CROWS’ SINISTER reputation—a group of them is called a “murder”—likely dates back to medieval Europe, says Kaeli Swift, PhD, a scientist who writes about crows on her site, Corvid Research. “During periods of mass casualties, like the Crusades and the plague, crows would scavenge on the bodies,” she explains. (Crows will eat almost anything.) “Europeans started associating them with bad omens and death.” But in many other cultures, crows have long been symbols of love, wisdom, and strength, Swift notes. Scientists are finding tons of reasons crows deserve respect, not fear. “It’s unfortunate that everyone thinks of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds,” says Kevin McGowan, PhD, of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Crows are playful, creative, and caring.” Let’s fly through some facts.
THEY’RE NOT RAVENS
Crows and ravens are closely…
