Crow Looks At Stick And Within Eight Moves Has Observers Of Its Results In Disbelief

Mar 31, 2020 by apost team

Crows are an important part of the American landscape. It is estimated that over 30 million crows fly over the skies of the United States each year. Crows are part and parcel in American culture. In the 19th Century, the famed writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote the poem “The Raven” about one such corvid. Fast forward over a hundred years later and the comic book writer James O’Barr named his titular antihero after the black-winged bird in the miniseries The Crow.

While crows are an indelible part of our culture, many people would be shocked to learn that they are also among the most intelligent birds in the animal kingdom. A new video from BBC shows just how smart these birds are as one passes a scientific test.

The video begins with researchers introducing viewers to the crow, whose name is 007. The scientists tell a reporter with the BBC that 007’s upcoming test will be done in 8 stages. 007’s task is to solve an intricate puzzle with the tools available to him, which include two sticks and several small stones. While 007 has seen the finished puzzle, he has never seen how to solve it.

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The test begins with 007 inspecting the tools given to him by the researchers. Picking up one of the sticks, 007 uses it to retrieve three stones from three different cages. For a while, 007 is uncertain what to do with the stones, but then makes his next move. Carrying the stones in his beak, 007 places them in another box. The weight of the stone unlocks a latch, giving 007 access to a second, longer stick. The industrious bird uses this final tool to get a morsel of food hidden in a small cage, gladly accepting it as his reward for solving the multistage puzzle.

The reporter in the video from the BBC is astonished by 007’s performance, commenting that he has never seen such an intelligent bird. While 007’s performance is undeniably amazing, it comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with these remarkable animals. Biologists have determined that a crow’s brain is about the size of a human thumb. While this might sound small to some observers, it is actually very large given the size of their bodies.

As more research is done, scientists continue to learn about the intelligence of crows. For example, research has also shown that crows can recognize human faces. John Marzluff, a professor with the Aviation Conservation Lab at the University of Washington, says that crows can recognize their human caretakers and those who are important to them. Professor Marzluff also adds that a crow will remember the face of an individual who does something dangerous, the Guardian reports. Elaborating, Professor Marzluff says that when someone does something dangerous around a crow, the animal marks that person and will remember their face for most of the rest of their life.

What do you think of how 007 completed the puzzle? Are there any crows in your neighborhood? What do you think is the most intelligent species of animal?