Crows Hold Grudges, So Watch Out
Crows have a remarkable way of remembering people — especially ones they think have wronged them. And now new research shows they pass on this scolding behavior to other birds so the grudge can carry on, sometimes for years.
University of Washington bird biologist John Marzluff discovered about five years ago that crows can recognize a person who poses a threat. By wearing a scary caveman mask, the bird researcher walked around campus scaring crows. He quickly discovered that not only did the offended birds remember him but they told their crow friends.
That’s how he discovered the crow behavior called mobbing when a large number of birds gather to caw menacingly — just like in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Jim and Renee Ha, also from University of Washington, have been studying corvids — crows, blue jays and similar birds — for a long time. They are noted for the their extensive research of the Mariana Crow, a severely endangered bird that occupies a small island near Guam.
They were also among the first biologists to discover that crows are very smart. In Japan crows have adapted to urban settings by using cars to crack hard nuts.
The Has also found that crows can recognize their relatives and distinguish them from other birds.
So it comes as no surprise that crows can hold a grudge.
Jim Ha says, “Crows are just really smart, capable birds. They’re right up there with your dog.”
Last month, police officers in Everett, WA — about 35 miles north of Seattle — were mobbed by crows, which cawed loudly and dive bombed the cops.
Lt. Bob Johns says the angry birds are “like velociraptors” and when they cornered him he “got zinged.”
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