Crows may be self-aware

[Debi]

Crows may be self-aware, new study claims

Researchers believe that crows may be one of the few non-human species to possess a form of self-awareness.

www.unexplained-mysteries.com

 

[Walking Goose]

I had a family of crows that lived about a half mile from my home. I know that where they lived because there was one that had a white spot on his wing and I would see him daily.I fed them for about two years almost daily. Good stuff, not junk.They came every day about the same time. After about a few years I got this idea that I would try to communicate with them, Nothing big like whats your sign or hows the weather. I made a noise like a clicking sound which Ive heard people use to call bigfoot and some tribes use it to communicate. Anyway I would make that noise and then put the food out when they came. I did that for about 15 years. We had that family for a long time. They have babies and then some leave and some stay. About six years ago we moved but in the same general area. Well those crows folowed me to my new home. I still feed them almost every other day but not as much. I bet its the third generation I feed. They come and sit on my fence and look in the window at me until I give them some food ofen. Or when I go to the nearby mall they are following me and cawing when I get out. I love those little guys. Well they are the biggest crows in the world since they eat well. They are huge and not fat. They are smart. I can see why Odin and the Germanic tribes considered raven and crow as the gods birds.

 

[jadamz]

I had a family of crows that lived about a half mile from my home. I know that where they lived because there was one that had a white spot on his wing and I would see him daily.I fed them for about two years almost daily. Good stuff, not junk.They came every day about the same time. After about a few years I got this idea that I would try to communicate with them, Nothing big like whats your sign or hows the weather. I made a noise like a clicking sound which Ive heard people use to call bigfoot and some tribes use it to communicate. Anyway I would make that noise and then put the food out when they came. I did that for about 15 years. We had that family for a long time. They have babies and then some leave and some stay. About six years ago we moved but in the same general area. Well those crows folowed me to my new home. I still feed them almost every other day but not as much. I bet its the third generation I feed. They come and sit on my fence and look in the window at me until I give them some food ofen. Or when I go to the nearby mall they are following me and cawing when I get out. I love those little guys. Well they are the biggest crows in the world since they eat well. They are huge and not fat. They are smart. I can see why Odin and the Germanic tribes considered raven and crow as the gods birds.

spoken like a Walking Goose
love that story!

 

[Benway]

I used to be a security guard at a building in an industrial estate at the edge of the city which was empty apart from a huge mysterious computer, which sat in one corner of a huge empty room. I spent most of the time in the reception area which nobody ever came to as nobody had any business to and which had a glass front and side windows on the left wall looking out.
On Sunday, the entire industrial zone was empty, as it was everybody's day off and most places relied on electronic security, so it felt as if I was the only person for miles around.
Early on, on a Sunday I was sitting at my desk when crows started to land outside the front window. They came and peered in at me and cawed among themselves. Some flew off. Soon more arrived and began to all watch me through the glass. Then more. And more. Soon it resembled the movie The Birds out there, but all corvids, including some truly huge ravens (I'd never seen a bird that big, much less several!) holding court at the back.
I was supposed to go out to scout the area, but by that time it was actually pretty intimidating. A lot of them didn't look friendly and there were a LOT of them; it was just full of crows and ravens all around the exits, dozens of them in a huge sea of black feathers and beaks. If they'd gone for me I wouldn't have stood a chance and there were no other humans for perhaps miles around.
I looked out the side window and they were there too, watching.
It went on for a while with all of them cawing to each other, looking right at me and at each other, arguing and eventually all turning to look at me and I looked back. Then there was a riot of cawing and they left.
I got the feeling that Sunday was the time they owned that territory and they saw me as an intruder and were weighing up whether to let me stay... or not. They decided I was okay.
After that, for years, I'd get crows landing close by and cawing at me, or just watching.
They are very intelligent (and can also remember human faces).

Edit: I just remembered that I was drinking St. Peter's Best Bitter while reading and writing in this thread, and the label has a picture of a crow!

