Those crows do seem to look out for one another. They don't take threats
or harm to their clan members lightly.

I remember vividly several years ago when I was awakened one early
morning by three startling events that unfolded within just a few
minutes. It wasn't until later that I learned they were connected.

First, I heard an explosion outside my Madrona (neighborhood in Seattle)
home. As I groggily came to consciousness, I was aware of a huge,
incredibly loud, raucous, endless chorus of crow-cawing that simply
could not be ignored. I gave up on sleep, arose and discovered that my
electricity was out.

I called Seattle City Light. Crews showed up a short time later and
found a dead young crow on the sidewalk beneath some kind of electrical
equipment on the power pole outside my house. The crewman said it was a
common occurrence that time of year. Young crows were out exploring and
would poke at a certain part on the top of this electrical equipment,
causing it to short out and instantly electrocuting the crow. The crow's
relatives started up their raucous cawing in response to the death of
the young crow, he said. The crewman said the utility is gradually
replacing the part in equipment around the city with a crow-resistant
variety.

--
Jane Hadley
jhadle at halcyon.com
Seattle, WA