Why it Sucks To Be Born As a Crow — Transcript

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1. 0:00you're born in a nest high up in a tree
2. 0:01it's not fancy just a pile of sticks
3. 0:03held together with luck but it does the
4. 0:05job Mom and Dad hover around calling
5. 0:07their approval like they've just built a
6. 0:09luxury condo inside the nest it's
7. 0:11crowded your siblings are loud pushy and
8. 0:14just as hungry as you there's no such
9. 0:15thing as taking turns if you want food
10. 0:17you squawk louder than everyone else mom
11. 0:19stays close keeping you warm while Dad
12. 0:21flies back and forth with food he works
13. 0:24hard bringing worms insects and whatever
14. 0:26else he can scavenge occasionally he
15. 0:28shows up with something that probably
16. 0:29was is not meant for Birds but you eat
17. 0:31it anyway sometimes he gets help from
18. 0:33other crows helpers are like the unpaid
19. 0:35interns of the bird world and they pitch
20. 0:37in when there are too many beaks to feed
21. 0:39at first the food is soft and pre-wed it
22. 0:41is not exactly appetizing but when Mom
23. 0:44leans over and drops it into your beak
24. 0:45you are not in a position to be picky
25. 0:47after a week or two the menu expands to
26. 0:49include chunkier options worms beetles
27. 0:52and other solid snacks become The New
28. 0:53Normal you are growing fast and
29. 0:55apparently that takes a lot of fuel
30. 0:57Beyond The Nest there's a whole world
31. 0:59out there but you don't care about that
32. 1:00yet your only real priority is making
33. 1:02sure you don't accidentally tumble out
34. 1:04of the nest it's a long drop and you're
35. 1:06pretty sure you wouldn't bounce at
36. 1:07around 1 month mom decides it's time for
37. 1:09you to learn how to fly you're not sure
38. 1:11how wings are supposed to work but you
39. 1:13flap them anyway your first attempt ends
40. 1:15with a graceful belly flop onto a lower
41. 1:17Branch not ideal the second try is worse
42. 1:19you miss the branch entirely and end up
43. 1:21in a pile of leaves on the ground if
44. 1:23anyone asks you meant to do that after a
45. 1:25few days of bruised pride and
46. 1:27questionable aerodynamics you finally
47. 1:29managed to stay in the air flying feels
48. 1:31incredible Until you realize you have no
49. 1:33idea how to land you aim for a branch
50. 1:35misjudge entirely and slam into it
51. 1:38sideways but hey at least you're
52. 1:39Airborne now flying also comes with
53. 1:42responsibilities suddenly everyone
54. 1:44expects you to keep up with the family
55. 1:46mom swoops effortlessly through the
56. 1:48trees while you're flapping along like a
57. 1:50busted kite there's no time for breaks
58. 1:52either Hawks are always watching and
59. 1:53they love a wobbly rookie like you and
60. 1:55then there's food mom points to the
61. 1:57ground and you're supposed to figure out
62. 1:58how to grab a beetle flight you dive
63. 2:01down with all the confidence in the
64. 2:02world only to end up with a beak full of
65. 2:04dirt mom just stares at you probably
66. 2:06wondering how you're even related flying
67. 2:08is harder than it looks but you're a
68. 2:10crow you've got this well eventually
69. 2:12here's the thing about your species
70. 2:14you're very smart at first though you
71. 2:16don't know much you learn by watching
72. 2:17you keep an eye on the older crows how
73. 2:19they dig through the dirt for insects
74. 2:21flip over leaves to find hidden snacks
75. 2:23or pull scraps out of tricky places
76. 2:25you're not great at it yet but you copy
77. 2:27them until you figure it out if one of
78. 2:29them drops a nut from a branch to crack
79. 2:30it open you're right there trying the
80. 2:32same thing shortly after you also learn
81. 2:34about Predators you don't start out
82. 2:35knowing which animals are dangerous so
83. 2:37you follow the adults lead hear that
84. 2:39Sharp Urgent CA that means danger you
85. 2:41don't stop to think you duck into cover
86. 2:43and stay still over time you pick up on
87. 2:46the patterns you learn Which shapes in
88. 2:47the sky mean trouble and which ones
89. 2:49don't social skills come next the adults
90. 2:51communicate constantly cause postures
91. 2:54little gestures you hadn't noticed
92. 2:55before you mimic those too learning how
93. 2:58to fit in without causing too much
94. 2:59trouble it's a lot to pick up but you're
95. 3:01getting there and then there are humans
96. 3:03they leave food everywhere scraps crumbs
97. 3:06and leftovers you figure out where they
