Think humans are the only creatures that can actively make tools? Think again, crows have proven to be rather crafty!
Oxford University's Behavioural Ecology Research Group was trying to test whether crows would use a straight wire or a wire with a hook in it to get at food. Crows are already known to grab wires or twigs in their mouths to be able to pry food out of areas, which makes them rather smart to begin with.
Abel, the male crow, grabbed the hooked wire immediately and started using it. Betty, stuck with the straight wire, gamely gave it a try. It didn't work very well, so she then stood on the wire and bent it into a hook shape, and used that successfully to get at the food.
The scientists were amazed - they just thought the crows would choose one wire or another. They didn't expect the crow to actually bend the straight wire into a curve. So they gave her more straight wires, and 9 times out of 10, she worked on bending the wire into a curved shape until it got the food for her.
Information and Photos of Crows
University of Michigan Mobbed by Crows
Jim Crow: Turncoat and Segregation
The Crow - The Movie
Buy Tree with Crows print from art.com
