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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xenospiza" data-source="post: 1862613" data-attributes="member: 23772">A bit of searching on Bekoff gives an idea of where he stands. However, I think dismissing the reaction of magpies on seeing a dead one as "looking for something to eat" is wrong too.Corvids are known to become very excited on seeing a dead or distressed (conceived) member of the same species. This can have all kinds of origins: warning/search for a predator, implications to the pecking order etc. The fact that they return to the same spot may have to do with having a second look at what caused the danger (corvids have a good memory for sites).These observations must have led to farmers hanging up dead crows (or black plastic): a common method in the Netherlands to (try to) keep them off fields.I think corvids definitely are more intelligent than swallows or ducks, that will even try to copulate with dead congeners... [and not because they are perverted].</blockquote>