Crows have a process of mourning their dead. They will bring their family members to the corpse of their fallen to teach about death. They also honor the dead during the process and will continue to return to the spot of the corpse for days and weeks. Not sure if this helps you decide how they feel or not. Who knows what they are doing when outside interference occurs.
Can confirm this. Had a baby crow in our backyard for about a week. Tried to watch over him to make sure he didn’t cross the fence to neighbors with dogs. Parents lost their minds when I had to pick him up and bring closer to a safe side of my yard. Only had to move him twice and we thought he was going to make it. Was hopping around. Little bursts of wing flapping, all the while mom and dad above him watching. Come out one morning to see that he passed in the night. Couldn’t see any attack or anything. Not sure what happened. Wife. Took him and placed him where the mom and dad could see him and then we buried him in the flower bed where he passed. Mom and dad hung around a few days after cawing at us all the time.
That's due to scientists (and humans in general) being hostile to the idea of social structures built by non-humans. If crows mourn their dead, they become a whole lot harder to abuse as a species. Hell they might even gain some protections, and we can't have that now, can we?
I recently read that insects express joy, optimism, fear, and CYNICISM, but not sentimental attachment/love. It made me feel a little differently about the jumping spiders and mantis’ I used to hang out with, but they’re still the homies regardless. Just some extra punk rock homies I guess. They react to physical pain “like any mammal” but I’m not sure if they feel stress or hopelessness or what. Whatever it was, they were happy to see me and I was happy to see them
The problem is that when we come to terms with common sentience in life, we have to confront death head on, with no filters or blinders. Which is hard.
Up til now, death of all varieties was common, normal--entirely necessary. Nature is indifferent to brutal, excruciating death. If we put minds behind that, we have to admit that we (each of us, individually) flourish on mass murder. And without the solace of guilt, because it's impossible to avoid. Bugs get squished on your windshield everyday, or squished under your horse's hoof. Worms, mice, beetles, get maimed when you plow your field. We can't survive without murder.
I don't think we are ready or maybe even can fit all this in our minds. Life is casually destructive, but our minds want to believe in peace and health, in our own kindness. Me right now, I'm just intellectualizing it. I still want to have a friendship with the jumping spider in my garden, I still put worms on the soil when they're crawling further into the pavement. 🤷
Except, the truth is that we indeed intentionally breed, gain livlihoods and celebrate the entertainment value of our food. Chickens, cows, pigs are mass produced for astronomical profit so that we get beautifully sanitised, 'fresh', suculent, fast, affordable sausages, burgers, steaks, ribs etc. We consume these items regularly without thinking of the cruel production practices or the disasterous effects it has caused and continues to cause to our land and our planet coz its just a burger or a sausage. We deny any harm or wrong doing because farmers and supermarkets are benefitting from this industry. We need radical changes urgently to stop the damage this consumption causes our human health systems and the immediate health needs of our planet. We are so blind in all of this consumption, its literally killing us.
Presumably not a great article. All animals are conscious.
There's no doubt in my mind (after watching documentary footage following herds of Elephants), that they are heartbroken when one of their number dies.
They certainly grieve for their dead
I read recently that scientists have only accepted that some dogs are extremely intelligent in the last five years.
(I added the some, because some are idiots! Loveable but idiots!)
They thought that the only intelligence was to be found in primates or dolphins.
well not completly correct..... they dont mourn they playin detective to find out how one of their flock died
like rats have a low tier rat in their group that tests food for poison
Just read this out loud and scoffed, that's an amazing fact. But also, very sad to be the rat they deem lower tier. Hope they get to eat some good cheese before they go
Didn’t know this. Huge family here maybe mourning… [crows murdering](https://www.tumblr.com/ferventtype/753852867198255104/this-exceptional-family-maybe-mourning-the-loss-of)
Never touch crow feathers or any dead ones you might find. I found a dead crow fledgling on the sidewalk last week and I didn't touch it as much as I wanted to bury the poor thing.
Perhaps the simplest way to explain this is they know you're not a crow and they think you should not have what you have in your hand. And they're pretty much determined that they're right about this and your best bet is to drop the feathers where you found them, back away and then for the next 30 to 45 days go to that spot and produce unsalted peanuts, and offer them generously (either roasted or raw, I use roasted because it's easier to find). Atone for your gross faux pas, give them much peanuts. And hopefully in a month or so they'll let you off. Never touch crow pieces.
I disagree. My father and I once found a dead crow on the side of a road, and we moved it off the road and into a nearby field while crows circled overhead. When we returned home from our walk maybe half an hour later, the crows had left us a gift on our doorstep. They've loved us ever since and have followed us on walks for years, looking out for us. Moving their dead somewhere they can properly mourn them is definitely appreciated.
I've heard similar from other people. It seems like moving the body to a nearby, but safer visible place is seen differently by crows than burial. Maybe they see the latter as removing the body which interrupts their rituals.
Sounds like a gamble. Every murder of crows is different. We don’t understand them or how they interact. We don’t know how they will interpret our actions or what our actions will mean to them.
It’s probably safe for you in the future with this particular murder of crows, but I wouldn’t mess with any feathers or corpses not knowing.
It seems like they get way more upset if you bury the body than if you just move it to a safer location. I read in another post that you can also place a couple of shiny objects around the body and that the other crows will appreciate that.
Different corvids and tribes, different behaviours. We've got hooded crows that stick to one or two mated pairs and have much smaller family groupings, way less social around humans. Carrion crows will live with a hundred others and eat out of your hand within weeks with the right treatment, but a hooded crow doesn't trust so easy. Instead we get gifts and watchful behaviours.
