Don't Mess With The Crows!
By Cahaya
@cahaya1983 (11116)
Malaysia
November 3, 2015 1:33am CST
Because they would remember your face for up to five years. (I don't know if there are special cases of crows with short-term memories but that's a topic for another discussion.)
That's what I learned from a Discovery News article I read today.
Apparently these birds have very impressive memories and can capture the faces of humans they perceived as threats. They would "scold" anyone who messes with them and even bring a whole gang to mob that person. The mob would then remember the person's face too. Now that's a lot of angry birds to deal with.
A murder of crows. Suddenly the collective noun makes a little bit more sense to me. I don't know about you but I've always thought they look intimidating. I don't like their caws either.
Ever had a bad experience with crows? Are there a lot of crows where you live?
25 people like this
23 responses
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
I wouldn't bother them and they typically wouldn't harm people either, as long as we just leave them alone.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 17
@peachpurple I get scared when they'd just swoop down suddenly from a tree.
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 17
yeah the way the crow stares at you, sure is creepy
2 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
•
3 Nov 15
I recently read that a little girl befriended a crow and fed him/her everyday..the crow then started to bring her shinny objects and trinkets and he has made a collage of them.
so there are both sides to the bird.. however, crows are associated with witches and evil things.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
•
3 Nov 15
@Sheilamarie78 Infact they are really faithful to those who take care of them is what I read.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
That's very interesting, and very nice of the girl to feed the crow everyday too. It seems like a very rare case. You're right, crows are always associated with dark, ominous scenes.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
3 Nov 15
I've heard that one, too. There's a homeless man in the town near us who has a few ravens that protect him.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Yeah we have several of them in our area, some days there are more. I doubt that they would bother people if we just leave them alone.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 I hope nobody will be harmed by them .
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
@SIMPLYD They typically don't attack people or anything. They would just get upset and mob you if you do something bad to them.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
I don't think it has happened to me but that is funny. 
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 Ha haa it is funny for sure
1 person likes this
@Rationalwriter (1813)
• Lucknow, India
3 Nov 15
Yeah!! I had a bad experience as a kid!! Some might say it was funny too!! I was years old and my parents took me to this Amusement park and I was enjoying my ice cream when suddenly a crow came from nowhere and flapped it's wings in front of me and took away my cone from my hands!!
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Oh but you didn't do anything that irritated the crow did you? Unless they find ice cream offensive. 
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
3 Nov 15
Poor little you! That must have been a shock. Did someone buy you a new cone?
1 person likes this
@Rationalwriter (1813)
• Lucknow, India
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 LOL!! No no!! I was just 9 years old!! What could have I done!! LOL
To this date, whenever we are with some relatives, that story comes up !!
3 people like this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
3 Nov 15
I have never had an experience with them and they are not many around here but from your post i guess i would never want to come across them
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Yeah they're obviously not my (and I guess anyone's) favorite birds. I don't think I would feel too comfortable being around them.
I don't think I would feel too comfortable being around them.1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
3 Nov 15
As long as you treat them all right, they're fine. We have both crows and ravens around here.
3 people like this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 Same here,i guess i would keep watching my back lol
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 It has been used to such an extent that the addition of a crow tends to enhance the sense of supernatural settings.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
I don't know if it's the color, but yeah I think it might have to do with the fact that they're often portrayed that way in books and movies.
1 person likes this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
4 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 of course. I'm sure you are not the type that will make them angry at all.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
If they ever do recognize my face, I hope they associate it with something good!
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
3 Nov 15
I have witnessed two gang wars between crows... and I do believe they have some mafia of their own. They are ruthless and brutal when it comes to killing one of their species. A gang would showup from almost nowhere and then they would hunt the one they want to kill. I have always avoided these crows.
And now that you mention them to be having good memories, I think I should have got one as a pet, to write down my examinations back at school
3 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
3 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 It might have been easier than training me learn and getting me write out the exams
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Oh wow, really? I read that some people observed crows killing a dying crow, but I don't know about them having gangs and fight with each other.
As for having them write down your exam answers...that would probably need A LOT of training. 
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
8 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 I've never seen crows this big before either until we moved here in February.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Oh wow that is big. I've seen some big ones around here but not that big! They usually don't bother people if they're not threatened.
1 person likes this
@spleendingo1 (799)
• Grand Haven, Michigan
3 Nov 15
We have crows around here but I haven't had any problems with them. Except for the poop on my car. But then again, I do the same to their tree branches when I'm drunk so I guess we're even lol
3 people like this
@spleendingo1 (799)
• Grand Haven, Michigan
4 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 They know better. My poop is bigger than theirs lol
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
At least the crow didn't bring the whole gang to mob you or anything! 
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
3 Nov 15
They are such intelligent birds. I saw a video once showing a person wearing a mask who did something awful to a crow and then even the crows of the next generation mobbed him. What are they saying when they caw? Wouldn't you like to know how to speak crow? Or maybe you'd rather not.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 15
Oh yes I read about that but didn't see the video. I think it was part of a research they're doing about crows' behavior? I thought that's pretty interesting. Umm...I think I'd rather not know how to speak crow. Except maybe to tell them "I'm harmless!"
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 17
yes, every morning, I could see several black crows, as huge as a medium cat, perching on the roof top, clothes line, telephone wire lines, eyeing for the clothes hanger. In the Mamak shop, crows are eyeing at the left over food. Once, a black crow flew by snapped up the chicken bones right in front of my plate !
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 17
Oh my gosh really? I'd probably have jumped and screamed if it happened to me!
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 17
@cahaya1983 i was surprised too, jumped from my seat
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (47070)
• India
4 Nov 15
That is an amazing characteristics of the crows. And luckily I have no such messing up with them.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 15
Yeah they're very intelligent creatures. They're just defensive, so they could get aggressive when they perceive humans as threats but they typically don't bother people.
1 person likes this
@briggsy326 (120)
• Glasgow, Scotland
16 Nov 15
Woah five years they will remember for. that's kind of cool. :)
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 15
It is! They have very impressive memory.
They have very impressive memory.1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
4 Nov 15
Wow I didn't know that crows are like that.. I better cover up face when they are around .. I always shoo them away as they try to make nests in the trees around the back garden .. I don't like them around ..
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 15
I believe they're usually not aggressive unless they feel threaten in some ways. So it's better not to mess with them.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
4 Nov 15
They have alot here in washington they make alot of noise sometimes it just makes people mad if they are trying to sleep.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 15
Yes they can make an awful racket with their loud cawing!
1 person likes this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
3 Nov 15
There's a lot of the smaller crows, but not the bigger ones, but I try not to mess with any of them
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 15
The ones we have in this area are mostly the smaller ones as well. They usually won't bother people if we don't mess with them.
1 person likes this
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
4 Nov 15
Not a problem where we are now but when we lived in Bendigo (Australia) the wee beasties could get very aggressive when their nests were full. Not unusual to see people wearing bike helmets while walking.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 15
Yes they're very defensive of their young and they could get aggressive at times. I read on the news earlier this year they started attacking pedestrians in one place in Vancouver.
1 person likes this
