Why it Sucks To Be Born As a Crow

you're born in a nest high up in a tree it's not fancy just a pile of sticks held together with luck but it does the job Mom and Dad hover around calling their approval like they've just built a luxury condo inside the nest it's crowded your siblings are loud pushy and just as hungry as you there's no such thing as taking turns if you want food you squawk louder than everyone else mom stays close keeping you warm while Dad flies back and forth with food he works hard bringing worms insects and whatever else he can

scavenge occasionally he shows up with something that probably was is not meant for Birds but you eat it anyway sometimes he gets help from other crows helpers are like the unpaid interns of the bird world and they pitch in when there are too many beaks to feed at first the food is soft and pre-wed it is not exactly appetizing but when Mom leans over and drops it into your beak you are not in a position to be picky after a week or two the menu expands to include chunkier options worms beetles and other solid snacks

become The New Normal you are growing fast and apparently that takes a lot of fuel Beyond The Nest there's a whole world out there but you don't care about that yet your only real priority is making sure you don't accidentally tumble out of the nest it's a long drop and you're pretty sure you wouldn't bounce at around 1 month mom decides it's time for you to learn how to fly you're not sure how wings are supposed to work but you flap them anyway your first attempt ends with a graceful belly flop onto a lower Branch

not ideal the second try is worse you miss the branch entirely and end up in a pile of leaves on the ground if anyone asks you meant to do that after a few days of bruised pride and questionable aerodynamics you finally managed to stay in the air flying feels incredible Until you realize you have no idea how to land you aim for a branch misjudge entirely and slam into it sideways but hey at least you're Airborne now flying also comes with responsibilities suddenly everyone expects you to keep up with the family mom swoops effortlessly through

the trees while you're flapping along like a busted kite there's no time for breaks either Hawks are always watching and they love a wobbly rookie like you and then there's food mom points to the ground and you're supposed to figure out how to grab a beetle flight you dive down with all the confidence in the world only to end up with a beak full of dirt mom just stares at you probably wondering how you're even related flying is harder than it looks but you're a crow you've got this well eventually here's the thing about your

species you're very smart at first though you don't know much you learn by watching you keep an eye on the older crows how they dig through the dirt for insects flip over leaves to find hidden snacks or pull scraps out of tricky places you're not great at it yet but you copy them until you figure it out if one of them drops a nut from a branch to crack it open you're right there trying the same thing shortly after you also learn about Predators you don't start out knowing which animals are dangerous so you follow

the adults lead hear that Sharp Urgent CA that means danger you don't stop to think you duck into cover and stay still over time you pick up on the patterns you learn Which shapes in the sky mean trouble and which ones don't social skills come next the adults communicate constantly cause postures little gestures you hadn't noticed before you mimic those too learning how to fit in without causing too much trouble it's a lot to pick up but you're getting there and then there are humans they leave food everywhere scraps crumbs and leftovers you figure out

where they drop things when they're distracted and how to grab what you want without getting too close some humans even offer food others try to shoe you away which is hilarious because you remember faces if they cross you once you'll make sure they regret it later Revenge isn't just satisfying it's efficient at some point you realize it's not just you your siblings and your parents out there there's a bigger picture the local murder your extended family and a few neighbors become your Social Circle it's chaotic but somehow comforting foraging with the murder is your first

real group activity if someone finds food word spreads fast and everyone shows up uninvited it's not exactly a Cooperative effort more of a free-for-all but the numbers work in your favor more eyes mean more chances to spot something edible then there's the warning system if a predator shows up the whole group rallies one crow spots it and within seconds the alarm call spreads you scream too because why not it's very loud and strangely effective Hawks cats and other threats learn quickly that this neighborhood is not worth the trouble fitting in takes some effort you watch

the older crows to learn the unspoken rules who to approach who to avoid and how to hold your own without stepping on too many feathers it's a delicate balance but you get the hang of it the murder might seem like chaos from the outside but it works there's safety in numbers a constant Buzz of activity and a sense that even in the mess you're part of something bigger as you get older you start spending less time with your family group you still stick close to the murder but your focus shifts to exploring on your own