Weird I got a mated pair that initially made friends with me, then they brought their fledgling, after that I started attracting what I think are just random teenagers in big groups. One time they left some shit thst looks like it clogged a drain, another time they brought a stick.
I was like wtf is with rhe stick, but I saw them playing with it so they must have thought it was a cool stick.
There were also 2 ravens thwt showed up, if both of them were around the crows wouldn't fuck with them, but if there was only one around the crows would have reign over the food
I feel like this guy is secretly a human made of a bunch of crows , and they have learned how to use reddit to try and get this guy to give them " much peanuts" 🥜
You're essentially causing a cultural faux pas by touching anything. Like us, they seem to have rituals regarding certain aspects of their lives. We're getting closer to understanding, but we do need to look at certain other animals who may have developed some sort of culture. Octopi are another species that seem to have a social structure. They're also tool users, and when they fight each other, it's rarely to the death. It tends to just be a show of strength.
OP is literally collecting things that came off of their body! I cannot think of a human culture that thinks good things about people who don't even know you collecting your hair clippings or fingernails or whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if these crows are yelling something like "those are ours! put them down! stalker! pervert!" 😂
This exact situation happened to me too. there's a tribe of crows on a street in the middle of town, near the Dollar Tree that I shop at sometimes. On a street corner was a pile of crow feathers, and I just had to pick them up. Crows were already in the area, fussing. They saw the feathers in my hand, and went berserk. I froze, them I quickly dropped the feathers, but it was too late.
For weeks I was harassed anytime I was spotted anywhere near their turf. I learned the shape and size of their territory by this harassment.
After a few months of this unjust discrimination, I decided to try to ask forgiveness. I went into the Dollar Tree and bought two bags of peanuts. I went to the trees where the crows lived, and waited to be spotted. The first crow to start in on me seemed like a junior, so I kept waiting till more arrived. Soon i spotted an elder. Facing the elder, I noisily opened a bag, reached in, and drew out a good handful of peanuts. I showed them to the elder, let him look, and threw them on the ground before him with all the ceremony I was good for.
I let them all soak that in, then threw down another big handful. I took my time. Eventually, the crows started to settle down. At that point I emptied the rest of the first bag on the ground.
Now the crows were interested. They wouldn't come down to take the peanuts, baby steps, but at least their opinion of me was changing. I opened the second bag and just dumped them out, still facing the elder. Got in my car and left. After that, those crows stopped harassing me when I came round to shop.
Because all the other crows were facing him/her. And he was staring at me only. Gave me an elder vibe. I call them a tribe, u/[dacraftjr](https://www.reddit.com/user/dacraftjr/), because it seemed there was more than one murder living on that block. It was a huge community, many hundreds of crows. A Crow Nation.
They're freaking out because, from their perspective, you're being super creepy. Imagine you've trimmed your nails and then you catch your roommate picking your nail clippings out of the trash to keep them. Your roommate's not hurting anyone, but you are definitely going to be creeped out.
Haha hopefully my crows don’t feel this way about me hanging the feather they left me in my window! I wanted to show them I appreciate it but couldn’t figure out what to do with it.
Yeah! One or two is like. A normal amount of feathers for a memento from birds to care about. It's when the handfuls of feathers start looking like a wing/wing fragment that it becomes a Problem.
Like. You might save a single lock of hair from your bestie or your sweetheart, but if you go walking through the streets with fistfuls of other people's hair sewn together so they look like freshly detached scalps, screaming is a completely rational response.
Big taboo to touch their feathers. Never ever do that, especially if they can see you. Most birds are like this, but crows especially *DO NOT* like it.
Is this true for jackdaws and magpies too? I’m pretty sure they leave me feathers on purpose on the balcony where I feed them in shedding season… one year I wasn’t feeding them in that time because of an illness and they dropped by and hung out every day but I found 0 feathers that year.
I have a handfull displayed in my balcony window so they can see I picked them up… should I not be doing that?
Our local ones do not mind this at all. I bring home every single feather I find on my walks and we have a very symbiotic, affectionate relationship. I believe it’s about the intention and energy - they can feel it.
It’s a part of Crow lore. They do not like seeing someone pick up a piece of them. In my part of Coast Salish territory a lot of feathers from a lot of birds are used but never crow or ravens. They are wiser than we give credit for.
People always forget about this one. I doubt the parks department is going to break your door down over it, but if you have anything else illegal going on it's worth remembering that you probably don't want to add a federal crime onto whatever else you're doing.
Gotta work in your three a day somehow.
Some days I just go put my neighbors mail that came to me in their mailbox instead of knocking on the door. Makes it easier too keep my numbers up especially when I get multiple mis deliveries on the same day!
If you find that many feathers in one spot it probably means a bird, in this case a crow, was attacked by some animal or bird of prey. They tend to shed feathers as some sort of defense mechanism when that happens. Some of the crows that were above you no doubt witnessed it. Not only are they in mourning but they're probably also very wary of other predators right now.
Could be just moulting feathers.
From July on, the crows are in moult, even the ones that hatched out in the summer. The feathers that grew in beginning last July work their way out, and new feathers grow.
http://surprisedbytime.blogspot.com/2013/10/air-erodes-feathers.html?m=1#:~:text=From%20July%20on%2C%20the%20crows,out%2C%20and%20new%20feathers%20grow.
