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Person Watches Bully Neighbors Get Sweet Revenge, Discovers It’s Done By The Crows They Befriended Earlier
Crows have been captivating our imagination for years, with Hitchcock’s masterpiece “The Birds” (1963) imparting them with exceptional cultural significance. Scientists believe that these birds of the genus Corvus possess incredible mental capacities and are able to solve complex problems, make abstract reasoning, engage in group decision-making and much more.
And one Redditor, Tempthethrowaway, experienced what it is like to befriend them. In a post shared on the Petty Revenge subreddit, they shared how “the day we moved into this apartment complex our across the hall neighbors started bullying us. Why? We parked in the handicap spot next to the sidewalk to the building. Why? I’m handicapped.” Turns out the neighbor liked to illegally park their cars there and the author was a total inconvenience.
“A bunch of nasty letters” started flowing in and a complaint was even filed against the author. This all changed when the Redditor became friends with “a decent sized crow population.” Turns out the new feathered friends were ready to stand up to them.
RELATED:
This person made an online post sharing how they befriended an army of crows, who then defended them against a bully neighbor
Image credits: Qurratul Ayin Sadia (not an actual photo)
If you ever wondered if it’s even possible to befriend crows, John Marzluff, a professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington told Bored Panda that’s definitely possible. “Many people that feed them on a regular schedule form close, pet-like relationships,” he said.
Image credits: grendelkhan (not an actual photo)
Not only that, crows are able to recognize people for way longer than you may think. “Our experiment shows recognition for 16 years, but we never left for more than a year at a time,” Marzluff said. He added that they surely recognize our faces. “If you have a strong relationship with the crows and leave for a while and come back I think they would still recognize you, or quickly relearn to count on your for food, etc.”
Image credits: David Jackmanson (not an actual photo)
Crows are capable of recognizing people even if they change clothes and hairstyles. “We had many people in our experiments that dressed differently and were of different ages and shapes but if they wore the face the crows knew they were recognized,” the professor explained and added that changing hair dramatically might fool the crows, but his team of researchers hasn’t looked at that specifically.
“Anything done to harass the crows is remembered,” Marzluff warned. “Throwing a rock at them. Chasing them. Have your dog chase them. All these can cause a bird to scold you with harsh calls and diving.”
“If you pick up an injured or dead crow or a grounded nestling and others see you then they associate you with the danger to that bird and also react aggressively to you in the future. They see you as a potential predator and treat you just as they treat hawks, eagles, owls, and other natural predators,” he explained.
And this is what people had to say about this whole situation
What do you think ?
Milady Blue 3 years ago (edited)
A friend of mine had crows that went to war with some squirrels. The crows would land in her horse corral with food, and before they could eat their full meal, a bunch of squirrels would run at the crows, and make them fly off, and steal the food. Well, one day, as my friend was watching the usual display, the crows flapped away from the squirrels, who found that the crows had been... guarding a fresh horse chip. She said the crows were sitting on the pasture fence, and once the squirrels realized they had been had, the crows started squawking, and she said it sounded like they were laughing at the squirrels for falling for that trick.
SpookyPanda 3 years ago
That's hilarious! I would have loved to see that.
Load More Replies...
KombatBunni 3 years ago
Crows remember. I’d be putting out extra food for them after that. I was waiting at a bus stop once and noticed a raven having trouble getting into a container of potato salad. Poor guy kept trying to peck through the lid but it wouldn’t break so I waited till he backed off a bit and made sure he watched me as I opened the container and put it back where he could reach it. He watched as I sat back down and pretended to ignore him so he could take the food and then had to fight off all his mates as they came down to get some. He ends up grabbing the container and trying to fly off with it only to get swiped by another who takes it and nicks off into the trees. Best way to waste time waiting for a bus!
Ray Heap 3 years ago (edited)
Some time ago I had a cat, Fritz the Cat was not the brightest bulb in god´s illumination and he loved to chase the birds, until the crows started punking him. One would land and pretend it had a broken wing, Fritz would do the cat thing and creep up sloooooly and jump. Crow flies off, all crows start to laugh. Another crow would do the same thing, and another until they all had a go, these crows were pissing themselves laughing at p poor Fritz Since then I know that cats can look frustrated.
Imogene Cargeaux 3 years ago
Yeah dude. Crows remember faces. They will hate a person just because another crow was wronged by them. They protect ppl who feed them and they are loyal as all F**k. I fed my crows in New Orleans. They loved quail eggs so I'd go to the Asian market and buy as many as I could and I'd get all sorts of dried and fresh fruits n anything I could find that they'd eat in the wild and eventually they would even start following me on my walks around the neighborhood. I never had them bully someone for me. But I bet they would have. When I moved I was devastated to leave them all. But that's their home n I obviously have no control over them. Lol. But then the ppl who moved in said they love birds so I showed them my routine and they took over. But sometimes when I'm feeling nostalgic I'll take a walk around my old neighborhood and bring treats to set out n stuff to give the new tenants and they still remember me. Crows are incredible.
