[paul Robinson]

Hi
I heard a repeated loud tap-tap-tap followed by a croak and tracked it down to a crow sitting on top of a lamp post. The crow was tapping the post between its feet (which must have been slightly hollow in some way for the sound to carry so well) then croaking. It did this same pattern of 3 taps-croak about every 20 seconds for several minutes. There was nothing in its feet apart from the lamp post it was sitting on.
Anyone else come across a musical crow??
Paul

[Romafree]

Ha!! Maybe he is so happy that the weather has finally improved?!!
No, seriously, I have no idea if they do that but it must have been interesting to watch (and hear!)

[theunseenowl99]

I have had Alaskan Ravens perched above my camp on the Yukon R. practicing various sounds like cats and dogs and other birds and watched them looking at each other taking turns. Imagine a bird trying to mimic a barking dog or a cat's meow. They are by far the smartest birds, they have to be, since they do it just for fun. Parrots do it because they are imitating and want to please you and be rewarded.

There was also a spate of incidents in Japan of giant crows/ravens snatching people's cigarettes out of their mouths and grabbing their hats off their heads about 15 years ago. it got to be a problem in their minds.

I had a friend once who had a bunch of dogs and he had this raven that was almost a pet, it would eat out of his hand and "talk" to him, but it would also go and harass his dogs to the point of being ridiculous. this one dog liked staying in his dog house and the raven would peck the roof of the house and make strange sounds like a woodpecker.

Eventually, this one dog played dead long enough that the "Sam Kinison" of the bird world ended up getting eaten. My friend was heartbroken. Another friend had to talk him out of shooting that dog dead.

[pianoman]

I've seen both Hoodies and Rooks striking similar poses and making similar peculiar noises. I think it's the closest that these crows get to a "song". It reminds me of a crusty old man complaining and muttering under his breath then shouting things at passers by every so often. They also remind me of Beavis' mutterings from "Beavis and Butthead"! Magpies do this too but don't sound quite so unhinged.

[Andy Hurley]

A teacher at the school I went to had a raven called Craa. It sat on his shoulder and smoked his cigarette.