Crows Hold Grudges for Generations
Crows hold grudges - and teach their family to do the same.
Fact-checked · 2 verified sourcesReviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Last updated 18 September 2026 · Editorial standards
Crows hold grudges - and teach their family to do the same.
In 2006, UW professor John Marzluff wore a caveman mask while briefly trapping 7 crows. For years after, any person wearing that mask was mobbed and scolded - even by crows born years later that never saw the trapping. The peer-reviewed study proved at least 2.7 years of memory, with Marzluff observing the warning persisting up to 17 years.
It's why crows you feed may leave you bottle caps and twigs - like Seattle's Gabi Mann, who received over 100 trinkets after feeding her local flock.
Sources & Further Reading
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