 

[Debi]

I used to be a security guard at a building in an industrial estate at the edge of the city which was empty apart from a huge mysterious computer, which sat in one corner of a huge empty room. I spent most of the time in the reception area which nobody ever came to as nobody had any business to and which had a glass front and side windows on the left wall looking out.
On Sunday, the entire industrial zone was empty, as it was everybody's day off and most places relied on electronic security, so it felt as if I was the only person for miles around.
Early on, on a Sunday I was sitting at my desk when crows started to land outside the front window. They came and peered in at me and cawed among themselves. Some flew off. Soon more arrived and began to all watch me through the glass. Then more. And more. Soon it resembled the movie The Birds out there, but all corvids, including some truly huge ravens (I'd never seen a bird that big, much less several!) holding court at the back.
I was supposed to go out to scout the area, but by that time it was actually pretty intimidating. A lot of them didn't look friendly and there were a LOT of them; it was just full of crows and ravens all around the exits, dozens of them in a huge sea of black feathers and beaks. If they'd gone for me I wouldn't have stood a chance and there were no other humans for perhaps miles around.
I looked out the side window and they were there too, watching.
It went on for a while with all of them cawing to each other, looking right at me and at each other, arguing and eventually all turning to look at me and I looked back. Then there was a riot of cawing and they left.
I got the feeling that Sunday was the time they owned that territory and they saw me as an intruder and were weighing up whether to let me stay... or not. They decided I was okay.
After that, for years, I'd get crows landing close by and cawing at me, or just watching.
They are very intelligent (and can also remember human faces).

Edit: I just remembered that I was drinking St. Peter's Best Bitter while reading and writing in this thread, and the label has a picture of a crow!

That was a creepy but great story, Ben! Thanks for sharing the experience.

 

[Duke]

Carlos Castaneda put a lot of emphasis on crows in his books, he certainly made them out to be self-aware. Then again, Castaneda and his writings have been largely discredited.

 

[Debi]

Crows have always been involved in Native American stories and represented as aware creatures. However, I've also seen other birds display this same type of intelligence and awareness. I think we as humans often underestimate the degree to which animals in general are aware.

 

[Duke]

Crows have always been involved in Native American stories and represented as aware creatures. However, I've also seen other birds display this same type of intelligence and awareness. I think we as humans often underestimate the degree to which animals in general are aware.

And overestimate how humans in general are aware.

 

[Debi]

And overestimate how humans in general are aware.

Nice point.

 

[Walking Goose]

I used to be a security guard at a building in an industrial estate at the edge of the city which was empty apart from a huge mysterious computer, which sat in one corner of a huge empty room. I spent most of the time in the reception area which nobody ever came to as nobody had any business to and which had a glass front and side windows on the left wall looking out.
On Sunday, the entire industrial zone was empty, as it was everybody's day off and most places relied on electronic security, so it felt as if I was the only person for miles around.
Early on, on a Sunday I was sitting at my desk when crows started to land outside the front window. They came and peered in at me and cawed among themselves. Some flew off. Soon more arrived and began to all watch me through the glass. Then more. And more. Soon it resembled the movie The Birds out there, but all corvids, including some truly huge ravens (I'd never seen a bird that big, much less several!) holding court at the back.
I was supposed to go out to scout the area, but by that time it was actually pretty intimidating. A lot of them didn't look friendly and there were a LOT of them; it was just full of crows and ravens all around the exits, dozens of them in a huge sea of black feathers and beaks. If they'd gone for me I wouldn't have stood a chance and there were no other humans for perhaps miles around.
I looked out the side window and they were there too, watching.
It went on for a while with all of them cawing to each other, looking right at me and at each other, arguing and eventually all turning to look at me and I looked back. Then there was a riot of cawing and they left.
I got the feeling that Sunday was the time they owned that territory and they saw me as an intruder and were weighing up whether to let me stay... or not. They decided I was okay.
After that, for years, I'd get crows landing close by and cawing at me, or just watching.
They are very intelligent (and can also remember human faces).

Edit: I just remembered that I was drinking St. Peter's Best Bitter while reading and writing in this thread, and the label has a picture of a crow!

Great story Benway! I got the impression that the crows were there keeping you safe. Maybe your spirit animal is a crow or raven? Once when I was very dedicated to First Nation ways I had an experience with sparrows. I prayed for a relative of mine who was very sick . He had an owl that was perching in his tree and watching him daily. Before my father died I almaost walked into an owl sitting on a branch in the dark. It said nothing and I went on my way . I did nto put two and two together or I would have know someone might be passing soon as owl in my peoples stories is not bad but does signal a passing if you come into direct contact or its really obvious. So I prayed in a good way for my cousin. His spouse told me a flock of sparrows drove the owl away and it never came back. My cousin lived and has since passed away but to this day I feed the sparrows. Just some silly coincidences I am sure that my crazy mind makes into important .