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Head outside and look for signs of one of the most intelligent birds around: crows.  See what you can learn about these clever birds by watching them.

What you need:

• binoculars (optional)
• bird field guide (optional)
• peanuts in the shell or pieces of dry dog or cat food
• string
• small cardboard box (optional)

What you do:

1. Learn how to spot crows. Crows are solid black birds that grow to about 20 inches long. They are often seen in groups, and you can identify them by their familiar call: Caw! Caw!
2. Ahoy, it's a crow's nest! It isn't easy to spot a crow's nest, but knowing where to look helps. The nests are very high, near the treetops, and made of sticks.  Nests can be as large as two feet across.
3. Give a crow a puzzle. Crows are clever at figuring out ways to reach food. They have even been observed fashioning hooks out of twigs and wire to reach a treat. Once you know where to find crows, you and your child can devise a puzzle for them to solve and get a peanut treat. 
   • For example, you could tie a peanut at the end of a 3-foot length of string and tie the other end to a tree branch to suspend the treat. How does the crow get the nut?  Wait and see.
   • Or put a treat in a small cardboard box and close it. Encourage your child to come up with other crow brainteasers.

Learn more about crows at:

• eNature
• Wikipedia
• Crows! Strange and Wonderful by Lawrence Pringle is full of information for children who want to know more about crows.
• Watch a video of Betty the Crow making a tool to get a treat from BBC News.

 

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