This Chatty Crow is a Sucker for a Warm Hug

Crows have a well-deserved reputation for exceptional intelligence. Researchers have demonstrated that crows can make and use tools, solve multi-step problems, and even recognize the faces of people they like and dislike. Some studies have claimed crows have the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees. Even more astounding, crows are said to be as competent as, or more competent than, children under age eight when it comes to causal reasoning skills. The sweet baby crow shown in this YouTube video certainly acts like a happy child. However, are crows truly intelligent enough to speak to us — or even, in some cases, swear at us?

Crow Basics

As the name indicates, the most common type of crow in the U.S. is the American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos. They can be found in open fields and woodlands across the U.S. and southern Canada. They grow from 17-21 inches, including their beaks. Adults average just under a pound, and young birds are nearly the same size as the adults by the time they reach four weeks. Young crows have blue eyes and pink inside their mouths, both of which darken as they mature. Adult crows are completely black, with glossy, iridescent feathers and dark beaks.

Crow society is unusual among birds. When crows reach maturity, typically between two and four years old, some do not immediately search for their own mates. Instead, they remain near their birthplace to help defend the territory and assist in raising new generations of young. Family groups can be as large as 15 birds and may include offspring from five different years. During the winter, crows gather to form communal roosts with hundreds, or sometimes even millions, of birds.

Crow Communication

Crows are extremely vocal and have a wide variety of calls that they use to communicate with one another. Some sources say crows have at least 250 calls. They produce loud, harsh vocalizations, often in specific rhythmic patterns. Sharp, rapid calls are believed to be alarm calls given when seeing or hearing a predator. A dispersal call is even sharper and faster, warning other crows of immediate danger. Threat calls are more varied and may sound like staccato rattling notes, screams, growls, clicks, or cackles. Researchers note these are most often heard among roosting crows.

When defending territory, longer rallying or assembly cries are given to call other crows. Crows give high-pitched squalling cries when captured or in distress. Parents produce continuous, staccato scolding cries as a warning to predators during nesting season. Young crows emit rapid, high-pitched begging cries when they are hungry. Softer, cooing sounds are exchanged between families, while rattling notes are used during courtship. Researchers have even documented muted whispering sounds. So, crows talk to each other all the time, but do they talk to us?

Can Crows Actually Talk?

Most birds have a vocal organ called the syrinx, which functions similarly to the larynx, or voice box, in humans. However, humans have only one set of membranes and muscles controlling their vocal organ, while birds have two sets. Birds can control each side independently, which is like having two voice boxes in the same throat. Crows are highly skilled at controlling their syrinx, and this, combined with their intelligence, enables their wide range of vocalizations and impressive mimicry abilities.

Crows have been reported to imitate crying children, dogs, chickens, roosters, frogs, and other birds. They have also been observed mimicking mechanical sounds like sirens, vehicles, and alarms. Crows can “talk” in the sense that some can learn, recall, and repeat certain human words and phrases. However, their reasons for doing so are still up for debate. Captive crows may use these vocalizations to attempt to form social bonds in the absence of other crows. They may also mimic sounds that resemble their own calls and are frequently heard in the environment. So, crows don’t really understand the words they repeat, but the crow in the video has taken the first steps in learning a new language.