the pull toward Independence feels natural there's a whole world out there and it's time to see what it has to offer foraging becomes a solo activity you explore new territories testing your skills at finding food sometimes it's a win like stumbling across a perfectly intact sandwich other times it's a humbling experience like when you mistake a piece of plastic for something edible trial and error is part of the process and you're quick to learn what's worth grabbing and what isn't Independence has its risks without a sentinel Crow keeping watch you have have to rely entirely

on your instincts a rustle in the bushes or a shadow passing overhead means you freeze assess and act fast most of the time you're quick enough to avoid danger but there are close calls like the time you nearly became a hawk's lunch you've learned that sharp reflexes and a healthy dose of caution go a long way even though you're forging your own path the murder is always there when food is scarce or predators are a little too bold you rejoin the group foraging together is easier and mobbing Predators is far safer with backup Independence feels

good but so is having a safety net one afternoon you're minding your own business poking around for something to eat when a fox comes out of nowhere it jumps charging straight at you you flap your wings like mad and barely make it to a branch the fox jumps after you snapping at your tail feathers but you're faster you let out a sharp call an alarm call and within seconds reinforcements arrive the murder swarms in dive bombing the fox from every angle you join in swooping just close enough to make it Flinch the fox Yelps spins

and bolts running for its life as the crows Chase it all the way out of the area you shake yourself off and hop to a higher Branch crisis averted stupid Fox when spring rolls around you decide it's time to find a mate you don't rush it picking the right partner is important to impress a potential mate you pull out all the stops a bit of aerial acrobatics here some confident call there it's not subtle but it gets the job done once she agrees you seal the deal with some mutual grooming and food sharing with your

partnership established the two of you get to work on the nest you both gather Twigs moss and whatever else looks Nestor hauling it up to the highest Branch you can find Predators can't climb trees right that's the theory anyway after a lot of back and forth and probably a few disagreements The Nest is done it's sturdy and completely functional good enough soon after your mate lays a clutch of three eggs her job is to sit on them keeping them warm for the next few weeks your job everything else you spend your days flying around bringing

her food and making sure nothing with claws or sharp teeth gets too close it's exhausting but the eggs eventually hatch and that's when the real work begins now it's a tag team operation you both take turns hunting for insects worms and whatever else the chicks can swallow they're loud constantly hungry and completely dependent on you to make things even more interesting some of the other crows show up to help they mean well but let's just say their enthusiasm doesn't always match their usefulness over the next month the chicks grow fast they start out as Tiny

awkward bundles of fluff but before long they're flapping their wings and testing their limits you teach them the basics how to find food how to spot predators and most important importantly how to survive without falling out of the tree it's a steep learning curve but they'll manage you've built a life raised chicks and earned your place in the murder you'd think things might slow down but no life as a crow is a full-time job foraging is still a mix of strategy and sheer luck you've learned where the best scraps are bins picnic tables human leftovers

but so has everyone else it's a race to get there first and someone's always trying to snatch your prize then there's the constant need to stay sharp from a hawk to a cat everything out there is probably trying to eat you you mob those Predators until they run away annoyed but unharmed even humans can be a problem some are kind enough to toss food your way While others swing brooms like you've declared war on their Garden you never know what to expect and yet it's not all stress every so often you get a chance to

explore you mess with sticks test out new ways to open tough shells and sometimes just watch the world below from your perch your curiosity keeps you sharp but it also gets you into trouble this is life at its peak cleverness survival and keeping one step ahead of everything and everyone it's not glamorous but you wouldn't have it any other way but soon Everything Will Change one day while you're perched on a branch a hawk comes out of nowhere you do not even see it coming there is no warning no chance to react in an instant

you are pushed from the tree and fall to the ground like a stone a while later a human walks by they see your body and Crouch down tilting their head like they are trying to figure out what went wrong they poke you gently maybe even whisper something not realizing you are beyond help your murder watches from the trees to them this is clearcut the human killed you that is all they need to know from that day on they make the human's life miserable they scream at him every time he walks by dive bomb him and

make sure he never feels safe outside again he has no idea why you are gone but your group remembers not just through the tricks you taught them but by turning their rage into a lifetime Grudge Life as a crow might be rough but there's another animal out there that has it way worse trust me it's wild check out the video and see for yourself