
27/08/2025
Did you know? Crows can remember a human face for over 15 years! And they hold a grudge - they warn other crows by cawing when they see the person, passing the infomation across generations.
Crows are proving themselves to be among the most intelligent animals on Earth.
A long-term study led by Professor John Marzluff at the University of Washington revealed that crows not only recognize dangerous individuals but also share this knowledge across their communities.
Beginning in 2006, Marzluff and his team trapped several crows while wearing a distinctive mask. Years later, whenever the mask appeared again, even birds that had never been captured joined in mobbing the wearer, proving that crows had learned socially who to distrust.
At its peak in 2013, nearly all the crows on campus scolded the masked figure, demonstrating the persistence and spread of this remarkable memory.
Beyond grudges, the findings reveal that crows engage in cultural transmission, passing vital information across generations. This ability is part of a larger picture of crow intelligence, which includes tool use, problem-solving, and even what appear to be funerary gatherings.
Combined with their complex social structures and communication systems, these traits confirm that crows are far more than just ominous black birds in folklore — they are highly adaptive animals with cognitive abilities rivaling some primates.
As the study concludes, the crow’s mind is not only sharp but communal, capable of shaping collective behavior over decades.