Crow
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvidae
Genus:	Corvus Linnaeus, 1758

Crows (English: /kroʊ/) form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws (Eurasian and Daurian) to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents (except South America) and several offshore and oceanic islands (except for a few, which included Hawaii, which had the Hawaiian crow that went extinct in the wild in 2002). In the United States and Canada, the word "crow" is used to refer to the American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos.

The crow genus makes up a third of the species in the Corvidae family. Crows appear to have evolved in Asia from the corvid stock, which had evolved in Australia. A group of crows is called a flock or, more poetically, a murder,^[1] But the term “murder of crows” mostly reflects a time when groupings of many animals had colorful and poetic names. For example, other “group” names include: an ostentation of peacocks, a parliament of owls, a knot of frogs, and a skulk of foxes.^[2]

Recent research has found some crow species capable not only of tool use but of tool construction as well.^[3] Crows are now considered to be among the world's most intelligent animals.^[4] The Jackdaw and the European Magpie have been found to have a nidopallium approximately the same relative size as the functionally equivalent neocortex in chimpanzees and humans, and significantly larger than is found in the gibbon.^[5]

Description[link]

in flight

Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) scavenging on a dead shark at a beach in Kumamoto, Japan

Corvus species are all black or black with little white or gray plumage. They are stout with strong bills and legs. The sexes are not very different in appearance.

Evolutionary history and systematics[link]

Crows appear to have evolved in central Asia and radiated out into North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

The latest evidence^[6] regarding the crow's evolution indicates descent within the Australasian family Corvidae. However, the branch that would produce the modern groups such as jays, magpies and large predominantly black Corvus had left Australasia and were concentrated in Asia by the time the Corvus evolved. Corvus has since re-entered Australia (relatively recently) and produced five species with one recognized sub-species.^{[citation needed]}

The genus was originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work Systema Naturae.^[7] The name is derived from the Latin corvus meaning "raven".^[8]

The type species is the Common Raven (Corvus corax); others named in the same work include the Carrion Crow (C. corone), the Hooded Crow (C. cornix), the Rook (C. frugilegus), and the Jackdaw (C. monedula). The genus was originally broader, as the Magpie was designated C. pica before later being moved into a genus of its own. There are now considered to be at least 42 extant species in this genus, and at least 14 extinct species have been described.

There is not a good systematic approach to the genus at present. In general, it is assumed that the species from a geographical area are more closely related to each other than to other lineages, but this is not necessarily correct. For example, while the Carrion/Collared/House Crow complex is certainly closely related to each other, the situation is not at all clear regarding the Australian/Melanesian species. Furthermore, as many species are similar in appearance, determining actual range and characteristics can be very difficult, such as in Australia where the five (possibly six) species are almost identical in appearance.^{[citation needed]}

Closeup of the upper body of a Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

The fossil record of crows is rather dense in Europe, but the relationships among most prehistoric species are not clear.

A surprisingly high number of species have become extinct after human colonization, especially of island groups such as New Zealand, Hawaii and Greenland.^{[citation needed]}

Species[link]

Behavior[link]

Calls[link]

	Corvus brachyrhynchos call Call of Corvus brachyrhynchos (American Crow)
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Crows make a wide variety of calls or vocalizations. Whether the crows' system of communication constitutes a language is a topic of debate and study. Crows have also been observed to respond to calls of other species; this behavior is, it is presumed, learned because it varies regionally. Crows' vocalizations are complex and poorly understood. Some of the many vocalizations that crows make are a "Koww", usually echoed back and forth between birds, a series of "Kowws" in discrete units, counting out numbers, a long caw followed by a series of short caws (usually made when a bird takes off from a perch), an echo-like "eh-aw" sound, and more. These vocalizations vary by species, and within each species vary regionally. In many species, the pattern and number of the numerical vocalizations have been observed to change in response to events in the surroundings (i.e. arrival or departure of crows). Crows can hear sound frequencies lower than those that humans can hear, which complicates the study of their vocalizations.^{[citation needed]}

Intelligence[link]

