by Rick Baker
On Oct 18, 2016
Crows: I am very fond of those majestic birds.
I know many people do not see the majesty in crows so they view crows as nuisances...for some reason I have never shared that viewpoint.
Crows take care of their old, frail family members. [If you want to learn more about crows and their aging parents go on-line and search 'crows caring for parents'.]
I judge crows by what I observe them doing in our neighbourhood. Mostly, I see and hear them talking to one another. Sometimes one-to-one, sometimes in groups, which I expect are their families. Sometimes the crows seem to be calling one another, perhaps reporting on their positions or sharing news about food. Other times they seem to be arguing with one another or perhaps they are having family-to-family arguments. When crows communicate with one another they change their 'body language'. Sometimes they seem to be taking slow, deliberate steps. They tilt their heads and extend their necks, perhaps to present their faces more clearly to their audiences? Sometimes, crows' communication antics are comical...as if the crow at centre stage is a cocky teenager overacting in front of his family...parading...strutting his stuff...talking loudly...crowing what he knows.
When I see crows doing this it reminds me of humans who crow when they know.
Some humans cannot help themselves - they have a bad habit - they always crow when they know. They cannot stop themselves from crowing.
When humans crow what they know it tends to be off-putting. It tends to stifle communication and the sharing of important thoughts and ideas.
There is no need to crow when you know. Think before you share your knowledge. When you feel you must share what you know do your best to package it well....and time it well.
And remember Harry Truman's advice, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”