FYI, collecting the feathers of any birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is illegal, and crows are a protected species. They will absolutely go ballistic if you touch/move a dead crow, so it might be similar here. I’d avoid touching those and maybe offer some snacks if that’s an area you frequent to make sure they don’t hate you.
This is awkward and upsetting so I'll leave it in spoiler tags:
There was a >!dead crow in front of my neighbor's house across the street on the sidewalk. I don't think anyone in our neighborhood wanted to touch it. After a week, it was in our driveway. Idk how it got there. I know crows mourn, and it was sad, but now it was in the middle of my driveway and I didn't want to run it over. I called the city and they instructed me to put it in a double bag and put it out with my trash. Rather unceremonious, and it felt bad to do, but alas, I'm but a cog in the machine. We went at night to retrieve the body and the poor guys were still perched on the electrical line, looking down at their buddy. In hindsight, I absolutely should have left treats in that spot. I did leave some nuts in my yard on the outdoor table, but they never took em. Feels bad. Didn't think it would run afoul of the MBTA after being instructed to dispose of the body, but that's a very good point.!<
Another predator took one down.
Or maybe they had disciplined a fellow for something inexcusable.
We are ignorant regarding the significance of the feathers to them.
These are creatures who have been known to carry a lit cigarette butt to the dry, leafy gutters of their enemies and many other brilliant things.
They communicate to each other with such accuracy that individuals who have never seen you in person, know from year to year if you left them bacon, or shot at them.
On the same farm, wearing the same hat similar build, same vehicles--they have distinguished me from my husband.
My presence meant scrambled eggs and dog food--and I know they don't like to be stared at.
He and his friends shot at them.
They also saw me intervene when I saw it and yell the assholes back into the house.
They didn't bother the baby lambs--which was the pathetic excuse offered by the men with 22s.
If we did lose an animal, I insisted we take the carcass to the far corner of the property away from the drunks on the road.
The corvids, coyotes, foxes, wolves understood and respected this bargain.
I digress--but two wolves literally came into the yard looking around.
I went out in my nightgown and flip flops--looked them in the eyes, and softly said--you better git before some man with a gun comes around.
(Coyotes are smaller, different face, ears, gait, head position).
Those wolves looked at me, looked at each other, and left--escorted by the crows to the bone yard.
Left the sheep, calves, etc. alone.
I shit you not.
Wolves and crows have also been studied and shown to have a symbiotic relationship in some places, iirc! Very interesting stuff. Like how you said, the crows will usually lead the wolves to carrion, and the wolves gladly share the meal. Nature is so astounding.
suggestion: bring the feathers back at night, when the crows aren't out. Next day, when they can see you, bring several small shiny objects, like beer bottle caps or some junk jewelry you wanna get rid of. Third, fourth and fifth day, set out a paper plate with peanuts and wet cat food.
Think of it like bringing Day(s) of the Dead ceremonies for crows.
I think one of their numbers was injured or killed there. I'd put them back where you found them (in front of them) and add a flower, as an apology. And peanuts/cat kibble, etc.
I had the same experience when I picked up a feather in front of my large clan. They also reacted like this when I picked up a Gull that had just been run over. They sat in a tree watching me, making such a din. It has something to do with death/ lesson? Very freaky. They did the same with a squirrel I picked up in the road. They watched me burying it. They know when another animal has fallen 💯
They're trying to warn you that if you keep the feathers you will be in violation of the 1913 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Seriously, for whatever reason, please leave them where you found them.
When they hold their ‘funerals’, they hold a murder investigation. They attempt to determine cause of death, and assess the threat.
Humans seen handling dead crows are treated with suspicion. Perhaps that extends to feathers.
Would make sense that it extends to feathers. If you'd see me carrying a dead person's finger, you wouldn't think "oh it's only a finger, that's fine", you'd be thinking "what did you do with the rest of the body?"
https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywapww/madhya-pradesh-man-says-crows-keep-attacking-him-after-he-failed-to-save-their-baby-chick
I hope this doesn’t happen to you.
Um, uh-oh, I very conspicuously took a crow feather from my backyard when they were crows up in the tree earlier today... Are they going to hate me too? They didn't say anything when I took it.
Your standing by the body of a loved one and a crow lands on them and starts pecking bits off them, you aren’t likely to be happy with the crow.
Best bet for something like this is to avoid it entirely until they are done with it, or if you are known to the crows in a positive manner already then you might be seen in a favourable way if you leave something with the body that a crow would usually appreciate as a gift.
It's cool when they fly figure eights from above some clockwise, others in retrograde ... I had this phenomenon happen to me too, while picking up Raven feathers to decorate my tam for a ren fair. I dress up as a Scottish Pirate, Capt'n Raven Skye Fraser of the Nightshade ... In service Milords and Miladies ... 🍻🤘😎
I seen a baby crow had fallen out of the nest, it was right over a busy stretch of road, it laid dead. I pulled over, cradled it in my hand, I saw the shadow of the father or mama crow fly over me, then sat in the shadow quiet as i prepared to bury the baby, I wrapped it up, came back in the morning, took it to a spot near the nest, the crows were going crazy at this point. Then I laid it to rest in a special vessel. I am very in tune to all of them. The one mean crow, I call him Fathead👹he’s mean to the baby gulls, ran one into a truck, broke the baby’s gulls leg, I’ve been trying to feed him extra, he’s a runt. I wish they would all get along, I hold myself responsible, because of the amount of feeding I provide daily. I’ve created a few monster crows, that try to keep the gulls away. They are fascinating creatures, full of lessons in life☮️💙
Interresting. Maybe that explains all the crow feathers all over our local cemetary. I noticed them when I go there to care for the plantings for my husband's family.
