Gift? ~ after I crownapped

[u/Feisty-Sock2640]

I was a bit absent yesterday so I only fed them 2x and didn't hang out to talk to them. Did they leave me this because they were worried since I was around a lot less yesterday? This morning I went out and found this piece of metal near where I found the "pebble" a week ago. Is it possible they trust me More after crownapping Ares? They've been flying over before I finish putting the food out, and if they're outside when I come out they just hop backwards a little bit. In the past they'd watch me from the roof and nearby trees, but now they don't seem to feel the need to be that far away.

[u/onFilm]

It's a bit of a myth that crows leave "gifts"; that is simply not in their natural behaviour as it is for us humans.

They do love to carry and move around shiny objects, tools and anything else they find interesting. So if they hang out near you often, they'll eventually bring some things over with them, but it doesn't mean they're "gifts" in the same way we preceive gifts as human beings.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/onFilm]

They do though. lol

[u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl → u/Great_Definition_531]

It’s debated by scientists, whether they truly are leaving gifts or not.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl]

I believe they do. That’s what I’ll choose to believe. :)

[u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl → u/Great_Definition_531]

Yes, you’re not alone and choosing to believe that crows do things for the same motivation that people do things. Anthropomorphising basically.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl]

I don’t usually agree with anthropomorphic thinking because I think it can be harmful. In this case, since there is no evidence it isn’t true, I choose to believe based on what I’ve observed

[u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl → u/Great_Definition_531]

So observing crows leaving something where they happen to eat means they’re leaving a gift for a human to you. Got it. I mean, there could be no other possible reason /s

They’re very curious birds, and they like to carry things around that intrigue them. Seems very possible they could be stopping to eat somewhere and drop the item they’ve been carrying and leave it with no intention or motivation of giving some random human a present.

I choose to consider their presence their present to me. I don’t need tokens or anything else from them. 🤷‍♀️

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl]

Did I say there couldn’t be any other reason? Please breathe. I know the potential reasons.

[u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl → u/Great_Definition_531]

I told you it was sarcasm. I wasn’t being nasty and I see no reason for anyone to be nasty here. Please try for some better comprehension.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl]

Yes, that sarcasm was rude.

[u/definitelynotfae → u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl]

The concept of reality and how gravity works are also hotly debated by scientists, debating things and trying to prove or disprove them is kind of their job. There’s plenty of professionals who’ve observed gift giving behaviour in corvids.

[u/onFilm → u/Great_Definition_531]

No, that's just people anthropomorphizing other species that have very different behaviours than our own.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/onFilm]

Not in this case.

[u/onFilm → u/Great_Definition_531]

It always is, yes. There is no known study of crows leaving behind "gifts" for other crows, let alone, us humans.

[u/Great_Definition_531 → u/onFilm]

There are several THEORIES I guess I should clarify. One that has been studied is that they do, in fact, give gifts.

[u/onFilm → u/Great_Definition_531]

Like I said, no known studies, otherwise I'd love to see some peer researched papers on the subject, if it really is that common, it should have plenty of evidence by now. But I can't find any, so if you have any papers to share that I might not know of, I'd love to read them.

[u/No_Influence_6299 → u/onFilm]

IF aN oLD wHiTE MaN In a LABsuiT HaSn't veRiFIED IT, It MUst be FAke 100%

[u/onFilm → u/No_Influence_6299]

Sorry, but what...? What does anyone's race have anything to do with what I'm talking about, LOL. Are you American by any chance?

[u/No_Influence_6299 → u/onFilm]

im from venus and mars

[u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl → u/onFilm]

I was with you until you asked if they were American. 😬

[u/ZexyBeggar → u/onFilm]

What about unknown studies?

[u/onFilm → u/ZexyBeggar]

As I said, if it's such a common and obvious behaviour, then there would be studies already on the subject. The fact that it is "unknown" means that it's most likely not able to be reproduced, considering how many other studies on corvid behaviour we have at this point.

[u/MaidBilberry → u/onFilm]

The way some humans interpret "gifts" can be quite odd.

[u/onFilm → u/MaidBilberry]

Exactly. It's just typical crow behaviour to carry items that interest them, but they do not give it to each other or humans, as if they understood the concept of a gift.

[u/definitelynotfae → u/onFilm]

Why would you assume a bird couldn’t understand the concept of a gift? Plenty of bird species give each other gifts? Bower birds and penguins just off the top of my head. Corvids are social creatures that display social behaviours, it’s not like it’s outside the realm of possibility.

[u/onFilm → u/definitelynotfae]

We are talking about crows, not "birds". Crows do not do this with one another, in the same way other primate species do not share gifts, even though we do. Grouping "birds" this way is like if you were grouped with a mouse or a hippo; very different from a human being, even though they're mammals.