As a group, crows show remarkable examples of intelligence. Crows and ravens often score very highly on intelligence tests. Certain species top the avian IQ scale.^[9] Wild hooded crows in Israel have learned to use bread crumbs for bait-fishing.^[10] Crows will engage in a kind of mid-air jousting, or air-"chicken" to establish pecking order. Crows have been found to engage in feats such as sports,^[11] tool use, the ability to hide and store food across seasons, episodic-like memory, and the ability to use individual experience in predicting the behavior of environmental conspecifics.^[12]

One species, the New Caledonian Crow, has also been intensively studied recently because of its ability to manufacture and use its own tools in the day-to-day search for food. These tools include 'knives' cut from stiff leaves and stiff stalks of grass.^[13] Another skill involves dropping tough nuts into a trafficked street and waiting for a car to crush them open.^[14][15] On October 5, 2007, researchers from the University of Oxford, England presented data acquired by mounting tiny video cameras on the tails of New Caledonian Crows. It turned out that they use a larger variety of tools than previously known, plucking, smoothing, and bending twigs and grass stems to procure a variety of foodstuffs.^[16][17] Crows in Queensland, Australia have learned how to eat the toxic cane toad by flipping the cane toad on its back and violently stabbing the throat where the skin is thinner, allowing the crow to access the non-toxic innards; their long beaks ensure that all of the innards can be removed.^[18][19]

Recent research suggests that crows have the ability to recognize one individual human from another by facial features.^[20]

Diet[link]

Crows are omnivorous, and their diet is very diverse. They will eat almost anything, including other birds, fruits, nuts, mollusks, earthworms, seeds, frogs, eggs, nestlings, mice and carrion. The origin of placing scarecrows in grain fields resulted from the crow’s incessant damaging and scavenging, although crows assist farmers by eating insects otherwise attracted to their crops.^[21]

Life span and disease[link]

Crows reach sexual maturity around the age of 3 years for females and 5 years for males. Some crows may live to the age of 20, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost 30 years old.^[22]

The American crow is very susceptible to the recently introduced North American strain of West Nile virus.^[23] American crows usually die within one week of acquiring the disease with only very few surviving exposure. Crows are so affected by the disease that their deaths are now serving as an indicator of the West Nile Virus’ activity in an area.^{[citation needed]}

Conservation status[link]

The Hawaiian Crow or ʻalala (Corvus hawaiiensis) is nearly extinct; only a few dozen birds survive in captivity. The Hawaiian Crow is listed as "extinct in the wild" by the US fish and wildlife services.

Indian Crow

Two species of crow have been listed as endangered by the US fish and wildlife services: The Hawaiian Crow and the Mariana Crow.^[24] The American Crow, despite having its population reduced by 45% since 1999 by the West Nile Virus, is considered a Species of Least Concern.

Hunting[link]

In the United States it is legal to hunt crows^{[citation needed]} in all states usually from around August to the end of March and anytime if they are causing a nuisance or health hazard. There is no bag limit when taken during the "crow hunting season." According to the US Code of Federal Regulations, crows may be taken without a permit in certain circumstances. USFWS 50 CFR 21.43 (Depredation order for blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles, crows and magpies) states that a Federal permit is not required to control these birds "when found committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance," provided

• that none of the birds killed or their parts are sold or offered for sale,
• that anyone exercising the privileges granted by this section shall permit any Federal or State game agent free and unrestricted access over the premises where the operations have been or are conducted and will provide them with whatever information required by the officer, and
• that nothing in the section authorizes the killing of such birds contrary to any State laws and that the person needs to possess whatever permit as may be required by the State.

In the UK, the crow is considered a pest when in a large community and under certain conditions can be shot under a number of general licences issued by Natural England.^{[citation needed]}

In human culture[link]

The Common Raven, Australian Raven and Carrion Crow have been blamed for killing weak lambs and are often seen eating freshly dead corpses probably killed by other means. Rooks have been blamed for eating grain in the UK and Brown-necked Raven for raiding date crops in desert countries.^[25]

In Auburn, New York (USA), 25,000 to 50,000 American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos) have taken to roosting in the small city's large trees during winter since around 1993.^[26] In 2003, a controversial, organized crow hunt proved ineffective at reducing their numbers and the problem (concerns for public health and the sheer noise of so many crows) continues.^[27]