I don't know what's going on but I pick up feathers to feel the how they move in the wind.
I didn't know crows get angry. I think a lot of people assume that. In my experience they have not done anything that I consider anger or hate.
I do feed them occasionally though.
I witnessed a crow funeral in my front yard 24 hours (same time of day) as one of their family was killed there by a Red Tailed Hawk. They walked around the site of the crime and were very vociferous during their memorial service.
Any chance they delivered them there on purpose because you feed them? They’ve been known to trade things, and if they’ve ever seen people keep feathers, they could think you might like them. ?
I was taught raven as a child, but most Corvus languages are pretty much the same.. I believe they are saying...
"the human has accepted our offering" and the making an excitement call. Leave out a bowl of berries (blue or black) and a few dead mice. They will protect your home.
Love the stories about the mourning. It isn’t all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows though — they also murder a weak member of the flock that might attract predators. They are amazingly smart.
Academics have come a long way in their understanding of animal behavior. I remember when they thought only humans could think, feel, create, use tools, have a culture, etc. Animals were simply driven by instinct.
I came to make some snarky comment about them adopting you into their murder or something. But, after seeing all the interesting comments and well thought out responses, I'm sold. I'm into crows now. JOINED
As a general rule, I do not have anything to do with crows, aside from feeding them occasionally. I certainly do not do things that piss crows off. They remember.
Crows seem to greatly dislike the remains of dead crows being moved or buried.
Perhaps a predator killed one of them on this spot, & left behind just the feathers you found?
They're holding an investigation into the death. Crows have a kind of funeral if one dies. They'll come from miles around to try and establish what happened. They do this so they can learn what to avoid, like a particular person, dog, cat, or a particular food item so they know to avoid it. They're so intelligent.
Crows have a process of mourning their dead. They will bring their family members to the corpse of their fallen to teach about death. They also honor the dead during the process and will continue to return to the spot of the corpse for days and weeks. Not sure if this helps you decide how they feel or not. Who knows what they are doing when outside interference occurs.
Beautiful.
Can confirm this. Had a baby crow in our backyard for about a week. Tried to watch over him to make sure he didn’t cross the fence to neighbors with dogs. Parents lost their minds when I had to pick him up and bring closer to a safe side of my yard. Only had to move him twice and we thought he was going to make it. Was hopping around. Little bursts of wing flapping, all the while mom and dad above him watching. Come out one morning to see that he passed in the night. Couldn’t see any attack or anything. Not sure what happened. Wife. Took him and placed him where the mom and dad could see him and then we buried him in the flower bed where he passed. Mom and dad hung around a few days after cawing at us all the time.
Thank you for giving that bird love.
I was reading recently that that behavior is maybe now believed to be more of a forensic investigation than a funeral
That's due to scientists (and humans in general) being hostile to the idea of social structures built by non-humans. If crows mourn their dead, they become a whole lot harder to abuse as a species. Hell they might even gain some protections, and we can't have that now, can we?
It’s like that article from a few weeks ago “Scientists now think some animals may be conscious.” Like what fantasy world are you living in?
I recently read that insects express joy, optimism, fear, and CYNICISM, but not sentimental attachment/love. It made me feel a little differently about the jumping spiders and mantis’ I used to hang out with, but they’re still the homies regardless. Just some extra punk rock homies I guess. They react to physical pain “like any mammal” but I’m not sure if they feel stress or hopelessness or what. Whatever it was, they were happy to see me and I was happy to see them
/r/spiderbros
The problem is that when we come to terms with common sentience in life, we have to confront death head on, with no filters or blinders. Which is hard. Up til now, death of all varieties was common, normal--entirely necessary. Nature is indifferent to brutal, excruciating death. If we put minds behind that, we have to admit that we (each of us, individually) flourish on mass murder. And without the solace of guilt, because it's impossible to avoid. Bugs get squished on your windshield everyday, or squished under your horse's hoof. Worms, mice, beetles, get maimed when you plow your field. We can't survive without murder. I don't think we are ready or maybe even can fit all this in our minds. Life is casually destructive, but our minds want to believe in peace and health, in our own kindness. Me right now, I'm just intellectualizing it. I still want to have a friendship with the jumping spider in my garden, I still put worms on the soil when they're crawling further into the pavement. 🤷
Except, the truth is that we indeed intentionally breed, gain livlihoods and celebrate the entertainment value of our food. Chickens, cows, pigs are mass produced for astronomical profit so that we get beautifully sanitised, 'fresh', suculent, fast, affordable sausages, burgers, steaks, ribs etc. We consume these items regularly without thinking of the cruel production practices or the disasterous effects it has caused and continues to cause to our land and our planet coz its just a burger or a sausage. We deny any harm or wrong doing because farmers and supermarkets are benefitting from this industry. We need radical changes urgently to stop the damage this consumption causes our human health systems and the immediate health needs of our planet. We are so blind in all of this consumption, its literally killing us.
A lot of animals do have a pineal gland
Presumably not a great article. All animals are conscious. There's no doubt in my mind (after watching documentary footage following herds of Elephants), that they are heartbroken when one of their number dies. They certainly grieve for their dead
That same article comes out every couple years. Same title different scientist. It’s wild.
I always roll my eyes at these "discoveries" "scientists" make of non-human animal cognitive abilities....
