Brainy Birds: Amazing Crows and Ravens

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Crows and ravens have the largest brains, relative to body size, of any birds. Ravens like this one have the same brain/body size ratio as the chimpanzee.
Crows and ravens have the largest brains, relative to body size, of any birds. Ravens like this one have the same brain/body size ratio as the chimpanzee.
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The American crow is one of three varieties found in the U.S.
The American crow is one of three varieties found in the U.S.
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The common raven is making a comeback in North America.
The common raven is making a comeback in North America.
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A “murder” in the light of a full moon: Though it’s not a commonly used term today, a group of crows is called a murder; the name came from their medieval reputation as harbingers of death.
A “murder” in the light of a full moon: Though it’s not a commonly used term today, a group of crows is called a murder; the name came from their medieval reputation as harbingers of death.
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This raven pickpocket used its beak to open the snowmobile’s storage compartment and steal a ski cap. 
This raven pickpocket used its beak to open the snowmobile’s storage compartment and steal a ski cap. 
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"One of the most difficult of all things to endure for a crow, a raven, a wolf or a human is to feel alone and separated from one’s own kind. A sense of belonging is one of the most universal of all feelings." — Lawrence Kilham 
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Crows and ravens can be both sneaky and bold. Here, a crow takes an attitude with a bald eagle.
Crows and ravens can be both sneaky and bold. Here, a crow takes an attitude with a bald eagle.

Let me introduce you to the Corvid family. Like all families, they have their faults. But I think you’ll like them anyway, once you get to know them. They’re sociable — if a bit loud, especially at gatherings. They’re smart and perceptive — though some might say cunning and deceptive. And they’re exceedingly resourceful — come to think of it, you might keep a close eye on your possessions. They’ve been known to steal — food, trinkets, baby animals.

Don’t worry. I’m speaking not of any human family, but of the bird family Corvidae, and particularly the crows and ravens in the clan Corvus. Like most members of that genus — which in North America also includes magpies, nutcrackers and jays — crows and ravens are sturdy, stout-beaked, long-legged birds with powerful wings. They also have something of an attitude, which can vary from aloof to in-your-face.

You can forgive them for their superior airs, though, when you consider their résumés. Crows and ravens are the stuff of legend; for centuries, they have been revered and reviled, fawned over and feared by humans. Shakespeare wrote them into his plays, Thoreau into his musings, Poe into his horror tales. Shrines have been built to them; songs sung; chants chanted. Oh — and one more thing: Crows and ravens are the eggheads of the bird world and thus the darlings of avian science. With the arguable exception of parrots, they’re the smartest winged species on the planet. They’ve even outperformed monkeys in some psychological tests. Truth be told, they’ve outsmarted many a human, too. The common insult “bird brain” doesn’t apply to these brainy birds.

They’re Everywhere

Some 40-plus species of crows and ravens inhabit the skies worldwide over virtually every terrain, from desert to tropics to tundra. In the contiguous United States, the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is easily the most common. Three other crows claim American territory: The slightly smaller fish crow (C. ossifragus) ranges along the East Coast and through the Gulf states east of Texas; the Northwestern crow (C. caurinus) occupies the Pacific seacoast from upper British Columbia to the northwestern tip of Washington; and the Mexican or Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus) calls southernmost Texas its northern home.

  • Published on Dec 1, 2006
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