At a Technology Entertainment Design conference in March 2008, Joshua Klein presented the potential use of a vending machine for crows. He suggested the crows could be trained to pick up waste and the vending machine would be designed to give a reward in exchange for the trash.^[28]

Crows have also been known to imitate the human voice, just like parrots. Crows that have been trained to "speak" are considered valuable in parts of East Asia, as crows are a sign of luck.^{[citation needed]}

Some people have adopted crows as pets.^{[citation needed]}

Though humans cannot generally tell individual crows apart, crows have been shown to have the ability to visually recognize individual humans, and to transmit information about "bad" humans by squawking.^[29]

Myth and spirituality[link]

The Twa Corbies by Arthur Rackham

In Irish mythology, crows are associated with Morrigan, the goddess of war and death.^[30] The god Bran the Blessed whose names means 'crow' or 'raven' is associated with corvids and death. His severed head is said to be buried under the Tower of London facing toward France, a possible origin for the keeping of ravens in the Tower, which are said to protect the fortunes of Britain. In Cornish folklore crows and particularly magpies are again associated with death and the 'otherworld', and must always be greeted with respect. The origin of 'counting crows' as augury is British; however the British versions rather count magpies - their black and white pied colouring reflecting the realms of both the living and the dead.

In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring the god Odin information.

In Australian Aboriginal mythology, Crow is a trickster, culture hero and ancestral being. Legends relating to Crow have been observed in various Aboriginal language groups and cultures across Australia; these commonly include stories relating to Crow's role in the theft of fire, the origin of death and the killing of Eagle's son.

Crow on a branch, Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795)

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Chaldean myth, the character Utnapishtim releases a dove and a raven to find land, however, the dove merely circles and returns. Only then does Utnapishtim send forth the raven, who does not return. Utnapishtim extrapolates from this that the raven has found land, which is why it hasn't returned.^[31]

According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, in classical Greek mythology, when the crow told the god Apollo that his lover Coronis was cheating on him with a mortal, he became very angry, and part of that anger was directed at the crow, whose feathers he turned from white to black.^[32]

In the Story of Bhusunda, a chapter of the Yoga Vasistha, a very old sage in the form of a crow, Bhusunda, recalls a succession of epochs in the earth's history, as described in Hindu cosmology. He survived several destructions, living on a wish-fulfilling tree on Mount Meru.^[33] Crows are also considered ancestors in Hindiusm and during Śrāddha the practice of offering food or pinda to crows is still in vogue.^[34]

Crows are mentioned often in Buddhism, especially Tibetan disciplines. The Dharmapala (protector of the Dharma) Mahakala is represented by a crow in one of his physical/earthly forms. Avalokiteśvara/Chenrezig, who is reincarnated on Earth as the Dalai Lama, is often closely associated with the crow because it is said that when the first Dalai Lama was born, robbers attacked the family home. The parents fled and were unable to get to the infant Lama in time. When they returned the next morning expecting the worst, they found their home untouched, and a pair of crows were caring for the Dalai Lama. It is believed that crows heralded the birth of the First, Seventh, Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Lamas, the latter being the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.^{[citation needed]}

In Japanese mythology, a three-legged crow called Yatagarasu (八咫烏^?, "eight-hand-crow")^[35] is depicted.^[36]

In Korean mythology, there is a three-legged crow known as Samjokgo (hangul: 삼족오; hanja: 三足烏). During the period of the Goguryeo Kingdom, the Samjogo was a highly regarded symbol of power, thought superior to both the dragon and the Korean phoenix.^{[citation needed]}

In Chinese mythology, the world originally had ten suns embodied as ten crows, which rose in the sky one at a time. When all ten decided to rise at once, the effect was devastating to crops, so the gods sent their greatest archer Houyi, who shot down nine crows and spared only one. Having a "crow beak" is a symbolic expression that one is being a jinx.^{[citation needed]}

Compendium of Materia Medica states that crows are kind birds that feed their old and weakened parents; this is often cited as a fine example of filial piety.^{[citation needed]}