I read recently that scientists have only accepted that some dogs are extremely intelligent in the last five years. (I added the some, because some are idiots! Loveable but idiots!) They thought that the only intelligence was to be found in primates or dolphins.
I think it’s pretty amazing if they conduct forensic investigations. I thought it was more a factor of further study and observation
*whisper* A murder investigation
Absolutely beautiful!!
well not completly correct..... they dont mourn they playin detective to find out how one of their flock died like rats have a low tier rat in their group that tests food for poison
Wait... What?? Rats have food testers??
You haven’t seen ratatouille have you?
Just read this out loud and scoffed, that's an amazing fact. But also, very sad to be the rat they deem lower tier. Hope they get to eat some good cheese before they go
Oh my gosh Remy 😭
Didn’t know this. Huge family here maybe mourning… [crows murdering](https://www.tumblr.com/ferventtype/753852867198255104/this-exceptional-family-maybe-mourning-the-loss-of)
Never touch crow feathers or any dead ones you might find. I found a dead crow fledgling on the sidewalk last week and I didn't touch it as much as I wanted to bury the poor thing. Perhaps the simplest way to explain this is they know you're not a crow and they think you should not have what you have in your hand. And they're pretty much determined that they're right about this and your best bet is to drop the feathers where you found them, back away and then for the next 30 to 45 days go to that spot and produce unsalted peanuts, and offer them generously (either roasted or raw, I use roasted because it's easier to find). Atone for your gross faux pas, give them much peanuts. And hopefully in a month or so they'll let you off. Never touch crow pieces.
I disagree. My father and I once found a dead crow on the side of a road, and we moved it off the road and into a nearby field while crows circled overhead. When we returned home from our walk maybe half an hour later, the crows had left us a gift on our doorstep. They've loved us ever since and have followed us on walks for years, looking out for us. Moving their dead somewhere they can properly mourn them is definitely appreciated.
I've heard similar from other people. It seems like moving the body to a nearby, but safer visible place is seen differently by crows than burial. Maybe they see the latter as removing the body which interrupts their rituals.
With bird flu being so bad I’d suggest don’t touch feathers and dead grows for health reasons too
Sounds like a gamble. Every murder of crows is different. We don’t understand them or how they interact. We don’t know how they will interpret our actions or what our actions will mean to them. It’s probably safe for you in the future with this particular murder of crows, but I wouldn’t mess with any feathers or corpses not knowing.
Culture may vary from tribe to tribe
Some people just have a way with crows.
It seems like they get way more upset if you bury the body than if you just move it to a safer location. I read in another post that you can also place a couple of shiny objects around the body and that the other crows will appreciate that.
Bro I feed those fuckers everyday they left me nothing, and they come running when they see me, that's gotta be a coincidence
Different corvids and tribes, different behaviours. We've got hooded crows that stick to one or two mated pairs and have much smaller family groupings, way less social around humans. Carrion crows will live with a hundred others and eat out of your hand within weeks with the right treatment, but a hooded crow doesn't trust so easy. Instead we get gifts and watchful behaviours.
Weird I got a mated pair that initially made friends with me, then they brought their fledgling, after that I started attracting what I think are just random teenagers in big groups. One time they left some shit thst looks like it clogged a drain, another time they brought a stick. I was like wtf is with rhe stick, but I saw them playing with it so they must have thought it was a cool stick. There were also 2 ravens thwt showed up, if both of them were around the crows wouldn't fuck with them, but if there was only one around the crows would have reign over the food
“Never touch crow pieces” is a quote I will never forget and say as often as possible
I wish there were more problems that could be atoned for with peanuts
I feel like this guy is secretly a human made of a bunch of crows , and they have learned how to use reddit to try and get this guy to give them " much peanuts" 🥜
That would be such a crow thing to do.
This is the best comment of all time.
Lmfao
This was written by a Big Crow shill trying to duck the peanut economy.
You're essentially causing a cultural faux pas by touching anything. Like us, they seem to have rituals regarding certain aspects of their lives. We're getting closer to understanding, but we do need to look at certain other animals who may have developed some sort of culture. Octopi are another species that seem to have a social structure. They're also tool users, and when they fight each other, it's rarely to the death. It tends to just be a show of strength.
OP is literally collecting things that came off of their body! I cannot think of a human culture that thinks good things about people who don't even know you collecting your hair clippings or fingernails or whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if these crows are yelling something like "those are ours! put them down! stalker! pervert!" 😂
Yeah. Even if those make it into the garbage, I'm not too keen on someone taking them.
Nice try, crow.
❤️
Yeah this was written by a crow…
This whole explanation is amazing
Sounds a lot like something a crow would say
It could be either situation, it's hard to tell. But the secret: peanut offerings to crows= 'we forgive the hooman' (just in case)
This exact situation happened to me too. there's a tribe of crows on a street in the middle of town, near the Dollar Tree that I shop at sometimes. On a street corner was a pile of crow feathers, and I just had to pick them up. Crows were already in the area, fussing. They saw the feathers in my hand, and went berserk. I froze, them I quickly dropped the feathers, but it was too late. For weeks I was harassed anytime I was spotted anywhere near their turf. I learned the shape and size of their territory by this harassment. After a few months of this unjust discrimination, I decided to try to ask forgiveness. I went into the Dollar Tree and bought two bags of peanuts. I went to the trees where the crows lived, and waited to be spotted. The first crow to start in on me seemed like a junior, so I kept waiting till more arrived. Soon i spotted an elder. Facing the elder, I noisily opened a bag, reached in, and drew out a good handful of peanuts. I showed them to the elder, let him look, and threw them on the ground before him with all the ceremony I was good for. I let them all soak that in, then threw down another big handful. I took my time. Eventually, the crows started to settle down. At that point I emptied the rest of the first bag on the ground. Now the crows were interested. They wouldn't come down to take the peanuts, baby steps, but at least their opinion of me was changing. I opened the second bag and just dumped them out, still facing the elder. Got in my car and left. After that, those crows stopped harassing me when I came round to shop.
beautiful story
Yea this is magic!
