20 November 2024
The variety of crows within the East Finish elevated just lately after they started roosting at Pitt once more. On Saturday evening I noticed a whole bunch of crows within the bushes at Carnegie Library and the Cathedral of Studying so on Monday afternoon I did a walk-about to rely “crow bushes” that confirmed proof of roosting. (An enormous tree holds 250 crows.)
My tree rely was means too excessive so on my means dwelling I paused at Fifth and Craig to rely the large flock passing overhead on their option to Pitt. 8,000 to eight,500 crows.
On Tuesday night I might see crows staging within the bushes above Morewood Ave so I counted once more. 8,000 crows. … And that is simply the East Finish flock.
The crows could also be questioning why I’m counting(*), however crows can rely too although not so excessive. A examine of carrion crows (Corvus corone), printed in Science final Could, confirmed that this Eurasian equal of the American crow can rely as much as 4 out loud, much like human toddlers.
Three carrion crows have been educated to vocalize with one, two, three, or 4 caws relying on the quantity they noticed in entrance of them. They have been additionally taught to faucet the display after they have been completed counting.
The birds boasted a 100% accuracy price at counting to at least one, a roughly 60 p.c success price at counting to 2 and a few 50 p.c accuracy price for 3.
Crows notably “disliked” the quantity 4 (40 p.c accuracy), generally refusing to caw in any respect when prompted and pecking on the display to finish the trial instantly, [according to] examine co-author Diana Liao, an animal physiologist on the College of Tübingen.
Moreover, the crows paused earlier than cawing accurately, displaying longer response instances earlier than producing larger totals of vocalizations. This delay is per psychological planning.
— SMithsonian Journal: Crows Can ‘Rely’ As much as 4 Like Human Toddlers, Examine Suggests
This check jogs my memory of a narrative Chuck Tague informed me a few years in the past. He and his spouse Joan visited a chook blind to see an elusive chook that may not come out if a crow was watching. Sadly at any time when he and Joan went to the blind a crow would comply with them and watch for them to depart.
They determined to idiot the crow. Each of them went into the blind however solely Chuck got here out. Certainly the crow would depart and Joan would see that elusive chook. Nope. The crow counted two folks entering into and just one got here out. They modified it up and Joan got here out but it surely made no distinction. The crow might definitely rely two folks.
Possibly I’ll have an opportunity to do this some day. In the meantime, learn extra in regards to the examine in Audubon Journal: Crows Can Rely Aloud A lot Like Toddlers, New Examine Finds.
(*) p.s. I’m counting crows to get in apply for the Pittsburgh Christmas Hen Rely on 28 December 2024, the Saturday after Christmas. Final yr we counted 15,000!