Indian Crow

Ancient Greek authors tell how a jackdaw, being a social creature, may be caught with a dish of oil that it falls into while looking at its own reflection.^[37] The Roman poet Ovid saw them as a harbinger of rain (Amores 2,6, 34).^[38] In Greek legend, a princess Arne was bribed with gold by King Minos of Crete, and was punished for her avarice by being transformed into an equally avaricious jackdaw, who still seeks shiny things.^[39] In Aesop's Fables, the jackdaw embodies stupidity in one tale, by starving while waiting for figs on a fig tree to ripen, and vanity in another - the daw sought to become king of the birds with borrowed feathers, but was shamed when they fell off.^[38] Pliny notes how the Thessalians, Illyrians and Lemnians cherished jackdaws for destroying grasshoppers' eggs. The Veneti are fabled to have bribed the jackdaws to spare their crops.^[37] Another ancient Greek and Roman adage runs, "The swans will sing when the jackdaws are silent," meaning that educated or wise people will speak after the foolish become quiet.^[40] In reality, corvids are among the most intelligent birds in the world, and this traditional association with ignorance is quite inaccurate.

See also[link]

• Corvus (heraldry)
• Eating crow
• Ischys for the Greek myth of why the crow's feathers are black.
• Scarecrows

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclop?�dia Britannica article Crow.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Corvus

• Frequently Asked Questions About Crows
• Crow: by Bird Houses 101
• crows.net: The Language & Culture of Crows
• In the Company of Crows and Ravens by John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell
• Crow Photographs and Comments
• Video of Crow Making and Using Tools
• Info on Tool use by Crows
• Crow Videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• TED Talk: The Amazing Intelligence of Crows by Joshua Klein
• Corvid Corner - A Site about the Crow Family
• Video: A Crow uses Electrical Wire as Nest-building Material
• A Murder of Crows, 2010 PBS documentary
• 6 Terrifying Ways Crows Are Way Smarter Than You Think at Cracked.com

dk:Krage

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2008)

Dustin Kensrue
Dustin Kensrue performing at a Fopp instore signing in Southampton, UK
Background information
Also known as	Ursus Veritas
Born	(1980-11-18) November 18, 1980 (age 31)
Origin	Orange County, California
Genres	Post-hardcore Experimental rock Folk
Occupations	Musician Songwriter
Instruments	Guitar Harmonica Vocals
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Vagrant Records
Associated acts	Thrice
Website	http://www.dustinkensrue.com

Dustin Michael Kensrue (pronounced KENZ-roo) (born November 18, 1980) is a vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist in the Orange County, California post-hardcore/experimental rock quartet Thrice, as well as a solo artist.

He has a tattoo on his left wrist which is a passage from the Bible written in Hebrew. Many of his lyrics are also Biblically based, an example being the pre-chorus in Vheissu's song, "For Miles" ("There is no greater love, than that one shed his blood for his friends"). This example of lyrics are spread throughout his works, both in Thrice and on his solo works.^{[citation needed]}

Dustin designed the album artwork for all parts of The Alchemy Index - Thrice's fifth studio recording.

Dustin also added vocals in the song "The Contender" on the album "Pierce the Empire With a Sound" by experimental act The Out Circuit.

Solo project[link]

Ursus Veritas was the former alias for Dustin Kensrue's solo side project. The name was a play on words from Latin: ursus meaning bear, and veritas meaning truth, combining to mean "(to) bear truth". Kensrue has always expressed an interest in discovering truth, and has also said he likes bears, which lead to the play on words. However, at some point he decided to drop the name in favor of simplicity since "people have enough trouble just pronouncing [his] last name to begin with."

On January 23, 2007, Kensrue released a solo album titled Please Come Home on Equal Vision Records. He wrapped up the recording and mixing of the album at the home of fellow Thrice member Teppei Teranishi. The album opened at 142 on the Billboard 200 with 5,800 copies sold the first week.^[1] He supported the album with a solo tour including stops on David Letterman's talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Fuse Network. Please Come Home met with mostly favorable reviews from critics, who have compared Kensrue's versatility in his vocals to singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and Johnny Cash.^{[citation needed]}

Dustin Kensrue intends to donate 5% of the proceeds from Please Come Home to a non-profit organization called To Write Love on Her Arms. In the press release, Kensrue explained the choice:

"To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with clinical depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. To Write Love on Her Arms began in March 2006 as a written story and an attempt to raise money for one girl's treatment. T-shirts were printed and a MySpace page was created to serve as home base for the story. Excitement spread quickly throughout MySpace and the independent music community. For 2007, TWLOHA is aiming to raise $100k for treatment and recovery. This comes in addition to online counseling and continued efforts to creatively present hope and raise awareness.