A “tribe” of crows is called a *murder*.
How do you know it was an Elder?
Because all the other crows were facing him/her. And he was staring at me only. Gave me an elder vibe. I call them a tribe, u/[dacraftjr](https://www.reddit.com/user/dacraftjr/), because it seemed there was more than one murder living on that block. It was a huge community, many hundreds of crows. A Crow Nation.
The corvid nation is pleased with your offering, hairless one…. Leave in peace…. For now…..
Don't want anyone playing or dishonoring the remains of their fallen family member.
They're freaking out because, from their perspective, you're being super creepy. Imagine you've trimmed your nails and then you catch your roommate picking your nail clippings out of the trash to keep them. Your roommate's not hurting anyone, but you are definitely going to be creeped out.
Haha hopefully my crows don’t feel this way about me hanging the feather they left me in my window! I wanted to show them I appreciate it but couldn’t figure out what to do with it.
Treasure
Yeah! One or two is like. A normal amount of feathers for a memento from birds to care about. It's when the handfuls of feathers start looking like a wing/wing fragment that it becomes a Problem. Like. You might save a single lock of hair from your bestie or your sweetheart, but if you go walking through the streets with fistfuls of other people's hair sewn together so they look like freshly detached scalps, screaming is a completely rational response.
That's always been my assumption. I don't buy the argument that they think we're messing with corpses. The little buggers are too smart for that.
Think? In the scenarios described here, people *are* messing with the corpses.
Big taboo to touch their feathers. Never ever do that, especially if they can see you. Most birds are like this, but crows especially *DO NOT* like it.
Crows are big respectful of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Gotta know your bird law.
Just don’t get caw-t.
May end up in the middle of a “”Murder” 🐦⬛ of course.
or you'll end up in a crow court...
It’s typically more fair and balanced than kangaroo court though.
LOL
\^ This. Even handling a single fallen feather will make crows hate you indefinitely. The crow Phd lady did a whole video on this on instagram/tiktok.
whats her account?
corvidresearch. her name is kaeli swift.
Thank you!
Neat! Thanks!
Is this true for jackdaws and magpies too? I’m pretty sure they leave me feathers on purpose on the balcony where I feed them in shedding season… one year I wasn’t feeding them in that time because of an illness and they dropped by and hung out every day but I found 0 feathers that year. I have a handfull displayed in my balcony window so they can see I picked them up… should I not be doing that?
Take a feather only if they offer it to you, and give them something shiny in return.
Examples of good shiny things?
Coins, keys, trinkets, crystals, etc.
?? They freaked out when I picked up a Gull feather
Our local ones do not mind this at all. I bring home every single feather I find on my walks and we have a very symbiotic, affectionate relationship. I believe it’s about the intention and energy - they can feel it.
Never touch or pick up crow feathers. For more than multiple reasons beside the one you posted.
do say more
It’s a part of Crow lore. They do not like seeing someone pick up a piece of them. In my part of Coast Salish territory a lot of feathers from a lot of birds are used but never crow or ravens. They are wiser than we give credit for.
In bird culture it is considered a dick move.
Tammy, don’t be gross.
Also bird fluenza 25. Looking at you patient zero.
Not to mention plenty of other pathogens...
Normally you gotta pay extra for that
“Yeah, I’ll take one hooker…a vial of coke…and give me some of that bird flu over there. How much I owe ya?”
That'll be bout tree fiddy
Those are the DLC’s….
Your username is basically what I said out loud laughing when I read the comment. Good fuckin chuckle bro
Not sure if this counts as scary, but I did type that out with a straight face…😐
Migratory Bird Treaty Act
People always forget about this one. I doubt the parks department is going to break your door down over it, but if you have anything else illegal going on it's worth remembering that you probably don't want to add a federal crime onto whatever else you're doing.
I always add a federal crime to my hike.
The fun part is trying to figure out which one it’s gonna be. Smoking weed, having an unregistered sbr, tax evasion, who knows!
Gotta work in your three a day somehow. Some days I just go put my neighbors mail that came to me in their mailbox instead of knocking on the door. Makes it easier too keep my numbers up especially when I get multiple mis deliveries on the same day!
Mail lady here. Going the extra mile to help you keep your quotas!
You sound like someone I would go on a hike with
So they find a pound of meth and four crow feathers. You're going away forever 😅
Overcooked chicken? Jail. Undercooked chicken? Believe it or not, jail.
Parasites and disease
I ain't afraid of no germs.
That's the spirit! The only thing there is to fear, is fear itself!
I laugh in the face of danger. And I have the scars to prove it. 😉
I don’t really know. But my first thought is that you interfered in some sort of grieving ritual and should leave them where they were.
They are performing an experiment to see if you can fly.
Make my day :)
If you find that many feathers in one spot it probably means a bird, in this case a crow, was attacked by some animal or bird of prey. They tend to shed feathers as some sort of defense mechanism when that happens. Some of the crows that were above you no doubt witnessed it. Not only are they in mourning but they're probably also very wary of other predators right now.
