Narrator/Aviva de Kornfeld

This story starts with a little tenderness. Alan Martin's a real nature lover, spends as much time as possible hiking around the mountains and birdwatching near his home in Vancouver. So it pained him when he had to cut a big tree down in his front yard, because he didn't want to disturb any of the animals living in it.

This story starts with a little tenderness. Alan Martin's a real nature lover, spends as much time as possible hiking around the mountains and birdwatching near his home in Vancouver. So it pained him when he had to cut a big tree down in his front yard, because he didn't want to disturb any of the animals living in it.

But the tree was starting to rot, and he was afraid it would fall onto his house. And so, like the sensitive environmental scientist that he is, Alan waited until autumn, when he knew that nesting season was over. And then, just to be extra careful, he brought in an arborist to assess the tree, to make sure he wouldn't be messing with any little critters' homes.

But the tree was starting to rot, and he was afraid it would fall onto his house. And so, like the sensitive environmental scientist that he is, Alan waited until autumn, when he knew that nesting season was over. And then, just to be extra careful, he brought in an arborist to assess the tree, to make sure he wouldn't be messing with any little critters' homes.

He got the okay and hired a couple guys to cut the tree down while he stood by, directing them this way and that.

He got the okay and hired a couple guys to cut the tree down while he stood by, directing them this way and that.

That's very weird.

That's very weird.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alan saw the crow fly past him and he thought, did that crow just hit me? It hurt.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alan saw the crow fly past him and he thought, did that crow just hit me? It hurt.

Alan thought, OK, maybe this crow didn't live in this tree, but it must have meant something to it. He knew that crows are really smart, but they're also very vengeful birds and territorial.

Alan thought, OK, maybe this crow didn't live in this tree, but it must have meant something to it. He knew that crows are really smart, but they're also very vengeful birds and territorial.

How could you tell?

How could you tell?

Okay.

Okay.

This smaller crow snitching on Alan to the bigger crow, this is a real thing. I ran Alan's story by a crow researcher named Loma Pendergraf. Loma said that if a crow sees something it deems dangerous, it'll sound an alarm to summon other crows. And if they agree there's a threat, they'll dive bomb. This whole routine is called mobbing. Some people attacked by murder of crows, they'd be angry.

This smaller crow snitching on Alan to the bigger crow, this is a real thing. I ran Alan's story by a crow researcher named Loma Pendergraf. Loma said that if a crow sees something it deems dangerous, it'll sound an alarm to summon other crows. And if they agree there's a threat, they'll dive bomb. This whole routine is called mobbing. Some people attacked by murder of crows, they'd be angry.

Not Alan or his family.

Not Alan or his family.