stick. The crow made fast work of the test by immediately using the shorter stick to retrieve the longer stick which it then used to reach the food. In another test, scientists filled a pitcher with water and floated a worm in the water just beyond the reach of the crows. The crows were supplied with a pile of stones. Not only did the crows use the stones to raise the water level in the pitcher, they were also able to recognize they should use the larger of the stones first. Cunning as a fox. Strong as an ox. Brave as a bear. Clever as a crow? It may not be a common phrase but a well deserving title nonetheless