Mitzi Dunlap, age 13, of Thomasville, N.C., for her question:
ARE CROWS INTELLIGENT?
Members of the crow family of birds can be found almost the whole world over. Only in Antarctica, New Zealand, a few of the oceanic islands and in southern South America will you find none of the family members. No other bird family has earned for itself a more prominent place in legend, folklore and literature than the bold and noisy crow.
About 100 species of birds are assigned to the Corvidae classification. Heading the family group are the aggressive crows, ravens and rooks. Right behind them are the equally bold jackdaws and jays.
Scientists tell us the family originally came from the northern temperature and subtropical portions of the Old World about 25 million years ago and then spread from there to the rest of the world.
The crows seem to have reached the New World considerably later than the jays, for its family members have pushed southward only as far as the Honduras. Yet crows are more aggressive and adaptable than the jays and are stronger fliers, too. It seems probable, therefore, that it won't be long until the crow members of the family catch up with the jays.
Many experts credit the crow as being the most intelligent of all birds. All agree that they do indeed have mental qualities of a high order.
Experiments with crows show they have considerable learning ability. They can count up to three or four and have also learned to associate various noises and symbols with food. The experts also agree their calls have recognizable meanings.
Long before the days of modern behavior studies and scientific analyses of bird noises with hifi equipment and sound spectrographs, most bird watchers knew the difference between the various crow calls: the loud, clear assembly " caaw, " the rapid " ca ca ca " of alarm and the excited, scolding ''caw caw.''
Perhaps the best proof of crows' intelligence is their adaptability to change and their success in withstanding constant persecution. Although they help farmers by eating insect pests, they also pull up and eat sprouting corn. Almost everywhere man is against them. Still they manage to survive and prosper.
A singular attribute of most crows is their ability to coexist with man.
The crows' rate of reproduction is not abnormally high. The bird is single brooded, and the clutch varies from three to five greenish eggs heavily spotted with brown. Most of the family are tree nesters, although the raven and a few others nest on cliffs. All build open nests of sticks and twigs.