Just found this article, worth a read!
We all know that the crow family are intelligent, what have you seen them do that reflects their advanced cognitive abilities?
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
They will know what cognitive means lol
Ray
a good laugh is better than a tonic
They know what "please stop pulling the wallpaper off" means, but refuse to obey. Having a tame corvid is like having a flying toddler in the house. Our magpies know how to get into anything, where to hide what they find, and remember where to go back to. Ours like to play "keep away" with anything valuable, and with toys or objects of lesser value, they will often bring them to you and stand in front of you, angling for strokes or kisses. Sometimes if there's no handy object, they'll take hold of my hair with their beaks. It's as if they need a token.
They use particular vocalisations in identifiable, repeated situations to mean different things: "I don't want to do that!" "I *want* to do that!" "I disapprove of your suggestion." "I think you should share that plate of food." (In Pie's case, a human sniff sound is used to mean those three) "What are you doing? Is it interesting? Can I join in?" (Human cough noise: rakku rakk!") "Panic! It's the postman!!" ("AGGAGGAGG!!!!") "This is the best toy ever!!" (Mad squeaking. Wings waving all over the place.)
They have rules to their games. Pie has the "curtain game". He will hide behind the office curtain and call out with a unique vocalisation. Chris has to go into the office and waggle his finger through the curtain. He is not allowed to move the curtain. This is seen as cheating and will end the game. If I go into the office, Pie will fly out immediately. I am, for some reason, not allowed to play.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
I find it funny, that he;s called Dr Pika, shame it wasn't spelled pica :)
It's both what you do and the way that you do it!
You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren. William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)