De Gueb 3 years ago
Where I live there are quite a few sparrows. I used to throw them breadcrumbs. I noticed one day there was a small one that was getting bullied, the other were taking the bread from him. I felt sorry for him so always threw extra in his direction. After a few days he started coming closer and closer to me until he started taking food from my hand. I think he realised that he was safe staying close to me because he could eat without being bullied. One day watching TV with the patio door open, just a mosquito net to stay cool in the summer. There he was on the step chirping away, by then I´d named him Chippy. I let Chippy in, gave him some breadcrumbs he ate them on the coffee table pecked my fingers a bit, stayed around for 10 min and then flew over to the mosquito net I opened and off he went. After that he´d come every day sometimes more than once. When we ate on the patio he´d fly in to eat something. Sometimes he´d stand on my finger or fly onto my head.
Marcellus II 3 years ago
Cool thing is the the whole flock learns who to hate, even if they don't know the reason. A colleague did research for which he had to measure gull eggs in their nest --- pick up, weigh, put back, no big deal. However, the gulls obviously hated that and just hated him. 20y later he still couldn't go to the city where he did this research, as he'd get mobbed instantly... pretty sure younger gulls just learned to recognize him so this would go on forever. And besides, they live so long it makes little difference.
William Teach 3 years ago
The icing on the cake will be when the neighbor tries to trade the car in, and they're told that it has potential hail damage from all those little stones. Which will lose that person at least $1,000 on value, because dealers are supposed to title brand it.
Patti Vance 3 years ago
that's why they are called a murder of crows. you don't want to piss them off
Milady Blue 3 years ago (edited)
A friend of mine had crows that went to war with some squirrels. The crows would land in her horse corral with food, and before they could eat their full meal, a bunch of squirrels would run at the crows, and make them fly off, and steal the food. Well, one day, as my friend was watching the usual display, the crows flapped away from the squirrels, who found that the crows had been... guarding a fresh horse chip. She said the crows were sitting on the pasture fence, and once the squirrels realized they had been had, the crows started squawking, and she said it sounded like they were laughing at the squirrels for falling for that trick.
SpookyPanda 3 years ago
That's hilarious! I would have loved to see that.
Load More Replies... KombatBunni 3 years ago
Crows remember. I’d be putting out extra food for them after that. I was waiting at a bus stop once and noticed a raven having trouble getting into a container of potato salad. Poor guy kept trying to peck through the lid but it wouldn’t break so I waited till he backed off a bit and made sure he watched me as I opened the container and put it back where he could reach it. He watched as I sat back down and pretended to ignore him so he could take the food and then had to fight off all his mates as they came down to get some. He ends up grabbing the container and trying to fly off with it only to get swiped by another who takes it and nicks off into the trees. Best way to waste time waiting for a bus!
Ray Heap 3 years ago (edited)
Some time ago I had a cat, Fritz the Cat was not the brightest bulb in god´s illumination and he loved to chase the birds, until the crows started punking him. One would land and pretend it had a broken wing, Fritz would do the cat thing and creep up sloooooly and jump. Crow flies off, all crows start to laugh. Another crow would do the same thing, and another until they all had a go, these crows were pissing themselves laughing at p poor Fritz Since then I know that cats can look frustrated.
Imogene Cargeaux 3 years ago
Yeah dude. Crows remember faces. They will hate a person just because another crow was wronged by them. They protect ppl who feed them and they are loyal as all F**k. I fed my crows in New Orleans. They loved quail eggs so I'd go to the Asian market and buy as many as I could and I'd get all sorts of dried and fresh fruits n anything I could find that they'd eat in the wild and eventually they would even start following me on my walks around the neighborhood. I never had them bully someone for me. But I bet they would have. When I moved I was devastated to leave them all. But that's their home n I obviously have no control over them. Lol. But then the ppl who moved in said they love birds so I showed them my routine and they took over. But sometimes when I'm feeling nostalgic I'll take a walk around my old neighborhood and bring treats to set out n stuff to give the new tenants and they still remember me. Crows are incredible.
De Gueb 3 years ago
Where I live there are quite a few sparrows. I used to throw them breadcrumbs. I noticed one day there was a small one that was getting bullied, the other were taking the bread from him. I felt sorry for him so always threw extra in his direction. After a few days he started coming closer and closer to me until he started taking food from my hand. I think he realised that he was safe staying close to me because he could eat without being bullied. One day watching TV with the patio door open, just a mosquito net to stay cool in the summer. There he was on the step chirping away, by then I´d named him Chippy. I let Chippy in, gave him some breadcrumbs he ate them on the coffee table pecked my fingers a bit, stayed around for 10 min and then flew over to the mosquito net I opened and off he went. After that he´d come every day sometimes more than once. When we ate on the patio he´d fly in to eat something. Sometimes he´d stand on my finger or fly onto my head.
Marcellus II 3 years ago
Cool thing is the the whole flock learns who to hate, even if they don't know the reason. A colleague did research for which he had to measure gull eggs in their nest --- pick up, weigh, put back, no big deal. However, the gulls obviously hated that and just hated him. 20y later he still couldn't go to the city where he did this research, as he'd get mobbed instantly... pretty sure younger gulls just learned to recognize him so this would go on forever. And besides, they live so long it makes little difference.
William Teach 3 years ago
The icing on the cake will be when the neighbor tries to trade the car in, and they're told that it has potential hail damage from all those little stones. Which will lose that person at least $1,000 on value, because dealers are supposed to title brand it.
Patti Vance 3 years ago
that's why they are called a murder of crows. you don't want to piss them off
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