The gray crow… She rarely speaks well of her, she is usually scolded. Even if they remember her with a kind word, then somehow in passing, going straight to the list of atrocities. And the list of this devil is really big.
This bird, for example, "loves" other people's nests and the chicks in them very much. "Thanks" to the raids of the gray crow, the number of medium-sized bird brethren periodically decreases. And numerous morning raids on city garbage containers add work to the janitors. Do not lose sight of these birds and balconies, on which city dwellers sometimes leave something edible. And in the ability to "mark" new coats with a crow, no other feathered can be compared at all. The nightly "concert", hosted by a cloud of birds that almost cover the sky before flying off to sleep, is clearly not for the nervous.
Ornithologists of the last century would have been surprised by the endless list of atrocities of these pranksters, because before crows settled far from cities, in floodplains and mostly in pairs, not hundreds, as they are now. "Anti-social antics" on their part began only thanks to the "conqueror" of nature - a man who began to systematically destroy"harmful" birds of prey, which were so afraid of crows. In the 50s of the last century, even monetary bonuses and benefits were awarded to "free shooters" for killing birds of prey, allegedly destroying small and useful game birds. Did they then think about the balance established by nature itself?
Having lost its natural enemies, the gray crow began to feel very at ease and already organized a fishery itself - fed both itself and its chicks, ruining dozens of other people's nests every day. The population of crows grew rapidly, "food" decreased with proportional swiftness.
And the crow, following the example of a peasant in pre-revolutionary Russia, moved to the city in a lean year, where she found both “milk shores” and “jelly rivers”. Snooping through the shopping bags, tied then by a city dweller under his own window (not everyone could afford a refrigerator), the bird, insolent to the extreme degree, emptied the “food baskets”. And about the scraps thrown out of the windows, which not only wild dogs and basement cats did not disdain, but also the same crows, you can not even spread. In general, the number of once forest cheeks has now grown incredibly rapidly in cities.
And again, the "conqueror of nature" took up a gun, driven by the promise of the authorities to get a license (preferential, of course) for shooting other game for crow's feet…
But the crows only contemptuously croaked: “They attacked the wrong people! We are not hawks, we are smarter! And it was the purest truth. Amazing mental ability led the ravens to the city, the sameability allowed to get away from the volleys of guns. The crow instantly realized that a person is able not only to feed, but also to present nasty things.
Compliance with safety precautions a person needs to learn from a crow. Please note: a crow is not afraid of a standing person and can walk at a distance of a couple of meters, but if a biped suddenly decides to take a closer look at it, it will immediately fly off by 10 meters. An attempt to take a stone will immediately increase the distance by 20 meters. And the gun that appears will “erase” crow out of sight.
The number of crows was reduced not by guns, but by rising prices for food and brooms of janitors. Now the delicacies are no longer thrown away in such quantities, and the janitors clean not only the middle of the sidewalk, but all the streets.
Crow is not just a smart bird, but also able to learn, and it learns quickly. One has only to guess that it is more convenient to eat rusk soaked in a puddle, knowledge will instantly spread throughout the numerous crow flock. If one gray cheat comes up with the idea to bend the opened "tongue" of the can with the remnants of canned food, the rest will start to regale themselves on occasion in the same way.
Moreover, the behavior of these amazing birds is always adequate to the current situation. For example, they are indifferent to cats, since it is very difficult to peck them, but a sick and weakened lonely kitten will immediately become the object of crows' attention.
Biologist Manteuffel recalled in one of the articles how a flock of sparrows, delighted with a couple over a pool with pelicans, decided to swim in warm water. Their feathers got wet and, since it was winter, they began to freeze over. The previously indifferent crows turned into active pursuers. A flock of sparrows was caught and eaten in a quarter of an hour.
The same collectivism and coordination of actions is observed when crows deal with stronger birds of prey that are dangerous to them. Avoiding meeting with the last ones one on one, the flock pecks the predator in a couple of minutes.
Moreover, the gray crow is a lover of entertainment and cannot stand boredom. And she also has fun in the team. And their entertainment, of course, is coordinated.
One of the biology students told, for example, how two crows, pretending to want to get into a dog bowl, waited for the dog to rush at them. At that moment, when the dog turned to attack, another crow snatched a decent tuft of wool from the back of the unfortunate dog. The entertainment continued until the dog, offended and angry, retired to the booth.
Another time the gray robbers attacked a dog peacefully chewing on a bone. While two of them distracted attention, the third one quickly stole this bone. Such actions obviously did not pursue any practical goal, since the bone was immediately thrown away, and the crows scattered, rather cawing.
Now most ornithologists confirm: the gray crow, which does not stand out either in beauty, or in size, or in voice, has no equal in mind either among birds or among animals. Only dolphins and great apes can compete with her in quick wit…
