Hitchcockian! | Flash Post 358

Button, what I am about to tell you, seems straight out of a Hitchcock film. I watched Birds years back but the film still sends shivers down my spine.

I have also watched Birds. It’s funny how those people reacted to harmless crows!

Harmless? This evening, as I was leaving the building premises to go to Sahakari Bhandar for my monthly groceries, one of our security personnel, Amit, ran up to me and, pointing to a crow sitting atop the entrance, related how the crow has been attacking him repeatedly since the past few days! The crow that I saw was jet black, large and menacing– more like a raven— who sat picking at his plumes and glaring at Amit from time to time. Apparently she’s been a permanent fixture since the last few days, swooping down and viciously attacking him the minute he leaves the cover of the building.

Why do you think the crow has been behaving in such a manner?

Amit also mentioned that a few days back, an infant crow had fallen off one of the trees in our compound and died. Amit happened to be at that spot at that point of time.

Are you telling me that this crow was after Amit’s blood because she’s convinced he has a hand in the death of her baby?

Possibly and it’s not hard to believe this. Living species go for the jugular when their young are attacked or killed. Try and go near any animal that’s just delivered a litter. You will be torn to pieces. I guess it’s the same in the bird kingdom.

It’s an amazing world out there that few of us are aware of.

Would you believe it if I told you that crows believe in murdering one of their own once they find out that a member of their community is sick and ailing? It’s as if they don’t want one of their extended family member face the ignominy of suffering and pity from other species as well as their own.

You really mean this?

I do because I have been a witness to such episodes. How do you and I know the rules the crow kingdom follow? As humans, we may appreciate the idea of our children taking care of us when we are old and eighty, even if we have to walk with the help of a stick and get fussed over. Now, think about how smart crows are as compared to us. No fussing over when a fellow crow is old and eighty. Instead, they slay the ones who are dependent and can’t fend for themselves. I’d say they are extremely clever and smart.

But crows are one of the smartest living species around.