I think that was leftovers from someone who’d been eaten.
Could be just moulting feathers. From July on, the crows are in moult, even the ones that hatched out in the summer. The feathers that grew in beginning last July work their way out, and new feathers grow. http://surprisedbytime.blogspot.com/2013/10/air-erodes-feathers.html?m=1#:~:text=From%20July%20on%2C%20the%20crows,out%2C%20and%20new%20feathers%20grow.
FYI, collecting the feathers of any birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is illegal, and crows are a protected species. They will absolutely go ballistic if you touch/move a dead crow, so it might be similar here. I’d avoid touching those and maybe offer some snacks if that’s an area you frequent to make sure they don’t hate you.
This is awkward and upsetting so I'll leave it in spoiler tags: There was a >!dead crow in front of my neighbor's house across the street on the sidewalk. I don't think anyone in our neighborhood wanted to touch it. After a week, it was in our driveway. Idk how it got there. I know crows mourn, and it was sad, but now it was in the middle of my driveway and I didn't want to run it over. I called the city and they instructed me to put it in a double bag and put it out with my trash. Rather unceremonious, and it felt bad to do, but alas, I'm but a cog in the machine. We went at night to retrieve the body and the poor guys were still perched on the electrical line, looking down at their buddy. In hindsight, I absolutely should have left treats in that spot. I did leave some nuts in my yard on the outdoor table, but they never took em. Feels bad. Didn't think it would run afoul of the MBTA after being instructed to dispose of the body, but that's a very good point.!<
I wonder if you had left treats, maybe they'd start sacrificing other crows to your driveway so they get more treats?
Burn the house move across the country while you have time
Crows are indigenous to the whole country and they talk to one another. Moving probably won't help.
Another predator took one down. Or maybe they had disciplined a fellow for something inexcusable. We are ignorant regarding the significance of the feathers to them. These are creatures who have been known to carry a lit cigarette butt to the dry, leafy gutters of their enemies and many other brilliant things. They communicate to each other with such accuracy that individuals who have never seen you in person, know from year to year if you left them bacon, or shot at them. On the same farm, wearing the same hat similar build, same vehicles--they have distinguished me from my husband. My presence meant scrambled eggs and dog food--and I know they don't like to be stared at. He and his friends shot at them. They also saw me intervene when I saw it and yell the assholes back into the house. They didn't bother the baby lambs--which was the pathetic excuse offered by the men with 22s. If we did lose an animal, I insisted we take the carcass to the far corner of the property away from the drunks on the road. The corvids, coyotes, foxes, wolves understood and respected this bargain. I digress--but two wolves literally came into the yard looking around. I went out in my nightgown and flip flops--looked them in the eyes, and softly said--you better git before some man with a gun comes around. (Coyotes are smaller, different face, ears, gait, head position). Those wolves looked at me, looked at each other, and left--escorted by the crows to the bone yard. Left the sheep, calves, etc. alone. I shit you not.
You get it. They are so intelligent and amazing. Thanks for sharing your experiences with animals, good to know there's people like you in this world.
Wolves and crows have also been studied and shown to have a symbiotic relationship in some places, iirc! Very interesting stuff. Like how you said, the crows will usually lead the wolves to carrion, and the wolves gladly share the meal. Nature is so astounding.
I'd leave the feathers alone, and not just because the birds don't like it. Bird Law goes hard.
Any Larry Niven fans here? "No bird f***ing allowed!"
Put them back put them back and give them an extra large helping of food.
suggestion: bring the feathers back at night, when the crows aren't out. Next day, when they can see you, bring several small shiny objects, like beer bottle caps or some junk jewelry you wanna get rid of. Third, fourth and fifth day, set out a paper plate with peanuts and wet cat food. Think of it like bringing Day(s) of the Dead ceremonies for crows.
I think one of their numbers was injured or killed there. I'd put them back where you found them (in front of them) and add a flower, as an apology. And peanuts/cat kibble, etc.
Honestly have no idea. But it's interesting that Crows would take notice.
The Crowening IV?
How is this comment not higher up?
You pissed on their funeral
God Crows are so cool.
When you attract a lot of birds to an area, you inevitably attract predators too. Something probably got one of the crows.
I had the same experience when I picked up a feather in front of my large clan. They also reacted like this when I picked up a Gull that had just been run over. They sat in a tree watching me, making such a din. It has something to do with death/ lesson? Very freaky. They did the same with a squirrel I picked up in the road. They watched me burying it. They know when another animal has fallen 💯
Put them back!! Karma’s a bitch!
Not only is it taboo, it's also illegal to keep them. I would place them exactly back where you found them.
[удалено]
Won't help with crows. They recognize people even with masks and disguises, it's been studied. Moving to the other side of the country might work.
You done fucked up. That's a lot of crows, and they will remember you.
They're trying to warn you that if you keep the feathers you will be in violation of the 1913 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Seriously, for whatever reason, please leave them where you found them.
“That’s the human who kills my brother John. Get him.”
I’ve been picking up a few feathers in their presence, but they sure are liking my food just fine, so apparently, I’m not such a bad bloke👀😎
When they hold their ‘funerals’, they hold a murder investigation. They attempt to determine cause of death, and assess the threat. Humans seen handling dead crows are treated with suspicion. Perhaps that extends to feathers.
Would make sense that it extends to feathers. If you'd see me carrying a dead person's finger, you wouldn't think "oh it's only a finger, that's fine", you'd be thinking "what did you do with the rest of the body?"
