Written By John Bradley
WIn scientific classification, there is no difference between crows and ravens. Ravens and crows belong to the same family, but they differ in several ways. Ravens have a larger bill, a different tail shape, and a different flight pattern. By comparison, ravens are as big as red-tailed hawks, and crows are about the size of pigeons.
Crows belong to the corvidae family, which also includes ravens, rooks, jays, magpies, jackdaws, nutcrackers, treepies, and choughs. Corvids have the largest brain-to-body size ratio of any bird species.
During the winter, crows congregate to sleep in communal roosts, numbering from a few hundred birds to two million. Some roosts have been forming for over 100 years.
Though they have large bills, crows are not able to break through even thin skin. They must either wait for something else to open a carcass first or for the carcass to become tender through decomposition.
Crows are able to make and use tools. They have even been observed making cups to carry water.
Crows remember human faces and hold grudges. They can even pass their anger on to other crows.
Crows can complete puzzles and have the mental capacity of a seven-year-old child.
Crows will “mob” larger predators, such as owls and hawks, and will call in other crows to join the attack.
Crows have over 250 different calls.
Crows mate for life; or at least they are, as scientists say, “monogamish,” which means they are socially monogamous but genetically a little more promiscuous.
Crows seem to hold funerals for other dead crows by gathering around a dead family member. Researchers also suggest that crows could be “danger learning,” meaning they try to find out why the crow died so they can avoid a similar fate.
Crows can read traffic lights. During red lights, the birds place walnuts on the road and fly away when the lights turn green. After the cars crush the nuts, the crows wait for the next red light to pick up their snack.
