Crows, ravens, and jays belong to the Corvidae family of birds. Throughout history, people have marveled at the intelligence of these birds. They are so smart, we might find them a bit creepy. It doesn't help that a group of crows is called a "murder," that they are viewed by some as harbingers of death, or that the birds are clever enough to steal trinkets and food. A crow's brain is only about the size of a human thumb, so how smart could they be?
While a crow's brain may seem small in comparison to a human brain, what matters is the size of the brain in relation to the size of the animal. Relative to its body, a crow's brain and a primate brain are comparable. According to Professor John Marzluff at the University of Washington's Aviation Conservation Lab, a crow is essentially a flying monkey. Whether it's a friendly monkey or more like a fiend from "The Wizard of Oz" depends a lot on what you've done to the crow (or any of its friends).
9 Ways Crows Are Smart:
- As Smart as a 7-Year-Old Child
- They Recognize Human Faces
- They Talk About You to Other Crows
- They Remember What You Did
- They Use Tools and Solve Problems
- Crows Plan for the Future
- They Adapt to New Situations
- They Understand Analogies
- They Can Outsmart Your Pets (Maybe)
Aesop's Fable of the Crow and the Pitcher
One of Aesop's most popular animal stories is this one, of a thirsty and ingenious crow. The text of the fable, from George Fyler Townsend, whose translation of Aesop's Fables has been the standard in English since the 19th Century, is this:
A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life.
Necessity is the mother of invention. The "morals" of Aesop's fables have always been appended by translators. Townsend, above, interprets the story of the Crow and the Pitcher to mean that dire circumstance gives rise to innovation. Others have seen in the story the virtue of persistence: The crow must drop many rocks into the pitcher before he can drink. Avianus took the fable as an advertisement for the suave sciences rather than force, writing: "This fable shows us that thoughtfulness is superior to brute strength."
NParks to euthanise crows following spate of attacks in Bishan
The National Parks Board (NParks) said that it is working with Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council (BTPTC) to remove crow nests, prune trees and conduct crow trapping after a spate of crow attacks.
In response to a Stomp query, Dr Adrian Loo, group director of wildlife management at NParks said that they have been monitoring the area around Block 110 Bishan Street 12 for crow nests since Feb 7. The trapped birds will be euthanised.
In an earlier Stomp report, a Stomper shared a video of a man being attacked by a crow while walking near Block 110 on Sunday afternoon (Feb 12). The Stomper said that crows have been attacking residents without provocation for over a week.
Myna - An intelligent bird
The myna (also known as mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India. Several species have been introduced to areas like North America, Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand, especially the common myna which is often regarded as an invasive species. Often known as "Selarang" in Singapore, due to their high population located at the area.
Mynas are not a natural group; instead, the term myna is used for any starling in the Indian subcontinent, regardless of their relationships. This range was colonized twice during the evolution of starlings, first by rather ancestral starlings related to the coleto and Aplonis lineages, and millions of years later by birds related to the common starling and wattled starling's ancestors. These two groups of mynas can be distinguished in the more terrestrial adaptions of the latter, which usually also have less glossy plumage except on the heads and longer tails. The Bali myna which is nearly extinct in the wild is highly distinctive.
Some mynas are considered talking birds, for their ability to reproduce sounds, including human speech, when in captivity. "Myna" is derived from the Hindi language mainā which itself is derived from Sanskrit madanā.
Battling with the mynas that come into my home and won't leave
The common myna that is found in Singapore and other parts of Asia. (Photo: Unsplash/Vivek Doshi)
It started rather innocuously. At first, there was a tentative peek through the grille in the yard. Then a longer sitting on the ledge. And then the audacious fly in to look for food – in the bin, on the countertop, in the dog’s bowl.
When I first spotted them some months ago, I went into quite an unnecessary frenzy – which involved some shouting, brandishing of a broom and cussing. Since I have been working from home, I have noticed the increased frequency with which these pesky birds have been coming into my home. And I began to wonder – have they always been coming in, just that no one was around to notice them?
It’s quite unlikely because one thing about these mynas – they poo everywhere. Even if they are in for less than a minute, there are droppings to show evidence of their exact flight path. So this is most certainly new. First, I had to figure out what to do. Who better than Internet people with real world wisdom?
