From Seattle, Marilyn has taken up the cause of the crows, who, not so long ago, we referred to by the generally accepted (if peculiar) collective descriptor, a Murder of Crows. Thanks to a recent documentary on PBS, she has become an expert on, and a defender of, the family of corvids (Corvidae, or crows, to the rest of us). Here is her description of some of their abilities:
Crows know from what height to drop a mollusk so the shell only cracks and does not shatter. Crows in the Solomon Islands have created hooks at the end of sticks with
their beaks to reach and draw food towards them. Crows recognize people they perceive to be a threat and pass the information on to the next generation.
There’s a lot more to crows than being bold and noisy creatures!
Considering all this, she finds the collective term, a Murder of Crows, inappropriate and unbecoming. I don’t know, Marilyn. What would you think of a Work Crew of Crows? Or perhaps an Innovation of Crows? Anyone have other suggestions?
(I still maintain that Berkshire crows are a noisy bunch of vagabonds who do nothing much but stalk around and caw and complain complain complain. Clearly they are the underachievers of the family!)
Touch2Touch 
Gotta love them, though. They’ve been here way before us, and will be here after our species departs. Man is definitely more of a nuisance than the crow — we have defiled the planet for many reasons. An acquisitive controlling biped. All crows do is caw, caw, caw. The Van Gogh image is wonderful — I did not remember that one. So reminiscent of “Starry Night.”
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Interesting comment: kind of “Starry Night” by day?
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I am very fond of crows – in fact, crow mornings (those early winter mornings devoid of other, twittier birdsongs) are among my favorites. And I swear the first fellow that ever took my heart hostage (I was 12 and completely smitten!) has become a crow since he passed on two years ago. I look for him now in nearby trees, or flying overhead, and imagine he’s calling down hello when he sees me.
How about an Amazement of Crows…
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I’ll buy an Amazement of Crows. I’m amazed at how many sensible and sane people of my acquaintance have come to their defense. I may have to rethink this matter, people.
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