KevinJMcGowan

Yes, they are that smart. I have had this experience, too. Looking at a flock with just binoculars got no reaction. But, when I went and got my telescope and tripod, they alarm-called at me.

When that first happened to me I pondered over how many crows had actually been shot at, and it couldn't have been many. But, lots of crows had heard other crows yelling bad things at a person with a long object, and they believed it to be dangerous.

No, birds never do that. If the behavior was controlled by a gene (or complex), which would leave more offspring, a suicide/widow gene, or a get-over-it-and-get-on-with-life gene? All of the mate-for-life birds, including American Crows, stay with a mate for the shorter of the 2 lives, then it's find a new partner and keep keeping on.

Totally predator-prey thing. Crows are wannabe predators: they love meat, but they don't have the tools to catch and kill much. So, they're always on the lookout for an easy target. Those doves must have looked lost or stupid, and the crow and gull both agreed they were potential meals.

What percentage do you give the whole rise-from-the-dead thing?

The one you're looking at at the time!