【英语时差8,16】乌鸦偷窃

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Native American stories and legends depict¹ crows as witty² and tricky³.  

 

Modern behaviorists agree; crows are one of the more intelligent bird species. That intelligence allows them to be crafty⁴ survivors⁵ as well as, to put it bluntly, thieves. 

 

Maybe our interest in the crow comes from our similar habits. Like us, crows can be generous. They are cooperative breeders who mate for life. They live in family groups composed of several generations and young birds help out with chores, including nest building, feeding hatchlings and chasing away predators⁶. 

 

Like humans, crows also have a dark side. When food resources are at a premium⁷, the have-nots find ways to take from the haves. When crows forage⁸ for small bits of food that can be eaten quickly, there isn't a problem with food theft. 

 

Researchers studying Northwestern crows found that when a crow has a large meal, like a crab⁹ or clam¹⁰, it becomes a pilfering¹¹ target. These are not just chance robberies. Crows are always on the lookout¹² for others to rob, and they alter their tactics depending upon whether their victim is related or not. 

 

They are polite to kin¹³, sidling up beside them in an effort to get a handout¹⁴. Eventually the related bird will give in and share its food. With non-related individuals, all feeding etiquette¹⁵ is tossed aside. 

 

Robbers are aggressive and intimidate¹⁶ their victims with vocalizations and physical contact to get their way. It's not surprising that crows have fascinated both laymen¹⁷ and scientists for centuries. In some ways they are a reflection of ourselves. We can only hope not to follow their bad examples.  

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