Crows Talking about Humans Experimenting on Them

“Those humans think our brains are for the birds.”

“They think they’re talking but they just use words.”

“Those idiots drove poor, old Jeb insane.”

“They trapped him once and monkeyed with his brain.”

“They’re uglier than humans often get.”

“Let’s have fun. They ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Linked to dVerse Poetics hosted by Lillian with the theme of “anthropomorphism”.
Linked to imaginary garden with real toads hosted by Marian with an open theme.
Linked to NaPoWriMo2017 Day 4 and I almost didn’t get it finished today.

The topic was motivated by imagining what crows might have thought of John Marzluff’s research on crows which I find fascinating.  Given this research, I wonder just how far off I am from what they’re really thinking.

Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

50 thoughts on “Crows Talking about Humans Experimenting on Them”

    1. I have had very little experience with crows and so I am probably one of those who thought they had bird brains, which they do, but now I have more respect for those bird brains. Thanks!

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    1. I remember seeing (or imagining) pictures of crows sitting on scarecrows in a field. I can see why one might want to chase them away. Thanks, Jim!

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  5. Interesting research. ‘The dreaded omen of death’…you gotta love that label. I love to watch the cardinals and blue jays that fly around here, but I think crows definitely have a lot more personality and a lot to talk about. You captured that well in their conversation.

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    1. Thanks! I didn’t know they were called the dreaded omen of death until I watched the video, but it is a nice label. Apparently they are smarter than we imagine them to be.

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  9. I’ve always found crows fascinating and research on animals appalling — even though some research has provided cures etc it’s still hard to think about exactly because we anthropomorphize animals. Yep — they’d be thinking these things for sure.
    And speaking about crows….I always imagine them as spies when they’re sitting in a long row on telephone wires! 🙂 Their caws are quite disconcerting………..Hitchcock’s Birds comes to mind. UGH I hated that movie!

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    1. That Hitchcock movie was scary. They have a different perspective on reality than we do, and so anthropomorphizing them is going to be inaccurate, but they do have a perspective.

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  11. Cheers for this and the video clip. I truly think we humans are an arrogant species in that we think only we have worth. There are a lot more intelligent species out there…
    “Let’s have fun. They ain’t seen nothing yet.” – I don’t think we have…
    Kind regards
    Anna :o]

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    1. I think we underestimate animals in general because they don’t talk back. Anthropomorphizing them is a distortion. Their perspectives are different than ours, but it can help correct the underestimation of their intelligence.

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    1. Thanks, Hank! I suspect we should be more sensitive with how we experiment with animals. However, I liked the results these researchers obtained.

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  13. I think they see a bullseye from up in the sky. I bet they probably dropped one on old John Marzluff’s forehead. I wonder what starlings think. They use my car for target practice every night, thanks Frank

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    1. I think they mainly became rowdy when they saw the researchers in their masks walk across campus and told other crows about those masked researchers although I haven’t read the research closely. The communication within the group of birds and their memory of the specific individuals are both striking. I don’t think I would be able to pick out specific crows to target just by sight nor get other humans to cooperate with me in chasing those specific crows.

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  15. This is fun stuff! I have several personal crow-encounter stories. One who came and sat on my knee and went to sleep. I love the language of the northern crows, stating their name and claim. The fish crows here in Florida only say ‘uh-huh.’ Negative vide! Nice job, Frank!

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    1. I’ve seen a couple videos where it looks like crows are examining a dead crow. Here is a video where crows are apparently killing another crow for some reason.

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    1. I suspect so, even though these researchers are trying to describe how smart those birds are. Everyone wins when the birds have fun with them. Thanks!

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  21. Your work is so playful and perfect! This made me giggle, loved the line ““They’re uglier than humans often get.”” Humans get very ugly it’s a sad fact! When I’m riding my bike I like the crows they often sound like they’re talking. Ever notice that on your walks?

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    1. I figured the crows don’t think any better of us than we do of them especially if they think we’re bothering them. I haven’t noticed any crows where I normally walk, but I also haven’t paid as much attention to birds as I do other animals and the trees–unless they are right up in front of me, like seagulls or pigeons.

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      1. There are so many crows on my rides there’s no way I can ignore them. They are large and loud too. There are more bird species than anything else on the bay though it’s mostly wetlands.

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    1. I have read some Ted Hughes. I have his “Gaudete”, but what I read of it was long ago. Crows are clever enough to share intentions with other crows about which of those researchers to bother.

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