Here is my story about a Smart Crow. So, I was out on a rainy day and I watched this crow struggling with a sealed and unpopped pistachio nut. Tricky. First it was just smashing it on the ground to no avail...
https://twitter.com/jodyvance/status/1402379786631086081
Next thing he/she did was fling it with a sideways snap of its head against the pavement. Tried this a few times, no go. Too bad crow, thought I
Next thing really surprised me. Crow picks up the pistachio and drops it in a puddle of water for a few seconds then taked it out and tries pecking it. Repeat. It dawns on me this crow is trying now to soften the shell, like it was a peanut. But a pistachio is no peanut. Unopened
Finally - and this really changed the way I think about all crows - it picks up the nut and perches on a branch over the road. It starts repeatedly dropping the nut, flying down, picking it up, repeat. Cars are going by on his slow sidestreet. I slowly realise what's happening
...No, surely not!
But yes. Eventually a car rolls over the nut, and there is an audible "pop". Crow swoops down, and, yes, after a couple seconds locates the kernel. And that is how smart crows are
Was this luck? Was it just trying to throw down the nut from a greater height, and the car just finished the job by chance? I guess it's possible. But I routinely see humans (well, fund managers) take credit for things far more reliant on chance, so allow me to conclude otherwise
For balance I should point out I've also seen a crow eat a live chickadee so I'm not suggesting we put them in charge or anything
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