Proc Biol Sci February 2012 PMID 21715408

Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows.

Heather N Cornell, John M Marzluff, Shannon Pecoraro

Mentions

137
Peak: 15 in Jul 2021
across 7 sources since Feb 2019

Extended reach

596,994
potential audience

Total likes

859

Video views

16,350

Mentions per month

Feb 2019 – Aug 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter65 posts
  • News50 articles
  • Blogs14 articles
  • Facebook3 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Reddit2 posts
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The group extensively discusses the cognitive skills of crows, such as recognizing faces, holding grudges, and warning others about threats, which reflect strong agreement and interest. Their tone combines scientific curiosity with a sense of amazement, highlighting how social learning among crows could significantly affect our understanding of animal intelligence and behavior.

AgreementStrong agreement

Most discussions emphasize that crows can recognize faces, remember threats, and pass warnings, supporting the article's findings.

InterestHigh interest

The posts show high curiosity about the cognitive abilities of crows, highlighting their social behaviors and communication.

EngagementHigh engagement

Users actively cite research, discuss implications, and share examples, indicating deep interest and thoughtful engagement.

ImpactHigh impact

Many posts suggest that this understanding of crow behavior could influence how humans interact with or design conservation strategies for crows, showing high perceived significance.

Abstract in brief

  • This study shows that American crows can learn to recognize and react to dangerous faces through both individual experiences and social cues, such as watching their peers or family members.
  • Crows exposed to a novel dangerous mask by trapping and conditioning responded with immediate scolding, and this behavior spread over a large area via social learning within five years.
  • The research highlights the tradeoff between costly, firsthand learning and less expensive, social information, with social learning allowing for rapid spread of alarm behaviors and more efficient recognition of threats.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Clifton
@clifton_r · X

@erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research studies where people with masks pretended to threaten crows, the crows passed on warnings about those masks to peers and to their children! https://t.co/OeI7HMXqWJ

Jul 28, 2021 · 221 likes · 17 shares · 145 followers View post →
agent ndn
@TheAgentNDN · X

If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight with some crows and see how that works out for you. https://t.co/VGeD753Khe

May 18, 2019 · 75 likes · 13 shares · 27,983 followers View post →
BTO
@_BTO · X

And for the final answer, number 15: it is, of course, Crows. A study on American Crows showed that not only did the Crows remember the faces of their attackers, but also taught other Crows to attack them: https://t.co/5NTHlATvo2 #SpookyBTOQuiz #Autumnwatch @BBCSpringwatch https://t.co/ju7q8muQOq

Oct 30, 2020 · 12 likes · 2 shares · 111,705 followers View post →
ふじむらたいき:小説を読まない書評家
@fujifujizombi · X

【参考】 『Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows』2011

Sep 11, 2023 · 7 likes · 1 share · 21,316 followers View post →
ATOME ⚛
@ATOMEE__ · X

Nov 28, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 83,581 followers View post →
ava taylor
@avascrows · X

Crows and humans Crows are able to recognize human faces, and are able categorize those faces as either safe or dangerous. Plus, these social crows will teach their neighbors and family about people who are dangerous to them.

May 9, 2024 · 6 likes · 58 followers View post →

All mentions

Salih
@salih_jesse · X

@halmthecreator @kafamasikicam nasıl olduğuna dair değil bu link genel bilgi. asıl kaynak bu https://t.co/1JnerAobQh

Aug 27, 2025 · 6 likes · 19 followers View post →
Shadowed
@Shadowed_reborn · X

@nenadujamina To sa poredjenjem zivotnja sa decom nekog uzrasta nije bas adekvatno jer korelacija nije adekvatna. Sto se tice pamcenja lica i prenosenja informacije, yup, evo istrazivanja: https://t.co/jarLVMlTFl

Jul 7, 2025 · 1 like · 35 followers View post →
Mister Keith
@keithmo.bsky.social · Bluesky

Don't annoy them. They will remember you! Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... birdfact.com/articles/do-...