98. 3:08drop things when they're distracted and
99. 3:10how to grab what you want without
100. 3:11getting too close some humans even offer
101. 3:13food others try to shoe you away which
102. 3:15is hilarious because you remember faces
103. 3:17if they cross you once you'll make sure
104. 3:19they regret it later Revenge isn't just
105. 3:21satisfying it's efficient at some point
106. 3:23you realize it's not just you your
107. 3:25siblings and your parents out there
108. 3:27there's a bigger picture the local
109. 3:29murder your extended family and a few
110. 3:31neighbors become your Social Circle it's
111. 3:33chaotic but somehow comforting foraging
112. 3:35with the murder is your first real group
113. 3:37activity if someone finds food word
114. 3:39spreads fast and everyone shows up
115. 3:41uninvited it's not exactly a Cooperative
116. 3:43effort more of a free-for-all but the
117. 3:45numbers work in your favor more eyes
118. 3:47mean more chances to spot something
119. 3:49edible then there's the warning system
120. 3:51if a predator shows up the whole group
121. 3:53rallies one crow spots it and within
122. 3:55seconds the alarm call spreads you
123. 3:57scream too because why not it's very
124. 3:59loud and strangely effective Hawks cats
125. 4:01and other threats learn quickly that
126. 4:03this neighborhood is not worth the
127. 4:04trouble fitting in takes some effort you
128. 4:06watch the older crows to learn the
129. 4:08unspoken rules who to approach who to
130. 4:10avoid and how to hold your own without
131. 4:12stepping on too many feathers it's a
132. 4:13delicate balance but you get the hang of
133. 4:15it the murder might seem like chaos from
134. 4:17the outside but it works there's safety
135. 4:19in numbers a constant Buzz of activity
136. 4:21and a sense that even in the mess you're
137. 4:24part of something bigger as you get
138. 4:25older you start spending less time with
139. 4:27your family group you still stick close
140. 4:29to the murder but your focus shifts to
141. 4:31exploring on your own the pull toward
142. 4:33Independence feels natural there's a
143. 4:34whole world out there and it's time to
144. 4:36see what it has to offer foraging
145. 4:38becomes a solo activity you explore new
146. 4:40territories testing your skills at
147. 4:42finding food sometimes it's a win like
148. 4:44stumbling across a perfectly intact
149. 4:46sandwich other times it's a humbling
150. 4:48experience like when you mistake a piece
151. 4:49of plastic for something edible trial
152. 4:51and error is part of the process and
153. 4:53you're quick to learn what's worth
154. 4:54grabbing and what isn't Independence has
155. 4:56its risks without a sentinel Crow
156. 4:58keeping watch you have have to rely
157. 5:00entirely on your instincts a rustle in
158. 5:02the bushes or a shadow passing overhead
159. 5:04means you freeze assess and act fast
160. 5:06most of the time you're quick enough to
161. 5:08avoid danger but there are close calls
162. 5:10like the time you nearly became a hawk's
163. 5:11lunch you've learned that sharp reflexes
164. 5:14and a healthy dose of caution go a long
165. 5:15way even though you're forging your own
166. 5:17path the murder is always there when
167. 5:19food is scarce or predators are a little
168. 5:21too bold you rejoin the group foraging
169. 5:24together is easier and mobbing Predators
170. 5:26is far safer with backup Independence
171. 5:28feels good but so is having a safety net
172. 5:30one afternoon you're minding your own
173. 5:32business poking around for something to
174. 5:34eat when a fox comes out of nowhere it
175. 5:36jumps charging straight at you you flap
176. 5:39your wings like mad and barely make it
177. 5:40to a branch the fox jumps after you
178. 5:43snapping at your tail feathers but
179. 5:44you're faster you let out a sharp call
180. 5:46an alarm call and within seconds
181. 5:48reinforcements arrive the murder swarms
182. 5:50in dive bombing the fox from every angle
183. 5:53you join in swooping just close enough
184. 5:55to make it Flinch the fox Yelps spins
185. 5:58and bolts running for its life as the
186. 6:00crows Chase it all the way out of the
187. 6:01area you shake yourself off and hop to a
188. 6:03higher Branch crisis averted stupid Fox
189. 6:06when spring rolls around you decide it's
190. 6:08time to find a mate you don't rush it
191. 6:10picking the right partner is important
192. 6:11to impress a potential mate you pull out
193. 6:13all the stops a bit of aerial acrobatics
