Gifts of the Crow

How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans

By: John Marzluff, Tony Angell

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

New research indicates that crows are among the brightest animals in the world. And professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington John Marzluff has done some of the most extraordinary research on crows, which has been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Chicago Tribune, as well as on NPR and PBS. Now he teams up with artist and fellow naturalist Tony Angell to offer an in-depth look at these incredible creatures - in a book that is brimming with surprises.

Redefining the notion of “bird brain,” crows and ravens are often called feathered apes because of their clever tool-making and their ability to respond to environmental challenges, including those posed by humans. Indeed, their long lives, social habits, and large complex brains allow them to observe and learn from us and our social gatherings. Their marvelous brains allow crows to think, plan, and reconsider their actions. In these and other enthralling revelations, Marzluff and Angell portray creatures that are nothing short of amazing: They play, bestow gifts on people who help or feed them, use cars as nutcrackers, seek revenge on animals that harass them, are tricksters that lure birds to their deaths, and dream.

The authors marvel at crows' behavior that we humans would find strangely familiar, from delinquency and risk-taking to passion and frolic. A testament to years of painstaking research, this riveting work is a thrilling look at one of nature's most wondrous creatures.

©2012 John Marzluff and Tony Angell (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A great read, serious and at times hilarious, this book explores the many complex similarities between crows' mental traits and our own." (Bernd Heinrich, author of Summer World)

An Excellent Resource for Crow Enthusiasts!

Informative and insightful! Highly recommended for anyone looking to learn more about crows and corvids.

Crows from A to Z

Very easy to listen to this reader. A explanation how crows think as well as an in depth explanation how a ravens brain works drilling down to the neurological connections and endorphins which drive these birds to survive. You will realize that a crows are every bit as smart as dolphins.

Crowtacular!

Crowtacular absolutely love this book! Very insightful perspective on the life of The Crow. yes!

You Will Never Look At A Crow The Same Way Again

I never stop being amazed at the world in which we live. Who would have thought that the ubiquitous crow could hold such wonders?

The author explores the mysteries of the crow, raven and other members of the corvid family (look it up in Wikipedia--I had to) to bring the reader a new appreciation of the uncanny intelligence of these creatures who have not only coexisted but thrived in the company of humans for millennia. In turn, these birds have had a powerful impact on human culture around the world as evidenced by mythologies and folktales in North America, Europe and Asia.

The author explores many aspects of corvid behavior which testify to their high-level thinking. The anecdotes he recites range from the hilarious to the poignant to the downright amazing. Just a few of the behaviors discussed are tool use, gift-giving, play (both with other crows and with other species), strategic thinking, grief, language production/comprehension, and cultural memory.

Significant portions of the book are of a scientific nature in terms of evolutionary biology and neuroanatomy. While initially interesting, these sections typically became fairly technical in nature and offered information that was more complex than what I either wanted or could absorb. More scientifically proficient readers may well appreciate these sections and there is a downloadable pdf. accompanying the book which is available on the publisher's website.

Still, I very much felt this was a worthwhile book. Who would not want to gain a better appreciation for and understanding of this familiar neighbor? It has inspired me to look for new ways to interact with these remarkable creatures in my own life!

Informative and Entertaining

This book gives exceptional insight into the natural world in too many ways to concisely list, so I will highlight what stood out to me. It excels at examining behavior, then examining the neurology and biology behind the behavior. Its stories offer unique perspectives, and its scientific explanations were fascinating without ever becoming boring. I came into this book loving corvids, and after listening to it, I love and appreciate them even more.

Eye Opening

I learned a whole lot about my amazing corvid neighbors. I loved the stories, and the neuroscience. However, the scientific discusions get a bit dense for an audio-listen. I found myself wishing I could look at the book. While the illustrations are available for download, it's not practical for my "reading" habits. I "read" in the car, walking the dogs, etc.

Intelligent Corvids! Crows, Magpies, Ravens, & Jays.

What an entertaining book about crows and their close relatives. Poignant little stories are given with scientific research and many big words. “Crows gather around their dead, warn of impending doom, recognize people, commit murder of other crows, lure animals to their death, swill coffee and drink beer, design and use tools - including using cars as nutcrackers, and windsurf and sled to play“. Just like us. They are playful troublemakers and would make amazing pets if that were only legal ( I wish). They can even mimic human voices!
There is a lot of crow brain biology included which, I admit, slowed down my reading progress in the beginning of the book, but once into the book, the stories of people and crows and tender and comical.

I think any person who, even casually, likes to observe wildlife will enjoy this book.

wonderful for anyone with an interest in neuroscie

I work in animal behaviour, but not as a researcher, so this was perfect for me. A few steps past what most lay people will tolerate, but not pro level. Very informative and extremely interesting!

amazing information, great stories

I'm jealous; my ravens don't even trust me, let al9ne interact.
The scientific information mixed with the accounts of personal interactions make this a superb book. The reading is good even well done, although the several mispronounced words bother me. Will listen again, read the actual text again.

Thought provoking science and emotion

This a wonderful book for animal lovers who also love science. A must read. Excellent.