Crows Are Bandits, But Know Thier Own Kind
Dec. 13 -- With neither a brilliant plumage nor a melodic song to set it apart from other birds, the crow might seem to have been dealt a low blow.
Instead of whistling a happy tune, crows cackle and squawk in irritating patterns that are about as charming as fingernails on a blackboard.
But animal behaviorists have long believed that the crow has at least one thing in its favor. It is among the most intelligent birds in the world, with some species so advanced that they make and store their own tools to extract food from hard-to-reach sources, such as holes in trees.
So with an IQ roughly equivalent to that of the family pooch, the crow's image should be looking up. But now comes new research that gives the crow another black eye, so to speak.
It turns out that while there is a little gray matter in its head, there is a lot of larceny in its soul.
Stealing, Not Protecting
According to animal behaviorists Renee Robinette Ha and James Ha of the University of Washington, some crows just can't keep their claws out of their neighbor's lunch box.
That may not seem all that surprising to anyone who has watched a flock of crows feeding on a beach and fighting among themselves, but it flies in the face of conventional wisdom about what the crows are really up to. While they are feeding, some crows constantly dash around the area, keeping watch for predators that might want to eat crow.
It is a form of vigilance, according to crow literature, with some crows assigned the task of watching out for enemies.
But the researchers have come up with data that shows that's not what the crows are doing. Instead of watching out for predators, those crows that are flying around and looking so vigilant are really just looking for something that they can steal from another member of the flock.
"It's not to protect them from predators," says James Ha, a research associate professor of psychology. "What we are showing is the vigilance, contrary to many studies, is primarily for food stealing."
Related Stories
ABC News Live