Why are crows scared of people, while they live amongst the pigeons who aren't scared at all?

Question

Crows are the most intelligent birds, and are opportunists who can live near humans. Pigeons have undergone genetical selection...

Answer 1

My family comes from an indian tribe in Canada that considers the crow a brother, I have crows hang around my yard in the fall with no fear at all, do you think they know I consider them a brother too. That's a spirit brother I am talking about.

Answer 2

You are correct about genetic selection in pigeons. They are one of the oldest domesticated birds. Chickens and ducks are 2 others that were domesticated thousands of years ago. Fear of humans has been largely bred out of pigeons, chickens and ducks. When given the choice, they will choose to live near human settlements. Crows are not normally a domestic bird. They have all of their fear instincts mostly intact and choose to live away from human settlements most of the time, preferring rural areas near wilderness, giving them the benefits of easy food and quick escape.

Answer 3

Are crows really scared of humans? If they are, then why is it that they still attack them? I live in Singapore, there was a man who stopped to help an injured crow, the other crows thought otherwise and everyday they attack him and he had to brace himself for all these. He was asked on whether he wants these crows shot, but he refused.

I guess the crows know the sound of gunshot, so these crows always "disappear" and will come back after awhile.

Answer 4

I believe you have answered your own questions. If crows are the most intelligent birds (and they are actually not, parrots show more native intelligence), then they would be smart NOT to trust humans.

Consider it. If you had the opportunity to observe humans on a day-to-day basis, would you want to hang around? :-)

Answer 5

Because they know that we know that they steal our shiny things.
Kidding, The ones around my house are scared of me because I go out there, when they wake me up at 6 a.m., and try to scare them off with a sling shot!!
Pigeons rule! They are just dirty.

Answer 6

The reason is simple - many people are dumb, pigeons are dumb and crows are intelligent.

Many people are dumb because:

1) We have an baseless fear of crows. Just because crows are as black as pitch, feed on carrion and have an unnerving call, we do everything in our power to antagonize and destroy these fine birds. Crows are considered harbingers of doom and death. We perpetuate these stereotypes in books and movies even though there is no basis in truth.

2) We don't realize that pigeons are a delicious and abundant food source. Their stout bodies (especially their meaty chests) are full of savory meat. On Hachijojima, a small island several hours south of Tokyo, Japan, they are considered a delicacy. (...and the people of this island know how to eat! It is a gourmet paradise. Of course, the island is much cleaner than Tokyo - I don't think anyone in their right mind would eat the pigeons in a dirty city.)

Pigeons are dumb because:

1) They approach humans. My friends on Hachijojima told me how easy it was to catch pigeons. Throw some grain or other seed into the yard. Soon enough pigeons will come and there will be fine breast meat on the dinner table in the evening. If more people knew how yummy these birds were, they would be wiped out in no time.

2) They eat junk. Pigeons will eat anything humans will throw in their face. Sure they will eat seeds which are good for them. They will also eat white bread crumbs, Cheetos, Doritos, fried foods, sweets, cooked white rice and any manner of junk people will throw at them after having eaten their fill. They do not choose their diets and depend on humans for their subsistence. (That is another reason to avoid eating the polluted birds of the big city.)

3) They attack each other for no good reason. In the Skinner's Box experiments, pigeons were conditioned to, among other things, press a button to release food. After conditioning, if the scientists decided to turn off the food button, what do you think the pigeon did? It attacked its fellow pigeon. Incredibly stupid animals and violent brutes. They have no sense of society or solidarity and are at constant war with each other for unhealthy handouts from humans.

Crows are intelligent because:

1) They know well enough to stay away from us humans. Like pigeons, humans are probably the only species that attacks for no good reason - even when we are unprovoked. Crows know that many humans cannot be trusted and this is especially true because of our irrational fear of these majestic birds.

2) They build tools. If you put food into a glass tube and give a crow a wire, it will build a hook from the wire and use it to fish out the food. Recent experiments into the intelligence of crows bear out these facts.

3) They cooperate. When crows go after a food source controlled by humans, they have lookouts who will warn of approaching humans and other threats. They build complex societies where roles/occupations and pecking order are specified. If cornered by a human, they will attack the neck. For example, a man in Japan tried to remove a crow's nest from an electric pole. He wore a full face motorcycle helmet for protection. The crow instantly went for the neck (in self-defense) and the man was lucky to survive. He needed multiple stitches to close the wound.

4) Domesticated, they are among the most intelligent, loving animals a person could own. Many people still keep them as pets and intelligent people of old (who were considered 'witches' by dumb, superstitious people) also kept them as 'familiars' (or pets).

5) They are peaceful. Crows are NOT scared of people. If they wanted to, they could kill a human with little difficulty. They are intelligent enough to realize that fighting us is a profitless venture and that they profit more by letting us create garbage for them to eat. Although they could have waged war with our flightless, soft bodies with exposed necks, they choose peace because it profits them most.

6) They have a good memory. It is well known here that if you do something nasty to a crow, it will remember you. For example, when I ate lunch in a Tokyo park every day, the crows would always act aggressively toward this one man as he walked by. Nobody else - not the women, children or any other men. Just this one man. When he walked by, they would swoop and threaten him. Only him. It was obvious that this man had done something bad to them in the past. Why would intelligent birds engage in this profitless act otherwise?

It is truly a tragedy that mankind has forgotten the intelligence of crows. In the oldest known work of literature, Gilgamesh, there is a story similar to that of Noah when he releases a dove to find land. Utnapishtim releases a dove and a raven to find land but, in Gilgamesh, the dove circles and returns. The raven, on the other hand, does not return. From this, Utnapishtim knows the raven has found land. This acknowledges crow intelligence.

It is sad that the oldest literature and the latest science tells us crows are intelligent birds yet modern man still clings to irrational stereotypes based on fear and lies.

Fortunately for the crows, they are intelligent enough to realize this and stay away from humans.

They avoid us because they are smart and too many of us are dumb.

Answer 7

Because they aren't domesticated ..

Answer 8

I'll think about it.