Published by Leea Ivanel -- April issue -- CAMPUS NEWS
A black-feathered creature stood on the edge of a roof, watching.
Always watching.
Strangers passed by with heavy backpacks and heavier books, and the bird simply waited, calculating just the right moment to strike. When it came the creature, with a quick flap of its wings and a ferocious battle cry, dove through the air and aimed...
It had gotten the bag of half-eaten chips.
However, there is a lot more to these midnight-plumaged birds then their loud caws and habits of stealing food.
Crows and ravens are one of the most common birds of the world. They are particularly common on Carlmont’s campus, especially after lunch, when they scavenge any scraps of food they can find.
Despite how common they are, there are students who do not notice the presence of these two-legged beings. Their broken caws and black feathers simply fade into the background.
“I never really knew that there were crows or ravens on campus, or any other birds for that matter. I guess I just never had a reason to notice them,” said sophomore Daisha Sherman.
Thus, many people overlook the qualities that crows and ravens share. For example, if one pays close attention they can observe both the advanced battle tactics and the communication skills of these birds, which both suggest high levels of intelligence.
According to an article on Nature World News the mental capabilities of these birds were actually proven when the University of Auckland conducted a study on six wild crows. In the study the crows were given a cup of water with food inside and several ways to obtain the food.
After numerous trials the study concluded that, much to the joy of the scientists, most of the crows chose to use water displacement to get their food. This lead the scientists to come to, as the leader of the study, Sarah Jelbert, said, a “striking discovery.”
As it turns out, crows possess the same level of intelligence as most seven-year-old humans. These “simple food thieves” are not what what they may seem to be.
Still, Jelbert’s study was conducted on six wild crows that did not possess any previous experience with testing. But what about crows that have had years of training?
To answer that question, Auckland University conducted another study, this time having Alex Taylor, a psychology researcher, as its head scientist.
Taylor performed his study on a highly trained crow named 007. This crow, much to the amazement of Taylor, passed one of the hardest tests ever conceived for the animal mind in only a mere three minutes.
In an article on The New Zealand Herald News Taylor said, “In terms of birds, crows are basically one of the smartest, if not the smartest. 007’s amazing performance proves that.”
Scientific research aside, there are other factors that make crows and ravens stand out amongst other birds, and that make them more than just any common beings around Carlmont’s campus.
According to an article on Avesnoir, ravens are actually able to learn basic human languages, much like parrots. Crows and ravens are also renowned for their brilliant memories.
Crows have, in fact, even been known to get involved in caring and complex relationships with humans, such as the case of nine-year-old Gabi Matt.
The little girl started feeding a group of crows years ago, according to an article on Audubon. Over time the crows started bringing her small trinkets, rocks, shiny objects, and anything else they found of interest to show their gratitude.
They even brought her mother’s lens cap back when she lost it in an alley.
Matt is today the proud owner of an ever growing collection of gifts, as well as an ever growing collection of very intelligent black-feathered friends.
Sophomore Aliana El Shawa said, “There is something extraordinary in all animals if you just take the time to look for it. That goes for crows and ravens too. Just because they don’t look or sound special doesn’t mean they aren’t actually truly special creatures.”