Ravens and crows have funerals! How amazing is this? One would think that mourning over a lost one, in conjunction with ceremonies and rituals are only the domain of humans, but the activities of these birds turn many of our preconceived conceptions on their heads.
We better clear a few things up before some people get too excited over this one. When ravens and crows have funerals they don’t have little coffins, and they don’t even bury the deceased, but they do do something rather spectacular that will blow many peoples minds.
It must be pointed out that these two birds are incredibly intelligent. It’s been stated that they possess the reasoning capability of a seven year old child. They can also use simple tools, and figure out complex problems. Some amazing examples include placing nuts on the road at traffic lights when it is red so that the cars will crack the nuts for them. When the lights turn red again, they eat the spoils of their success. Many professionals have speculated that they are on par, intelligence wise, with many other primates. Also, just like parrots, they too can be trained to talk.
How ravens and crows have funerals
The funerals that crows and ravens have are not exactly the same as ours. There’s no casket and no burial. But what they do is have a ceremony or ritual.
When a crow or raven discovers the remains of a dead companion, they will begin calling others. The call is distinct to other calls they usually make. As more and more birds arrive, they all continue to call for more. They will then hang around, sometimes for days, and the noise can become harrowing for anyone present.
Eventually, just as with human funerals, they will begin to leave, one by one. After a few days all will have departed, until there are only a couple remaining. Soon these too will leavce what is left of the dead bird.