194. 6:16here some confident call there it's not
195. 6:18subtle but it gets the job done once she
196. 6:20agrees you seal the deal with some
197. 6:22mutual grooming and food sharing with
198. 6:24your partnership established the two of
199. 6:25you get to work on the nest you both
200. 6:27gather Twigs moss and whatever else
201. 6:29looks Nestor hauling it up to the
202. 6:31highest Branch you can find Predators
203. 6:33can't climb trees right that's the
204. 6:35theory anyway after a lot of back and
205. 6:37forth and probably a few disagreements
206. 6:39The Nest is done it's sturdy and
207. 6:41completely functional good enough soon
208. 6:43after your mate lays a clutch of three
209. 6:45eggs her job is to sit on them keeping
210. 6:47them warm for the next few weeks your
211. 6:48job everything else you spend your days
212. 6:51flying around bringing her food and
213. 6:52making sure nothing with claws or sharp
214. 6:54teeth gets too close it's exhausting but
215. 6:56the eggs eventually hatch and that's
216. 6:58when the real work begins now it's a tag
217. 7:00team operation you both take turns
218. 7:02hunting for insects worms and whatever
219. 7:04else the chicks can swallow they're loud
220. 7:06constantly hungry and completely
221. 7:08dependent on you to make things even
222. 7:09more interesting some of the other crows
223. 7:11show up to help they mean well but let's
224. 7:14just say their enthusiasm doesn't always
225. 7:15match their usefulness over the next
226. 7:17month the chicks grow fast they start
227. 7:19out as Tiny awkward bundles of fluff but
228. 7:22before long they're flapping their wings
229. 7:23and testing their limits you teach them
230. 7:25the basics how to find food how to spot
231. 7:28predators and most important importantly
232. 7:30how to survive without falling out of
233. 7:31the tree it's a steep learning curve but
234. 7:33they'll manage you've built a life
235. 7:35raised chicks and earned your place in
236. 7:36the murder you'd think things might slow
237. 7:38down but no life as a crow is a
238. 7:40full-time job foraging is still a mix of
239. 7:42strategy and sheer luck you've learned
240. 7:44where the best scraps are bins picnic
241. 7:47tables human leftovers but so has
242. 7:49everyone else it's a race to get there
243. 7:51first and someone's always trying to
244. 7:52snatch your prize then there's the
245. 7:54constant need to stay sharp from a hawk
246. 7:56to a cat everything out there is
247. 7:58probably trying to eat you you mob those
248. 8:00Predators until they run away annoyed
249. 8:02but unharmed even humans can be a
250. 8:04problem some are kind enough to toss
251. 8:05food your way While others swing brooms
252. 8:07like you've declared war on their Garden
253. 8:09you never know what to expect and yet
254. 8:11it's not all stress every so often you
255. 8:13get a chance to explore you mess with
256. 8:15sticks test out new ways to open tough
257. 8:17shells and sometimes just watch the
258. 8:19world below from your perch your
259. 8:21curiosity keeps you sharp but it also
260. 8:23gets you into trouble this is life at
261. 8:25its peak cleverness survival and keeping
262. 8:28one step ahead of everything and
263. 8:29everyone it's not glamorous but you
264. 8:31wouldn't have it any other way but soon
265. 8:33Everything Will Change one day while
266. 8:34you're perched on a branch a hawk comes
267. 8:36out of nowhere you do not even see it
268. 8:38coming there is no warning no chance to
269. 8:40react in an instant you are pushed from
270. 8:42the tree and fall to the ground like a
271. 8:44stone a while later a human walks by
272. 8:46they see your body and Crouch down
273. 8:48tilting their head like they are trying
274. 8:49to figure out what went wrong they poke
275. 8:51you gently maybe even whisper something
276. 8:53not realizing you are beyond help your
277. 8:55murder watches from the trees to them
278. 8:57this is clearcut the human killed you
279. 8:59that is all they need to know from that
280. 9:01day on they make the human's life
281. 9:02miserable they scream at him every time
282. 9:04he walks by dive bomb him and make sure
283. 9:06he never feels safe outside again he has
284. 9:08no idea why you are gone but your group
285. 9:11remembers not just through the tricks
286. 9:12you taught them but by turning their
287. 9:14rage into a lifetime Grudge Life as a
288. 9:16crow might be rough but there's another
289. 9:18animal out there that has it way worse
290. 9:20trust me it's wild check out the video
291. 9:22and see for yourself