Jun 6, 2025 · 1 share View post →
Nicolò Bagarin
@nicolo_b_404 · X

@BenShindel Just don't make them angry! Apparently, crows can hold intergenerational grudges. https://t.co/8TOuq68hcc

May 8, 2025 · 1 like · 21 followers View post →
VeteriCeci
@VeteriCeci · X

Y aqui los links a algunos de los artículos:

Mar 12, 2025 · 1 like · 176 followers View post →
Agingdoc
@agingdoc1 · X

Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows

Nov 10, 2024 · 1 like · 43,258 followers View post →
Agingdoc
@agingdoc1 · X

Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows https://t.co/p4jy4ZeowN

Nov 10, 2024 · 1 like · 43,258 followers View post →
Sebastian G. Alvarado
@Sebcredible · X

https://t.co/XDumjhSHae https://t.co/xeip1KmlRS

Nov 10, 2024 · 2 likes · 695 followers View post →
Ben {chmark} Adams ⟠
@ben_a_adams · X

@Aelthemplaer @Rainmaker1973 The Crow does also have pretty good communication to pass on their hate https://t.co/4ubn8zVPUW

Sep 10, 2024 · 2 likes · 12,667 followers View post →
ava taylor
@avascrows · X

Crows and humans Crows are able to recognize human faces, and are able categorize those faces as either safe or dangerous. Plus, these social crows will teach their neighbors and family about people who are dangerous to them.

May 9, 2024 · 6 likes · 58 followers View post →
James Moyle
@3piecio · X

Try to fathom how rich the communication mechanisms must be in crow society to be able to transfer this level of information to each other Evidence points to cross-modal communication Original Papers: https://t.co/IPUKU15fYj https://t.co/jOycEfZC8k https://t.co/XoaVq5MUDM https://t.co/kqBLDt4ZsU

Jan 17, 2024 · 23 followers View post →
Illegal Demon
@MonzaMoosa · X

@clif_high Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows - https://t.co/P9K9mnOCGR

Jan 7, 2024 · 14 followers View post →
kuba naum
@Writing60_naum · X

"Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows" - this is my main article and incorporates elements from the other John Marzluff article I posted about.. (he's the guy in the picture) #39canimals

Nov 6, 2023 · 41 followers View post →
ふじむらたいき:小説を読まない書評家
@fujifujizombi · X

【参考】 『Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows』2011

Sep 11, 2023 · 7 likes · 1 share · 21,316 followers View post →
le D
@berrkryl · X

RT @Maxens_wlfr: @meorurtoorn @WorldKnownledge Je crois que ça vient de cette étude https://t.co/KYi4qSeVQz

Jul 9, 2022 · 1 share · 91 followers View post →
Maxens
@Maxens_wlfr · X

@meorurtoorn @WorldKnownledge Je crois que ça vient de cette étude https://t.co/KYi4qSeVQz

Jul 4, 2022 · 4 likes · 1 share · 42 followers View post →
tikidata
@tolaniakinola_ · X

@oyinkanijose ~ I got you slatt

Jun 15, 2022 · 1,132 followers View post →
Katherine
@KatherineHadl11 · X

#39canimals 1/3 of my "big 3": Don't cross a crow, or you might become an enemy of the entire flock. https://t.co/u0GIqqVld2

May 5, 2022 · 47 followers View post →
bbddpp
@bbddpp · X

RT @Atomedesavoir:

Nov 30, 2021 · 1 share · 3,147 followers View post →
ATOME ⚛
@ATOMEE__ · X

Nov 28, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 83,581 followers View post →
Finaedel
@Finaedel · X

@fakehistoryhunt Ah can’t find the study about gun & sticks, but found one explaining they can recognize faces and talk about it : https://t.co/edT4nQ1y4E

