This bird remembers human faces for 5+ years and might attack for rude behaviour!
Surprisingly, scientific research has shown that some crows can remember human faces for years and differentiate between those who have threatened them and those who treated them kindly.
They don't only form memories, they also share these impressions with other crows in their community, influencing behavior across generations even long after encounters.
Crows belong to the corvid family, and they are widely acclaimed to use tools that set them apart, like their emotional and social intelligence that truly astonishes scientists. In studies performed by John Marzluff and colleagues at the University of Washington, American crows showed crows recognizing individual human faces and associating them with past events.
What was done in the experiment?
In an experiment starting in 2006, researchers wearing a distinctive 'caveman' mask captured and banded several crows. Later, anyone wearing that mask, even different individuals, was met with harsh and mobbing behavior. Meanwhile, those wearing a neutral mask were ignored. This behavior persisted for at least 2.7 years, and even crows that had never been trapped joined in mobbing, showing knowledge had transferred socially within the group.
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Brain imaging studies including PET scans, with wild crows confirmed the neurological basis for this behaviour. When crows viewed a face linked with trapping, brain regions tied to fear lit up. In contrast, the mask associated with caretaking triggered a soft and humble attitude from the birds
Surprisingly, in 2011, Marzluff noted that the crow community continued to scold the 'dangerous' mask several years later, even after most original birds had died, underscoring cultural transmission of memory.
Crows can also recognise human eye contact and their actions
When a person walks directly toward them with focused eye contact, crows scatter quickly. But if someone walks past with eyes averted, they often remain still, which tells that the crows also recognize the difference between threat and avoidance.
As for emotional bias, crows don't just remember bad experiences. Those who encounter kind behavior, such as being fed or non-threatening individuals, are more relaxed and may reward people with curiosity rather than hostility. In some cases, crows have even brought gifts to humans who treat them well, documented in anecdotal reports by Marzluff about crows offering small tokens like beads or trinkets
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