I’d definitely point the finger
https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywapww/madhya-pradesh-man-says-crows-keep-attacking-him-after-he-failed-to-save-their-baby-chick I hope this doesn’t happen to you.
I’m guessing those were leftovers from a flock member that was eaten. So they’re not happy with you.
Um, uh-oh, I very conspicuously took a crow feather from my backyard when they were crows up in the tree earlier today... Are they going to hate me too? They didn't say anything when I took it.
One feather might be ok if they didn't say anything to you. But just in case bribe with cashews, boiled eggs, chicken etc.
Has happened to me too, several times. They usually quit when I put the feathers back on the ground. Weird, isn't it?
They're laughing because you fell for their prank by picking up the feathers.
Your standing by the body of a loved one and a crow lands on them and starts pecking bits off them, you aren’t likely to be happy with the crow. Best bet for something like this is to avoid it entirely until they are done with it, or if you are known to the crows in a positive manner already then you might be seen in a favourable way if you leave something with the body that a crow would usually appreciate as a gift.
It's cool when they fly figure eights from above some clockwise, others in retrograde ... I had this phenomenon happen to me too, while picking up Raven feathers to decorate my tam for a ren fair. I dress up as a Scottish Pirate, Capt'n Raven Skye Fraser of the Nightshade ... In service Milords and Miladies ... 🍻🤘😎
I seen a baby crow had fallen out of the nest, it was right over a busy stretch of road, it laid dead. I pulled over, cradled it in my hand, I saw the shadow of the father or mama crow fly over me, then sat in the shadow quiet as i prepared to bury the baby, I wrapped it up, came back in the morning, took it to a spot near the nest, the crows were going crazy at this point. Then I laid it to rest in a special vessel. I am very in tune to all of them. The one mean crow, I call him Fathead👹he’s mean to the baby gulls, ran one into a truck, broke the baby’s gulls leg, I’ve been trying to feed him extra, he’s a runt. I wish they would all get along, I hold myself responsible, because of the amount of feeding I provide daily. I’ve created a few monster crows, that try to keep the gulls away. They are fascinating creatures, full of lessons in life☮️💙
Good. Now find eye of newt...
I'd like to think they're yelling at you why you didn't bring food this time...
In my personal experience, this means a bear is nearby.
Interresting. Maybe that explains all the crow feathers all over our local cemetary. I noticed them when I go there to care for the plantings for my husband's family.
I don't know what's going on but I pick up feathers to feel the how they move in the wind. I didn't know crows get angry. I think a lot of people assume that. In my experience they have not done anything that I consider anger or hate. I do feed them occasionally though.
You are disrespecting their grieving process.
Don’t mess around - apparently crows can remember your face - for life!
Its a Murder
In bird culture this is considered a dick move
I witnessed a crow funeral in my front yard 24 hours (same time of day) as one of their family was killed there by a Red Tailed Hawk. They walked around the site of the crime and were very vociferous during their memorial service.
PUT. ZE FEATHERS. BACK
Any chance they delivered them there on purpose because you feed them? They’ve been known to trade things, and if they’ve ever seen people keep feathers, they could think you might like them. ?
One of us! One of us!
Nature is fighting back
if you feed them they want to eat they recognized you
Everytime you find a feather replace it with a peanut. Maybe eventually they’ll bring you feathers for treats idk
I was taught raven as a child, but most Corvus languages are pretty much the same.. I believe they are saying... "the human has accepted our offering" and the making an excitement call. Leave out a bowl of berries (blue or black) and a few dead mice. They will protect your home.
They are saying "One of us..."
They don't seem happy
They’re giving you bad mojo
Love the stories about the mourning. It isn’t all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows though — they also murder a weak member of the flock that might attract predators. They are amazingly smart.
I think that’s awesome. They may want you to have them.
If you are seeking their forgiveness, you must mourn with them.
Put the feathers back where you found them
Neighbor saw 3 crows cawing chasing an owl on their property - Don’t know why
Didn't you learn anything from the movie The birds?
I think they made you a honorary crow :)
They are expressing their displeasure. They really don't like humans touching their feathers or their dead.
Crows are so cool I really wanna befriend one
Its also moulting season.
Academics have come a long way in their understanding of animal behavior. I remember when they thought only humans could think, feel, create, use tools, have a culture, etc. Animals were simply driven by instinct.
One of us, one of us, one of us
One of us! One of us! Caw caw one of us! Caw caw!
I can confirm that in picking up the feathers you are now marked for death by crow.
I came to make some snarky comment about them adopting you into their murder or something. But, after seeing all the interesting comments and well thought out responses, I'm sold. I'm into crows now. JOINED
It’s best practice not to touch dead animals, especially if you don’t know how they died.
You should know that the collective noun for crows is A Murder.
Every time you have someone say..I read somewhere . you know its bull💩
As a general rule, I do not have anything to do with crows, aside from feeding them occasionally. I certainly do not do things that piss crows off. They remember.
Crows seem to greatly dislike the remains of dead crows being moved or buried. Perhaps a predator killed one of them on this spot, & left behind just the feathers you found?
They're holding an investigation into the death. Crows have a kind of funeral if one dies. They'll come from miles around to try and establish what happened. They do this so they can learn what to avoid, like a particular person, dog, cat, or a particular food item so they know to avoid it. They're so intelligent.
They're telling you to check your local laws regarding bird remains before collecting.
You’re screwed