Can Crows Talk? (How Do They Communicate + FAQs)

Crows are not only very intelligent birds, but also very social birds. The loud and intense call of crows is an unmistakable sound used as a form of communication between individual birds and larger flocks.

But is the ability to grasp human language one of their impressive cognitive abilities? Read on as we examine crow communication and answer the question: Can crows talk?

Crows rely on a number of different vocalizations to communicate with each other, including calls, clicks and rattles. They are excellent imitators, able to imitate a large number of sounds, including human speech and those of other birds and animals.

But while crows can make sounds that mimic the words and phrases spoken by humans, that’s not the same as actually being able to speak, initiate conversations, or even understand any meaning of the words they speak.

Imitation and speaking are two different skills, and while crows that spend a lot of time in the company of humans can be trained to repeat words in a way that can be clearly recognized as “speech”, it’s not clear how well understood the meaning is or what crows might have context.

Join us as we take a closer look at all the types of sounds crows make and investigate some popular ideas about the language skills of these highly intelligent corvids.

Crows are excellent imitators and can imitate human speech

How do crows communicate with each other?

Crows are highly social birds that maintain constant communication with each other using a variety of calls, including calls, rattles, clicks, patterns and coos. Each of the different sounds and combinations seems to have specific meanings that, according to the researchers, are also understood by other crows.

Crows have several different types of calls, and they are a form of communication between family members, spouses, and other crows in the same colony. Bird experts analyze the possible meaning behind each to learn more about how corvids communicate.

Kaus

These are probably the most common calls associated with crows. Depending on the situation and the company, the call can range from a low pitch to a louder, more raspy sound. Recognition of members of the same family or group will be marked by frequent, repeated, gentle call greetings.

Danger is signaled by sharper calls, in an attempt to scare away hostile birds. These loud, aggressive calls call out to members of the pack, effectively bringing strength in numbers to repel any potential threat. Worrying situations, such as the discovery of a dead crow, also produce a series of repetitive, forceful calls.

Loud singular calls are used to alert other family members to gather at food sources, especially where crows have observed humans habitually leaving food behind.

The contact call, a series of unhurried horizontal calls followed by a pause while waiting for a response, is a common form of crow communication and is thought to be a crow announcing its presence and waiting to hear whether any crows in their “flock” are nearby . These calls are not intimidating or increase in intensity, and may be answered by calls of a similar sound if familiar company is nearby.

carrion crow call

rattles and clicks

Paired crows can often be heard making low-pitched rattles at each other. Young crows may also click to get their parents’ attention. We don’t know exactly what these sounds mean, although they form a valuable element of communication between crows that know each other.

grunt grunt

Crow courtship rituals involve gentle cooing, quiet singing, and nose-rubbing sounds that are far less vocal than the harsher calls associated with warning or territorial defense.

American crow calling for mate

Do crows mimic other birds?

Birds vocalize using an organ called the syrinx, a two-chambered sound generator that can be controlled and moved to produce different sounds and pitches. Crows are very good at using this organ, and their mastery of mimicry comes from their ability to control their syrinx with great adroitness.

Natural imitators, crows can learn and reproduce more than 100 different sounds, including human speech, the calls of other birds and animals, and even mechanical sounds such as vehicles and sirens.

Can crows understand human language?

Crows display an advanced recall ability, remembering human faces, sounds they hear and experiences they have been exposed to.

Through repeated training and exposure, imitation crows do have the ability to imitate any human sound and word they hear, although they are not believed to understand the meaning of what they “say”.

Likewise, humans can imitate the calls of crows, but can only guess at the meaning behind the different sounds.

American crow siblings fight over food

Can you teach a crow to talk?

Crows and other crows that live with humans can be taught to repeat about 100 human words and phrases they hear regularly. Crows can be trained to reproduce human voices in what’s known as “parrot fashion,” although crows don’t pronounce words as accurately as parrots.

However, if you think you’ll be able to have a full-on two-way conversation with crows, you’ll be disappointed, as their speech is limited to imitating sounds rather than speaking what’s in their head.

A pair of hooded crows communicating

If you split a crow’s tongue, would it really talk?

It’s a cruel myth that a raven can talk if you take its tongue apart. The sounds that crows make originate in their throats and an organ called the syrinx; the tongue doesn’t play any major role. In humans, the teeth, tongue, and lips all produce speech. Crows have no teeth or lips, and a tongue is not used for vocalization.

In addition to being brutal, splitting a crow’s tongue can prevent the bird from communicating and eating properly, which is an extremely cruel and unnecessary practice.

Perched American Crow calling from a fence post

Can crows talk like humans?

While crows are very intelligent birds, many of their talents fall short of true independent, fluent human speech. Crows in captivity with humans can be taught to imitate words or speak, but no matter how much training is provided, they will never be able to initiate a conversation or use language to communicate ideas to humans.