Besides being dark and mysterious, crows are extremely intelligent birds. So smart, in fact, that it might be a little bit scary. Even though their brains are the size of a human thumb, their intelligence, comparable to that of a 7-year-old child, allows them to use tools, solve problems, recognize people’s faces, adapt to new situations, and even plan for the future.
More examples of crows doing scarily smart things can be found in the list below, curated by our Bored Panda team. Scroll down to find them and make sure to upvote those instances that make you suspicious of how clever these birds are.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Anne Clark, professor of Biological Sciences at Binghamton University, who kindly agreed to tell us more about crows and their intelligence.
#1 We’ve Been Feeding A Small Family Of Four Crows (Mated Pair And Their Two Year Old Kids) For Several Years
Last week two days in a row they left these gifts, pull tabs threaded onto pine twigs. This isn’t only generous, it’s creative, it’s art. My mind is blown.
Image source: StuartDahlquist
#2 This Person Managed To “Adopt” A Crow
Image source: tumblr.com
#3 I Only Wish More People Were Like This Crow
Image source: sencerb88
#4 So Cute
Image source: michellesound
#5 Crows Copying The Way Humans Caw
Image source: CryptoNature
#6 Crow Snowboarding And It’s Using Plastic As A Sled. Crows Have Been Observed Engaging In Playful Behaviors, Like Sliding Down Snowy Rooftops Or Performing Aerial Acrobatics Just For Fun
Image source: WTVideo
#7 Crow Helps Hedgehog To Cross The Street
Image source: dump_acc_91
#8 A Friend Nursed An Injured Crow Back To Health After It Got Trapped In Her French Quarter Courtyard. These As Some Of The Things The Crow Has Been Bringing Her As Apparent Gifts
Image source: Tweetystraw
#9 Gabby, Our American Crow, Has Mastered Connect Four As Part Of Her Enrichment And Frequently Squares Off Against Her Trainer And Caretaker Sean
Gabby’s record is 15-1. She has to let Sean win every once in awhile to keep his confidence high.
Image source: Texas State Aquarium
#10 I Found This In The Spot Where I Feed My Crows Every Morning. It’s Soaking Wet Because It Was Raining. But If They Did Drop It For Me, That’s Absolutely Awesome
Image source: jlscott0731
#11 Crows Are Hilarious. They Seem To Enjoy Having Fun Keeping Themselves Amused. Here’s One That Used To “Hang Around” Outside Our House
Just swaying in the breeze. He used to do this quite regularly.
Image source: Nikki Williams
#12 He Knew He Beat You Too, That’s Wild
Image source: voron_gosha_tv
#13 Crows Are So Smart! The Bird Was Thirsty And What Matters Is “Water”. There Is Solution To Most Things If You Think Out Of The Box
#14 Crow Rides On The Back Of An Eagle
Image source: Phoo Chan
#15 I Was In Vietnam Photographing Wildlife And Found An Eagle Pursuing A Crow For A Good While. After Watching Them For A Bit, They Landed And It Turned Out They Were Friends
Image source: neuralzen
#16 French Amusement Park “Puy Du Fou” Has Trained A Team Of Crows To Pick Up Garbage And Cigarette-Butts
For every piece of trash thrown into a bin, they’ll automatically receive a reward.
Image source: troila, Erik Karits/pexels (not an actual photo)
#17 That Is Frank. He Is A Solitary Bird, But Also The First To Figure Out That He Gets Quite Bigger Nuts In A Personal Exchange
He jumps up and down until I come out and give him one of the really big peanuts. I bet he is quite smug about how well he trained me too.
Image source: reddit.com
#18 I Started Feeding Bar Nuts To These Crows That Are Regural To The Patio Of A Bar I Work At. My Collection Of Gifts Finally Started After 3 Months
Image source: saroj7878
#19 My Dads Been Feeding This Crow And Now He Sits In His Van With Him
Image source: Tighe_er
#20 I Knew Crows Were Smart But This One Is Actually Dipping His Chicken Nuggets
Image source: despicable_bri
#21 Been Feeding Crows For A Couple Of Months And Got My First Gift Today
Image source: cutelyaware, cutelyaware
#22 Crows Are Incredibly Intelligent Birds Capable Of Recognizing Human Faces And Holding Grudges
If a crow feels threatened or harmed by a person, it can remember the individual for years. Additionally, crows have been known to warn other crows about dangerous humans, effectively creating a network of information shared among the birds. Their memory and social communication are part of why crows are considered some of the smartest animals on Earth
Image source: earthpen4518, Anthony’s images/pexels (not an actual photo)
#23 Crows’ Cognitive And Problem-Solving Skills Are Truly Remarkable
Image source: pattyboosh
#24 Crows Like To Pull Tails. Some Think It Is To Distract Another Animal From Eating Allowing Either The Crow Itself Or An Accomplice To Snatch The Food Away, While Others Think They Do It For Fun
#25 Crows Are The Best Birbs
Image source: tumblr.com
#26 I Received My First Gifts
I’m a little late posting it but I received my first gifts November 26th and I’ve got to say, I didn’t expect the feelings that accompanied those gifts, as someone who struggles daily with my mental and physical health, I am truly grateful for the love that they’ve shown me and for the joy that they bring.