TWLOHA is a fitting choice for Please Come Home. The album lyrically exudes redemption, personal worth, love, acceptance, and hope. “I try to be an artist who aspires to find hope even in dark places: If I’m down, I don’t want to bring people down to that place with me. I’m looking for a way out," says Kensrue.^{[citation needed]}

On October 14, 2008, Dustin said this on the official Thrice website - "I just finished my Christmas record. I haven’t really mentioned it because (a). I’ve been spending all my time working on it, and (b). I wasn’t totally sure I would finish it in time to come out this year. But, last night I finished it up and Teppei is finishing the mixes tonight. It’s going to be an online release only and will hopefully be out in mid-November sometime. The title is “This Good Night Is Still Everywhere” and it contains 8 covers and 2 Christmas originals. I love Christmas music so it was a lot of fun to do this and I’m glad I get to share it with you guys."^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• 2007: Please Come Home
• 2008: This Good Night Is Still Everywhere^[2]

Although Dustin never attended a music school and does not typically work with sheet music, he spent years studying the guitar, music theory and songwriting with professional guitarist, acclaimed author and Berkeley graduate Karl Aranjo. The two retain a cordial relationship but do not play or write together.

Equipment[link]

Guitars[link]

Kensrue plays Gibson acoustic guitars on stage for his solo project and certain Thrice songs, like "Come All You Weary", as well as Thrice's acoustic sets. For an electric guitar, Kensrue uses the "guts" of a Line 6 Variax put into a Nash brand Telecaster. He states the use for this guitar on Thrice's "Live at the House of Blues" DVD bonus features. He goes on to say that he chooses the Line 6 guitar for its versatility of tone and tunings, and that when he plays live, he can play the same guitar the whole set without changing the tuning or sounds that comes out of it. In the early days of Thrice, The Illusion of Safety-The Artist in the Ambulance, Kensrue was known to play a Gibson SG Jr.. In older albums you can see him with a Gibson RD Artist. See video "Stare At the Sun". He records all of his songs on his solo record with a Taylor GA5 series guitar, and plays it frequently in live settings. Dustin's Gibson SG is now on display in a Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, Massachusetts.

Amplification and Effects[link]

Kensrue uses a Line 6 pedalboard as well as a Line 6 Vetta II amplifier, again for their wide range of tones and the ability to not have a lot of pedals at his feet, but rather one large pedal board. During all of Thrice's performances during the Vans Warped Tour 2009, Kensrue can be seen using a M13 Line 6 pedalboard and a Vox handwired AC30. Currently in the studio, he's been using a Morgan 30/800 with a matching 1x12 cabinet with a POD HD500, with various Nash guitars ranging from a Jaguar Baritone to a Mustang with a push/pull pickup selector.

Personal Life[link]

His younger brother, Chase Kensrue, played guitar and piano for the band Eye Alaska.^{[citation needed]}

Dustin is currently the worship leader for the Mars Hill Church located in Orange County, California. [1]

References[link]

Other sources[link]

• Dustin Kensrue Official Site
• Dustin Kensrue's Official Myspace profile
• Thrice website
• Water is Poison, the Official Thrice Fansite
• THE So Cal Scene Interview with Dustin Kensrue

v t e Thrice Dustin Kensrue Teppei Teranishi Eddie Breckenridge Riley Breckenridge Studio albums Identity Crisis The Illusion of Safety The Artist in the Ambulance Vheissu The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV Beggars Major/Minor Live albums Live at the House of Blues Compilation albums If We Could Only See Us Now EPs First Impressions Live from the Apple Store Red Sky The MySpace Transmissions Singles "All That's Left" "Come All You Weary" Related articles Discography Sub City Records Hopeless Records Island Records Vagrant Records Book:Thrice