Well, I'll be darned...

Finally started reading my April issue of National Geographic. I have already received May's issue, which prompted my "gotta read April as soon as possible" decision so I don't have these stacking up on my desk. Anyhow, read an interesting tidbit about crows. But first, a tangent...

In anthropology, we look for certain indicators at historical sites that show the development of complex thought to achieve various goals. One such indicator is the use of tools. Crude tools, though they may not seem to be "all that", are actually very important in archaeological analysis because they show problem solving abilities. Okay, back to crows...

Scientists have discovered that crows are very creative birds. They have been observed using crude tools in the wild (sticks mostly) to probe logs for grubs, and, in Japan, they've been spotted placing nuts they want cracked beneath car tires as the drivers are waiting at stoplights. It's rare to see a nonhuman animal routinely make tools so these feathered friends are certainly drawing attention! Even in captivity crows have been showing off their tool-making skills. Once crow managed to snag a scrap piece of wire, which it then bent into a hook shape in order to pull treats out of a tube.

Another indicator of complex thought, crows have been observed behaving in a sensitive manner. This one requires explanation... In Ithaca, NY, the West Nile virus ravaged a flock of crows (being studied over many years). In that flock, crows were displaying typically human behaviors - standing guard over dying members and one widowed bird taking her fledglings and moving back into her parents' nest.

It's all enough to make you say "Well, I'll be darned..." Kinda makes me want to get some bird-watching binoculars and spy on the robins in the neighborhood. LOL