Daily Smart Fact #14: Crows scare the shit out of me

Key Takeaway: Crows are freaking scary.

Ok, clearly this is not a “fact.”  But its my blog and I’ll write what I want.  I’ve recently blogged about my growing fascination with birds (Smart Daily Fact #2: The California State Bird is the California Quail).  Well one type of bird I seriously dislike is the crow.  I was talking with my husband the other day about why exactly I disliked crows and he mentioned something that I think was interesting – crows are completely “murdered out.”  That’s cool kids lingo for black on black.  Like “that car is murdered out!” it means its a black car with black leather, black tint, black everything.  And seriously, I think that might contribute to the freakiness of crows.  There are adorable small black birds but they have orange beaks.  But crows?  Everything’s black.  Here’s some other things that freak me out about them:

• They’re smart. Crows are considered one of the most intelligent birds and are known to use tools (sharpen twigs and other objects) to forage for insects and larvae. There have also been studies that indicate they may be able to count up to 3 or 4.
• Their call is scary as hell.  “Crows can mimic sounds made by other birds and animals and have been taught to mimic the human voice.” (can anyone say creepy?)
• They’re predators and scavengers. Crows’ diets consist of insects, mice, roadkill, frogs, even eggs and nestlings of other birds.
• A group of crows is called a MURDER. You know why?? Because a group of them will sometimes kill a dying cow.

Resources: PBS.org, Critter Control