Caws for concern?

Study aims to find what crows say to each other

Crows seem to be just about everywhere. And while their cawing constitutes part of a typical day, scientists aren’t sure exactly what the birds are saying to one another.

Now, researchers at the University of Washington Bothell, north of Seattle, have decided to eavesdrop on the nearly 16,000 crows that reside at the university, to try to understand.

“I think as humans we’re just fascinated by other intelligent animals, and we see and hear crows everyday,” says lead researcher Dr. Douglas Wacker. “People wonder what it is these birds are saying.”

The research team is a collaboration of professors and undergraduate students in biology, engineering, and computer science.

According to Wacker, what makes t his s t udy unique is the methodology. In the past, people would study crow vocalizations by holding a microphone up to them, but the birds would change their calls simply because a human was present.

Wacker and his team are using audio and video recording technology to track what the birds are saying, without having to be present, as a way of tricking the birds into using their authentic language.

“The engineers have created a program so we can tell when a specific crow makes a vocalization,” said Wacker. “Then we can analyze the data and see if there are patterns in their vocalizations.”

According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird expert Kevin McGowan, crows have a fairly extensive repertoire of things they talk about. He says that while scientists have a good understanding of basic crow calls ( McGowan says he can decipher when a crow is warning his fellow mates about a nearby predator), little is understood about what the birds say when they meet in big flocks.

“Are they showing off and saying, ‘ I am a big studly male crow’ or ‘I am a fully capable female crow’ — we just don’t know,” he says. “But whatever it is, they sure do a lot of talking.”

But the variety within their vocalizations hints at how intelligent these creatures are. The birds are able to not only use tools, but build them as well. Studies have shown that a crow will take a piece of wire, bend it into a hook, and use this tool to extract food from a tube.

The research is just getting under way, with some crows having been recorded. The plan is to continue at least throughout the winter, and ideally into the spring. Wacker says he hopes the study is a starting point for further research, so that one day when a murder of crows is overhead, we just might know what they’re saying.

WHATEVER IT IS, THEY SURE DO A LOT OF TALKING.