This is Corvus brachyrhynchos — better known to you and me as the American crow.
To most people, crows are nuisance birds. They're loud, squawking pests that tear open residential trash bags left on the curb for pick-up. And when they're not making a mess of your curb, they're out in farmers' fields eating their crops — hence the scarecrow.
But the crow is very special among birds.
Crows are extremely intelligent.
In fact, they're one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.
National Geographic reports that the cognitive abilities of crows rival chimpanzees and gorillas. Studies have shown that crows have the cognitive problem-solving skills of a seven-year-old human. They are the only animal other than primates that use tools.
Not only can they use tools, but some crow species can make tools.
Crows can solve multi-step problems to achieve their goal, such as getting a piece of food. In one test, a crow completed an eight-step puzzle to receive a food reward.
Crows also have an extremely good memory. Tests have shown crows can recognize and remember individual human faces, particularly those they associate with danger, like a farmer with a shotgun.
The crow has even been shown to exhibit what's called “theory of mind.” This is the ability to acknowledge that other beings are self-aware and that they have desires or intentions. A crow will not bury its food if the bird knows you're watching it.
But perhaps the most impressive thing about crows is why they bury food: They're investing.
Yes, the crow is even a wise and active investor.
Crows know that if they bury a piece of meat, over time it will attract flies. Those flies will lay eggs. And in a few days, there will be maggots — fresh, juicy, delicious maggots.
So when the crow goes back to retrieve the bounty, it gets the original meat it already had and has doubled the meal with the maggots. It gets the principal plus interest!
The crow is a part-time investor whose operation, upon thorough analysis, seeks safety of principal and an adequate return. Benjamin Graham would be proud.
The crow will continue being a nuisance bird to you. But it's the crow's intelligence that makes it a worthy opponent.
And we should take note what our little opponent is doing right: He's investing wisely.
Crows are pretty threatening birds. Anyone who's seen the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds can attest to that.
A group of crows is even called a “murder.” Seems like they could take some extreme risks. But they don't. They invest safely in the right places looking for a decent return. And they get it.
It's a lesson of nature we should understand: Invest wisely.
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