Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS) Encore with Kaeli Swift

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: This episode explores corvid thanatology—the study of crow responses to death—through biologist Dr. Kaylee Swift’s research on crow funerals, alarm behavior, memory, intelligence, and social learning. It blends science with personal story, showing how crows recognize danger, remember human faces, and exhibit complex, sometimes bizarre behaviors around death, while also highlighting Swift’s path through dyslexia, ADHD, and perseverance to becoming a scientist.

Main Topics: Crow funerals and death behavior (Priority: 5/5): The core topic is how crows react when they encounter dead crows: alarm calls, mobbing, investigative touching, rare sexual behavior, and other ritual-like responses that may function as danger assessment and social learning. Crow intelligence and cognition (Priority: 5/5): Swift explains that crows have unusually advanced cognition for birds, including memory, numerical ability, tool use, theory of mind, and sensitivity to being watched. Research methods and imaging (Priority: 4/5): The episode details how Swift and John Marzluff studied crow brains using FDG PET scans with radioactive glucose after exposing birds to stimuli such as dead crows, familiar people, or empty spaces. Human-crow relationships and cultural symbolism (Priority: 4/5): The conversation covers why crows are associated with death in Western culture, how that differs globally, and how urban residents can learn to appreciate crows as native wildlife with rich behaviors. Personal path into science (Priority: 4/5): Swift discusses her learning disabilities, struggles in school, eventual success through support and time-management skills, and how empathy and persistence shaped her scientific career. Fieldwork challenges and ethics (Priority: 3/5): The episode addresses the logistics and social risks of doing urban fieldwork with masks, taxidermy, police interactions, public confusion, and concerns about who can safely conduct such research. Emotional resonance of animal study (Priority: 3/5): Swift reflects on how studying crows changed her relationship to them, including her attachment to a banded crow named Go and how observing animal behavior can build empathy with the natural world.

Key Arguments: Crow responses to dead conspecifics are not simple grief alone; they likely serve an adaptive function by helping birds learn about danger and avoid threats. Crows are cognitively impressive—capable of behaviors comparable in some ways to primates, including tool use, theory of mind, and face recognition. Urban crows offer a rare chance for people to observe large-scale, natural wildlife behavior in cities, making them valuable for public science engagement. Many ominous crow stereotypes are culturally shaped; in other cultures, especially parts of Asia, corvids are associated with wisdom rather than evil. Swift’s difficult educational path shows that nontraditional learners can succeed in science when given support, patience, and strategies that fit them. Crow behavior around dead birds includes a wide spectrum from alarm and mobbing to touching, feather-pulling, and rare sexual behaviors, suggesting multiple underlying motivations. Some field methods rely on functional brain imaging rather than dissection because researchers want to observe live cognitive responses while minimizing harm and keeping birds releasable.

Data Points: PhD completion timeline: Just over 3 years - Swift completed her dissertation quickly to transition into a postdoctoral position in Denali. Graduate training duration: 2 degrees in 6 years - Swift described earning her master's and PhD in a compressed academic timeline. Grant support: 3 years - She received an NSF fellowship for personal support during graduate school, but not research funds. PET scan tracer window: ~15 minutes stimulus window - Birds were shown stimuli after FDG injection before imaging. PET scan scan window: ~45 minutes before tracer degradation - After anesthetizing the bird, the scanner detects where the tracer accumulated. Crow alarm/recruitment response: 15–20 minutes - Neighboring crows often arrive and mob after an alarm call near a dead crow. Touching dead crows: About 25% of the time - Swift observed crows touching dead crows more often during breeding season. Sexual behavior near dead crows: About 4% of the time - A small portion of observations included copulation or sexual display around dead crows. Breeding-season survival of first-year crows: About 50% - Young crows in Seattle had roughly half survival, with major mortality from urban hazards. Adult crow survival: About 80% - Adult crows had substantially higher survivorship than first-year birds. Roost size in Seattle: About 15,000 birds per night - A UW Bothell roost was cited as a major seasonal gathering site. Typical lifespan mentioned: Up to 17 years - Swift noted crows can live to be around 17 years old. Banding/crow subject age: At least 16 years old - The bird Go was estimated to be at least 16 when her body was found. Fieldwork schedule: 15-hour days - Swift described intensive urban fieldwork days in Seattle.

Pivotal Quotes: "Crows are primates, essentially." — Dr. Kaylee Swift: Used to emphasize the striking cognitive sophistication of corvids compared with other birds. "I think that they are just thinking, I am full of sexy hormones right now because it is my breeding season, and there's a thing down here." — Dr. Kaylee Swift: Her explanation for why crows sometimes exhibit sexual behavior around dead crows. "That is one reason, but there was actually a really brilliantly designed study looking at ravens that more scientifically showed that they are thinking that they're imagining competitors that they can't see." — Dr. Kaylee Swift: A discussion of corvid theory of mind and social cognition.

Implications: Listeners should see crows as highly intelligent, socially complex animals whose reactions to death may reflect danger-learning rather than simple superstition. The episode also underscores the value of urban wildlife and inclusive support for scientists with nontraditional learning paths.