Also, I bought a little pack of tiny crows to gift to them, I thought it would be fun to see if they accept them.
Image source: No_Fig1560
#27 Crows Have Been Spotted Using Sticks To Extract Food From Hard-To-Reach Places, Even Bending The Sticks To Make Then More Effective
Image source: Dalmiro Cuellar Oficial, earthpen4518
#28 Hooded Crow Having Fun Sledding Down A Snow-Covered Windshield
Crows are known for their high level of intelligence in mimicking human behaviors. They’ve often been observed engaging in acts of “play” with remarkably human qualities.
Image source: to_the_tenth_power
#29 My Friend Mr. Crow. I Feed Him By Hand. Sometimes He Pecks Me Gently And Tells Me To Give Food
Image source: mayankify
#30 I Was Weeding Today And Discovered That My Crowbros Started Planting Their Own Peanuts
Image source: Drunarawr
#31 My Crows Have Gifted Me Texas
Image source: Fishy_Mistakes
#32 Crow Dropping A Nut Into The Intersection So Traffic Will Run Over It And Crack It Open For Him
Image source: Tony_Hamilton87
#33 When A Crow Dies, Others Gather Around Its Body, Seemingly To Investigate And Learn From The Situation, Possibly To Identify Potential Threats
Image source: Alexander Savchuk/pexels (not an actual photo)
#34 Was Sitting On My Couch When Suddenly A Crow Came And Left A Marble On My Roof
i was just sitting here when suddenly i heard some noise above me and looked up to see a crow on the skylight, it dropped a marble down, watched it start to roll away then went and picked it up and put it down somewhere where it wouldn’t roll away, then simply left, there’s a family of crows living in a tree right beside my house and they often stare at me when i’m skating in my driveway by there tree, but i’ve never fed them or anything, nor have i bothered them though. the marble has been there since yesterday now, was it meant as a gift?
Image source: Impossible-Meal9912
#35 Understanding Social Hierarchies: Crows Know How To Navigate Their Complex Social Structures, Recognize Dominance Hierarchies, And Adjust Their Behavior Accordingly
Image source: pxhere.com (not an actual photo)
#36 Crow Engaging In A Phenomenon Called “Anting”. They Purposefully Rub Ants Who, Sensing Danger, Discharge Formic Acid, Which Is Absorbed Into The Bird’s Body And Acts As A Natural Insecticide
Image source: ExpertAccident , Tolga Ahmetler/pexels (not an actual photo)
#37 Like Parrots, Some Crows In Captivity Can Mimic Human Words And Phrases, Often With Surprising Accuracy
Image source: Mauricio Ortiz/pexels (not an actual photo)
#38 Theft And Deception: They Cleverly Hide Their Food Caches And Even Fake Hiding Spots To Throw Off Potential Thieves, Including Other Crows
Image source: Matt R/pexels (not an actual photo)
#39 Thirsty Crow
Image source: UmarGanie1
#40 Clever Little Swoopy Sr Has Learned How To Maximize Her Almond Haul: By Following Me 4x, Making Me Think She Didn’t See The Food I Left Her (So I Leave More)
When I go back, ALL the almonds are gone.
1st location, almonds were strewn in the grass. 2nd on the stairs. 3rd near the sign post. 4th under the trees. AND THEN she digged in. Puts in the work for her and her husband Daisy (that’s right Daisy’s the male) who is content with the first pile he sees. Unlike little Swoopy. She’s my sweetie.
To note: I don’t feed them everyday, but I do feed them frequently 3-4x a week, once a day.
Image source: Affectionate_Sky2264
#41 Smart Crow Has Impressive Problem-Solving Skills
Image source: MetDaan Adventure
#42 Crows Are Really Smart After All. This Crow Locks The Box Before Going Out
Image source: ThoryRajkumar
#43 New Caledonian Crows Use Tools To Forage For Food In The Wild. Captive New Caledonian Crows Have Even Made Hooked Tools From Wire To Obtain Food Despite Never Having Seen Wire Before
Image source: AGreatWind, hedera.baltica
#44 They Really Are Quite Intelligent
Image source: stan_sdcollins
#45 Australian Crows Get Around The Dangers Of Eating Poisonous, Invasive, Cane Toads By Flipping Them Over And Eating Only Their Thighs, Tongues And Intestines
Image source: FillsYourNiche, hedera.baltica
#46 Counting And Understanding Numbers: Crows Have Demonstrated The Ability To Distinguish Between Different Quantities, Showing Numerical Cognition On Par With Some Primates
Image source: pxhere.com (not an actual photo)
#47 I Feed The Crows At A Local Park, But Today I Found This At My House
Image source: bouquet_of_irises
#48 My Crows Left Me A Gift Today
Image source: EldritchSpider
#49 Smart Sales Person Identify The Right Customer, Take Bold Approach And Have His Big Order From One Customer. Not So Smart Sales Person Put Hard Work Scouting For Small Small Orders
Can’t blame pigeon though whose intelligence is around a 2-year-old child while crow’s intelligence is of a 7-year-old human child.
Image source: milindpappu
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