Nov 1, 2021 · 171 followers View post →
mel the sixth
@smolwarden · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 30, 2021 · 17 shares · 1,196 followers View post →
Lola THE DH & ROB MANFRED ARE BAD FOR BASEBALL
@lawbibliophile · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 30, 2021 · 17 shares · 2,267 followers View post →
xena.
@Groovychickenn · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 29, 2021 · 17 shares · 2,570 followers View post →
AKA: Darkeus
@TheBigDS3 · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 29, 2021 · 17 shares · 1,449 followers View post →
well loved stories
@ms_peaceweaver · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 29, 2021 · 17 shares · 6,600 followers View post →
QueerlyDiscontent2
@AmishScientist · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 1,945 followers View post →
litt3rb0xx
@litt3rb0xx · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 140 followers View post →
snoop from peas
@princebeforeson · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 290 followers View post →
CherokeeNative ☮️
@CherokeeNative3 · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 8,873 followers View post →
Lee in Iowa
@Lee_in_Iowa · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 83,847 followers View post →
岩倉 ''kill Nazis, support Q/Ts, let ↙↙↙ lead'' 玲音
@NIV7 · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 462 followers View post →
Koda
@ek0da · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 86 followers View post →
mac
@nichtgefund · X

RT @clifton_r: @erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research…

Jul 28, 2021 · 17 shares · 1,678 followers View post →
Clifton
@clifton_r · X

@erinbiba And they *tell* other crows, so that crows who have never met that person know about them. In one of the research studies where people with masks pretended to threaten crows, the crows passed on warnings about those masks to peers and to their children! https://t.co/OeI7HMXqWJ

Jul 28, 2021 · 221 likes · 17 shares · 145 followers View post →
Polistudium
@polistudium · X

Gli uccelli, come i corvi, possono anche portare rancore per cinque anni e spargono la voce tra amici e parenti. https://t.co/TgnbTFuUgC https://t.co/1cjkvvzOyV

Jul 19, 2021 · 3 likes · 58 followers View post →
Gaćica (Read only)
@MajaMimikrija · X

@nemojdame znanstveno utemeljena istina

Jan 28, 2021 · 486 followers View post →
Kelsey May
@treeeswallow · X

Excellent article detailing how American crows teach each other about threats (in particular, threatening humans) through scolding and mobbing. https://t.co/LcSK2MNVOP.

Dec 29, 2020 · 454 followers View post →
Aves • Artist & Finch Parent
@avian_aves · X

RT @heatonmoorpark: Crows of the park, and elsewhere: Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows ......…

Nov 17, 2020 · 2 shares · 4,554 followers View post →
BOU
@IBIS_journal · X

RT @heatonmoorpark: Crows of the park, and elsewhere: Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows ......…

Nov 17, 2020 · 2 shares · 21,447 followers View post →
原 拓史
@haltaq · X

RT @IBIS_journal: Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows https://t.co/Yy8fwuV9j3 | @royalsociety #Pr…

Nov 13, 2020 · 2 shares · 3,555 followers View post →
Keith Hamer
@KeithCHamer · X

RT @IBIS_journal: Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows https://t.co/Yy8fwuV9j3 | @royalsociety #Pr…

Nov 13, 2020 · 2 shares · 537 followers View post →
BOU
@IBIS_journal · X

Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows https://t.co/Yy8fwuV9j3 | @royalsociety #ProcB @RSocPublishing | #ornithology https://t.co/fHNZan68uX

Nov 13, 2020 · 3 likes · 2 shares · 21,447 followers View post →
Heaton Moor Park
@heatonmoorpark · X

Crows of the park, and elsewhere: Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows ........ https://t.co/BcMAhgHN3I #crows #ornithology (Video by Zuzanna Musial from Pexels) https://t.co/GPNxLQI1dE

Nov 2, 2020 · 1 like · 2 shares · 1,687 followers View post →
BTO Cymru
@BTO_Cymru · X

RT @_BTO: And for the final answer, number 15: it is, of course, Crows. A study on American Crows showed that not only did the Crows rememb…

Oct 31, 2020 · 2 shares · 2,825 followers View post →
Imogen
@ImogensInklings · X

