Bird Brain?

It is generally known that among birds the crow is considered to be one of the smartest.  What few ornithologists realize however is that the smartest crows live within the mountain shadows. 

I saw this illustrated just the other day at a stop sign at the corner of Yaqui Gulch Road and the Old Highway. I noticed two crows in the middle of the road by the stop sign pecking at something in the road.  After a minute or so one flew off.

Moments later the crow returned and dropped an acorn next to the other one. The one still on the road picked up the acorn and hopped to the edge of the road.

Presently a car came along and stopped at the stop sign.  The crow with the acorn hopped back out and carefully wedged the acorn underneath the left front tire of the car and then hopped back to the edge of the road where the other was waiting.

The car moved and the acorn shell was crushed and the two crows at once hopped out and began eating the exposed acorn

It was then that I realized being called “bird brained” is not actually the insult it was intended to be.

.

To read more Mountain Shadows:
James Heth Archives

James Heth Email:
James Heth