Crow nuts

A couple of crows live on my block near my new house, and I made it a habit to always carry some peanuts in my pocket to feed them. There are also a few weirdos, including a guy dressed as a steamboat's captain and someone who has a bird in a cage on wheels. We can only assume it's a bird because the cage is always covered with a tarp. There is also a crazy guy who has a habit of getting drunk or high in the morning and wants to hug everyone. Most people who recognise him try to avoid eye contact and go around him in a large circle.

I named my crows Karel and Keesje, but it is tough to tell one from the other. They hang out together, so I assume they’re a couple. They recognise me too now, so when I leave my house, they do a low flyover and land on a car or lamppost near me. I’ll greet them, show them a peanut, and throw it on the ground somewhere near me. They quickly land and then hop over to the nut and grab it. I give them peanuts in the shell because they enjoy opening them as gifts. Sometimes, they eat it, but oftentimes, they hide it under a patch of grass or rock. Crows have excellent memory and problem-solving skills, and they hide food everywhere for times when there’s less food. It’s good to know they’re healthy/fed and can afford to stockpile peanuts for colder days.

This week, I left early in the morning. After a short walk, I heard a flutter, and then a dark shape appeared in the corner of my eye. It was one of the crows who elegantly landed on top of a traffic sign close to me. I showed it the nut and then explained that we would try a new trick today. I know crows don’t speak human, but I enjoy imagining they understand my intentions better if I talk out loud and use lots of hand gestures. I showed the animal the peanut in my hand and then made a slow and subtle throwing movement so it knew what was coming. Then, I gently threw the nut in the air towards its beak. Much to my surprise and delight, it caught the peanut on the first try. It seemed as if the bird looked at me briefly, so I complimented it, and then I cheered and laughed and did a small victory dance. The crow did not wait around, though, and quickly flew off to the rooftop where it could comfortably unpack the peanut. I was left standing in the middle of the street cheering and laughing and saying, “Smart bird! Well done! You caught the peanut!” until I noticed a woman who looked like she was making an effort to avoid eye contact while she was going around me in a large circle.

Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten Founder, TNW

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