RT @_BTO: And for the final answer, number 15: it is, of course, Crows. A study on American Crows showed that not only did the Crows rememb…

Oct 30, 2020 · 2 shares · 143 followers View post →
BTO
@_BTO · X

And for the final answer, number 15: it is, of course, Crows. A study on American Crows showed that not only did the Crows remember the faces of their attackers, but also taught other Crows to attack them: https://t.co/5NTHlATvo2 #SpookyBTOQuiz #Autumnwatch @BBCSpringwatch https://t.co/ju7q8muQOq

Oct 30, 2020 · 12 likes · 2 shares · 111,705 followers View post →
Steffi
@SteffiGiraffe · X

@dIforgottenman @corvidresearch The research about this is here https://t.co/Y3dA0Arb8v (if you can't access, try https://t.co/vqySXd71K2

Sep 30, 2020 · 81 followers View post →
Francesca Cappellini
@francycappe · X

Do you hold grudges? Many animals hold grudges, even for many years. For example, crows can hold grudges for five years, and they spread the word among friends and family. Researchers captured, banded, and released wild crows wh…https://t.co/CddZiVjezr https://t.co/q6vDOjMMsu

Aug 20, 2020 · 30 followers View post →
nearfuture
@nearfuture · X

Neat! (The original paper is also worth reading, even for those of us who know nothing about birds: https://t.co/fNNqlLxvfc) https://t.co/iGgSjSPWSw

Jul 6, 2020 · 133 followers View post →
AmyShackles
@AmyShackles · X

@antoniogm I’m going to take this moment to say that crows have culture, they remember things, they’re social, and they teach each other. So if you’re going to make an enemy of crows... realize that that’s a thing. https://t.co/j7zjjKgxfJ

Jun 13, 2020 · 3 likes · 841 followers View post →
Swann
@apophaticrealm · X

@cgab25331 https://t.co/MrJelXrph5

Mar 19, 2020 · 63 followers View post →
Haris Orgn
@harisorgn · X

@conorjh @mollydot I believe this is it : https://t.co/kn2cXCFqu6 Original study used caveman masks as "dangerous" and Dick Cheney masks as "neutral"

Oct 5, 2019 · 91 followers View post →
Gwilym Lockwood
@GwilymLockwood · X

@SzMarsupial https://t.co/Qyd3rjjtjw The supplementary materials with the masks used are quite something. https://t.co/YmQm5wAENC

Aug 1, 2019 · 3 likes · 1,799 followers View post →
AnnaGarleff
@AnnaGarleff · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 19, 2019 · 13 shares · 1,010 followers View post →
patti doyle-bedwell
@Pattidbedwell · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 19, 2019 · 13 shares · 4,297 followers View post →
Lexi
@LDSalazar666 · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 19, 2019 · 13 shares · 63 followers View post →
Tadhg O Caoimh
@mbakunin88 · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 19, 2019 · 13 shares · 1,327 followers View post →
Buy our building, help save lives
@EaglesElatis · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 1,750 followers View post →
Dr June Scudeler
@JuneScudeler · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 1,542 followers View post →
Crystal Suisho
@crystal_suisho · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 985 followers View post →
Todd Kitzler
@WntKitz · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 145 followers View post →
Terrill Tailfeathers
@Terrilltf · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 45,374 followers View post →
Bitch-Nachotron 9000
@Jess_Dollfays · X

RT @AgentNdn: If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight…

May 18, 2019 · 13 shares · 830 followers View post →
agent ndn
@TheAgentNDN · X

If you think that Indigenous notions of having "treaties" with plants and animals is ridiculous, I invite you to pick a fight with some crows and see how that works out for you. https://t.co/VGeD753Khe

May 18, 2019 · 75 likes · 13 shares · 27,983 followers View post →
Francisco J. Parada
@neuroparada · X

#social #learning in #crows, so cool @alerossic & @wylieprof https://t.co/KGBwc2XdKa

Feb 17, 2019 · 1,253 followers View post →