Once upon a time, I thought of myself as a nature lover. Then, last week I was walking to dinner with Captain Thoughtful and I saw something that has forever changed me and convinced me that I should stay inside at all times. I saw a crow pecking a tiny sparrow to death. True story.
It was just pecking and pecking and the little sparrow kept trying to fly away but it was hurt and the crow was relentless in the pecking and OH MY WORD DID YOU KNOW CROWS EAT SPARROWS????? I didn’t know that. I wish I still didn’t know that. And I also wish that Wikipedia didn’t exist to tell me that crows also eat nestlings which are baby birds that haven’t left the nest and crows are BABY KILLERS. And I also learned that in a group crows are actually pretty intelligent and they are ALWAYS IN A GROUP! Beware the crows y’all!!!
And now I’m remembering that when I was in college a crow actually flew into my car (my windows were down) and scratched my arm when I was trying to shoo it back out the window. And I realize now that I’ve been marked. The crows are clearly coming for me. That poor innocent sparrow was a warning. The crows are coming…..
Reblogged this on Daniel Thomas Lentz, Lyric Bass-Baritone and commented:
I’m inspired.
I believe a group of crows is called a Murder – interesting, right! You are having your own version of the Birds – YIKES!
What? Holy smokes. It all makes so much sense.
Birds are pure evil. I truly believe this. Everyone thinks I’m just being irrational, but just watch Hitchcock’s film…
True story.
OMG. I think this means you’re not supposed to eat pie. Or something. Wait. That’s blackbirds. Well, still. Maybe no pie. Just to be safe.
No pie??! No pie??! I might as well give up on life.
Nature is brutal sometimes.
To the max.
You know winter is coming right? Dunno which is worse…
Also I’m terrified of birds in general because of Hitchcock and crows well let’s just say I’ve always tried to stay away from them.
There is a Spanish saying “Cria cuervos y te sacarán los ojos” meaning Feed crows and they’ll pull your eyes out. You don’t want to mess with them but since you’ve been marked they probably think you’re one of them so you’re safe
Man. Winter is totally coming.
Also, that Spanish saying is amazing and I will be saying it daily from now on.
Crows flat out, terrify me. We have a crows nest in a tree nearby and they have run off practically every other bird in the neighborhood. The tree right outside is usually FULL of tiny little finches and songbirds and hummingbird couples, but now it’s silent. The other morning my husband and I walk out on our deck to find two crows standing on each wing of another bird and another crow pecking it to death. It was a freaking horror scene! We scared them off, but still. The bird’s screams will HAUNT me. Horrible! I feel your pain on this one.
Oh my heavens! How absolutely horrible!! Crows are awful!
“Nevermore” – Raven discussing the fate of humanity
I kept thinking of that poem when I was writing this.
Birds are evil. My friends have seen seagulls pecking pigeons to death and eating them. How very adorable… not.
That’s both sad and disgusting.
“…those were crows! And nasty suspicious-looking creatures at that, and rude as well. You must have heard the ugly names they were calling after us.” -Balin, “The Hobbit.”
Yay!!! J.R.R. Tolkien truly was a genius.
Gives THIS joke a whole new meaning.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_pUaIQ_fzJI/TzfmGi4w_RI/AAAAAAAAJ4s/X_hUd-Z4UEw/s1600/attempted-murder-crows.jpg
Haha! It does indeed!
There’s a type of crow in South America that uses tools (sticks and such) to get at it’s food? It’s the only other creature outside of chimps and monkeys that does. So…stay out of South America or nowhere will be safe.
Jeepers! There is even more to be afraid of than I thought!
Crows ARE really smart. Did you ever read this article about the crows in Seattle who recognize faces? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/science/26crow.html
I’m very close to being convinced that crows are going to try to stage some sort of violent animal revolution…..
OK so maybe they can be pretty brutal in their feeding habits but I still love crows. I used to walk through a park everyday and feed the crows as I went and they used to look out for me. When one saw me they would call and all the others would come for their food. They even recognised me when I changed my appearance, proving that they recognised *me*, not just my big winter coat!
Even if they know you they will only eat the food when you’re walking away. They don’t trust you if you try to watch them eat (although they’re OK with you facing them and walking away backwards, just as long as you’re moving away). Even crows know to be wary of a free lunch.
And did you know they can recognise their reflections? That’s quite a big deal in terms of animal intelligence.
I don’t know if it helps or not but what goes around comes around – yesterday I saw a corpse of a fledgling crow that I think a cat had killed. I guess you can’t blame nature for its, err, nature, you just have to enjoy the good bits.
You’ve just proved to me that I should be even *more* afraid of the crows! They’re even smarter than wikipedia says!
They are awful creatures !
Especially if you’re a sparrow.
LOL They’re out to get you. Watch the eyes
I’m on the look out. Consider me on high crow alert!
One time I was walking in the parking lot Towards my car, and I walked under a tree. A mockingbird appears out of the tree and starts attacking me! Pecking at my hair and my arm. I ran to the car as quickly as possible! From this experience I’ve learned to try to avoid walking under a tree. Birds vicious little creatures!
Maybe she was protecting her nest? Or maybe she mistook you for someone else?
Crows are super super smart and funny and love to play tricks on people. It’s a shame they also do things that are less-than-endearing. But to observe them is amazing.
That may be, but after what I saw, I don’t ever want to observe a crow again.
A new introduction to a remake of Hitchcock’s “The Birds”….:-)
Now I understand why that movie is so scary!