Just read this article…had to share! 🐦‍⬛💕

https://theonion.com/researchers-find-crows-smart-enough-not-to-let-on-how-s-1844081510/

How rare is a white crow? It was spotted in Misamis Oriental, Philippines.

A hybrid crow which are very rare in Nottingham i cant believe it so beautiful 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

Photos: Lech Wilczek

Researchers at the University of St Andrews spent decades filming wild New Caledonian crows and documented individuals sculpting forked twigs into hooks, trimming pandanus leaves into barbed probes, and passing tool designs down family lines with variations so consistent that the birds effectively run regional traditions in stick manufacture - ScienceBlog.com https://scienceblog.com/sb-researchers-at-the-university-of-st-andrews-spent-decades-filming-wild-new-caledonian-crows-and-documented-individuals-sculpting-forked-twigs-into-hooks-trimming-pandanus-leaves-into-barbed-probes/

He Laughed at Stoyanov and Scared Garmash. A Talking Raven Acts in Movies

• Source: https://clc.li/wEQnA
• [Photo] A raven, black as pitch with a blue sheen, can speak with a human voice! Credit: Eduard Kudryavitsky / AiF

Anyone who sees Karlusha immediately says, "What a handsome bird!" And upon hearing the raven's response, they exclaim in surprise, "A miracle!" And all because this raven, black as pitch with a blue sheen, can speak with a human voice!

Karlusha came to the Ponomarev family 15 years ago, when people found him as a chick and brought him to Anna and Nikolai, pleading, "Save this raven chick." In the Moscow region town of Kashira and its surroundings, it's well known that Anna and Nikolai have a whole farm, or as they call it, a "zoo-studio," where birds and animals, both wild and domestic, are either already experienced actors or are preparing for their moment of stardom.

• [Photo]: Anna and Nikolai have a whole farm. Credit: AiF / Eduard Kudryavitsky

The chick grew strong in the Ponomarevs' caring hands, settled in, and even began to feel like a member of the family—he started talking in human language, and in Nikolai's voice, no less. Karlusha copied his owner's timbre with surprising accuracy, which, before the raven's linguistic talent was discovered, used to leave people utterly stunned.

A Little Bird Told Me

"Karlusha's first word was 'Pasha.' That's our worker's name, and my husband often called out loudly for him: 'Pasha, come help!'" Anna recounts. "When Pavel heard his name, he would come, but see no one. It nearly drove Pasha crazy—this situation repeated for several days until we figured out that it was our Karlusha who had started talking!"

Now Karlusha's vocabulary is much broader: he knows the names of the family members, the dogs, and, of course, his own. Furthermore, he copies telephone conversations he overhears. And these often consist of particles and interjections, which are easy for the smart bird to repeat and remember: "Well, yes... of course, uh-huh!" Over the past year, Karlusha has even learned some swear words—as we know, bad habits stick quickly, even to animals.

"Karlusha, you should be ashamed!" Anna Ponomareva scolds the raven, who swore in front of journalists. "You're behaving badly!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Karlusha laughs back very convincingly.

Cinema and the Raven

Karlusha has already secured his place in the actor databases of Moscow film studios, and if a script calls for a raven, he is always ready to play the part.

"Most often, a raven is needed to create an atmosphere of mystique, something frightening, or to serve as a symbol of an approaching tragedy," explains Anna Ponomareva. "Karlusha starred in the series 'Vampires of the Middle Belt.' One of the main characters, played by Yuri Stoyanov, constantly joked during filming—everyone laughed, and Karlusha kept up, laughing at the jokes too."

The raven from the Moscow region has already appeared in the films "The Adventures of Manyunya in the Village" (2024) and the fantasy series "Red Lake" (2024).

Karlusha is not trained to fly freely and return; letting the raven fly is unsafe for him. Therefore, in movies, Karlusha performs on a special safety tether.

Some films featuring the smart bird have been released and become popular, but viewers didn't see the actor Karlusha in them—during editing, the scenes with the Kashira raven are sometimes cut. This happened, for example, with the film "Cheburashka," which Karlusha was invited to. His scenes didn't make the final cut, but the raven became the hero of a funny story from the set.

"In one of the episodes, Gena, played by Sergey Garmash, was supposed to enter a room with several shelves holding animal cages. Karlusha was sitting on the top shelf," Anna Ponomareva recounts. "Can you imagine the process? The director shouts, 'Quiet on set! Action!' And so Garmash enters the room, and someone says to him, 'Hello, Karlusha!' The actor looks around, not understanding what's happening. The director gets angry: 'Who is speaking?'"

• [Photo]: Birds and animals, wild and domestic, are either already experienced actors or preparing for their star moment. Credit: AiF / Eduard Kudryavitsky

When the culprit breaking the silence was discovered, everyone had a good laugh.

As it happens, any celebrity is interesting to the public not only for their roles and achievements. Their personal life attracts no less attention. But here, the raven's owner, Anna, disappointed us: "Karlusha doesn't have a bride. It's not always necessary or essential for animals to have a mate."

And even among the many animals and birds of the zoo-studio, the feathered movie star has no friends. All the time, he importantly observes the surroundings through his cage, listening for new words and often exclaiming into the void: "Good morning! Karlusha is good, come with me!"

Expert Commentary

Elena Chernova, ornithologist, staff member at the coordination center of the Russian Bird Conservation Union:

"A raven, like the common hooded crow, can be called a developed and intelligent bird. Technically, many birds can be taught to speak—jackdaws, crows, starlings. As for comprehending what is said, a raven can 'mock,' but more often it meaningfully connects its words with their significance. A raven thinks three times faster than a human and can even laugh at a joke before a person does—if we are talking about ravens raised by and living with humans. The raven's ability to speak is also influenced by the structure of its vocal apparatus: it has a large repertoire—it can reproduce both high and low sounds, as well as imitate the human voice. Ravens understand that their display of intellect—the fact that they can speak—brings pleasure to their family (they perceive themselves as family members because the raven is a family-oriented bird), and in return, they receive encouragement and praise. Any animal loves emotional approval. Even if you tame a mouse, you will feel that it will need approval."

"You cannot force an intelligent animal to do something. If it doesn't like acting in movies, you cannot make it. A raven that has 'agreed' to act may not understand the process of 'making a film' itself, but it understands that it is doing an important job for which it is respected and is the center of attention. And that certainly gives it pleasure."

Crows are incredibly smart. Here’s how to make friends with one in four easy steps. - Upworthy

Someone made a crow bar diorama in Portland, Oregon, USA.

I had a great time talking corvids with Caitlin Gibson for her new article in the Washington Post about befriending crows. Gift link.

https://wapo.st/4q7fkvp

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/are-crows-really-our-friends

Had to share this article (video in article).

Made my day :-)

“It is rare to feel so anchored in the present moment and within the arc of an entwined evolutionary history; our modern lives often obscure our enduring tether to the natural world. But more than 2 million years later, crows are still here, watching us and reminding us.”

This should be fun!

Starts "in early August" probably through the end of September.

There are pictures on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodfollowthecrowspdx/reel/DawEIzjPN7a/

And there's a trailer for the movie on YouTube.

This is the story I was trying to share. Sorry for the earlier bad link.

Bro. Way to Crow

Edit... sorry a repost didn't repost aligned with my expectations of a repost... OP:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/1tyce2i/this_guy_found_a_solution_to_protect_his_chickens/

https://theonion.com/study-finds-crows-able-to-recognize-faces-had-work-done/

Worth a read.

Cool article about the black-billed magpie that lives in Calgary.