The Feathered Apes

Lately, an injured crow caught my attention.

This year, I noticed there was a crippled crow among the many birds who raided our back yard squirrel feeder. It has lost the uses of its right foot. The claws on that foot are curled up inward. Its plumage also lacks the normal lustrous sheen that other crows sport. When swooping down to pick some feeds, it lands only on one leg. Obviously, lacking a healthy and strong leg had hindered its mobility to move around. This explains why it’s not as big as its peers in size. But despite its noticeable disability, it has survived against many harsh elements in the wild.

Now this crow hopped into our back yard almost every day. I saw it lounging around the treed neighborhood too. On one occasion, it with its mate, I assume, was enjoying a freshly cracked walnut in the middle of the road. Luckily, the driver in an oncoming car slowed down to give the wobbling jaywalker enough time to escape to a nearby fence. At other times, it somehow recognized me when I was refilling the feeder. It awaited the treats I left for it. When there were no cats in sight, it zoomed down to where the treats were. Then it flew away to a neighbor’s roof to digest the many peanuts it managed to hold in its short beaks.

I have heard that crows are one of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom. This is the reason some biologists called crows feathered apes. From what I have observed over the past several years since we moved to our present residence, they are indeed clever creatures. I saw crows throw nuts onto the road and let the drive-by traffic crack the nuts’ hard husk for them. In our backyard I saw crows  follow the grounded squirrels and watch where the bushy tailed rodents bury their peanuts. Once the furry ones are away from the cache, the feathered ones come to raid the safe and harvest the loot. How clever! - Ayee