Article content

Love them or hate them, crows seem to be just about everywhere. And while their cawing constitutes part of a typical day, scientists still aren’t sure exactly what these cheeky birds are saying to one another.

Now, a group of researchers at the University of Washington Bothell, north of Seattle, have decided to eavesdrop on the nearly 16 thousand crows that reside at the university, in an attempt to understand their secret communication.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or What is the meaning of 'caw'? Researchers aim to decipher the secret language of crows Back to video

“(The project) is kind of general interest because I think as humans we’re just fascinated by other intelligent animals, and we see and hear crows everyday,” says lead researcher Dr. Douglas Wacker. “People wonder what it is these birds are saying.”

Photo by University of Washington

The research team is a collaboration of professors and undergraduate students in biology, engineering, and computer science. According to Wacker, what makes this study unique is the methodology. In the past, people would study crow vocalizations by holding a microphone up to them, but the birds would change their calls simply because a human was present.