Crow symbolism, meaning and the crow power animal

Crow meaning and symbolism include adaptability, cleverage and iIntelligence, TCooperation and reciprocity, ttransformation, and ppsychic abilities. Crows live on every continent except Antarctica. (And their close bird relatives, jays, exist in South America.) So, crow symbolism, meanings, and mythology exist in many cultures around the world. Additionally, the crow spirit animal is a sacred spirit animal for those who feel connected to these highly intelligent birds. In this post, you will learn more about crow symbols and meanings and what they could mean in your life. You’ll also learn about crow spirit animals, crow mythology, and more.

What do crows symbolize?

Crow symbolism varies from culture to culture, but here are some commonly shared crow meanings, with details on each below:

wisdom intelligence adaptability teamwork and reciprocity transformation Psychic Abilities

Difference between crows and ravens

Raven on the left and crow on the right.

Before we get started, I thought it would be important to distinguish between crows and ravens. These two birds look very similar and are often seen together, but they are different nonetheless. First off, these two birds, along with their cousins ​​— crows, jackdaws, jays, nutcrackers, magpies, treepies, and choughs — all come from the same bird family corvids. They are also known as corvids.

Crows and ravens are two types of corvids. Ravens are generally larger than crows and usually travel in pairs with their mate. While crows are smaller and like to gather in large groups.

tail feathers

When you see these birds in flight, a crow’s tail looks like a fan because all of the tail feathers are about the same length. Ravens, on the other hand, have longer middle tail feathers, making their tails look more wedge-shaped when in flight.

Sounds

The two birds also make different sounds. Crows make a cawing sound, while ravens make a lower-pitched cawing sound.

Crows and ravens have similar meanings in cultural mythology. However, there are also some differences. If you are curious about raven symbols and meanings and the raven power animal, you can read this post here.

Detailed crow symbols and meanings

Crow symbolism: intelligence and cleverness

While the crow may not have the exotic flair of a flamingo or the richness of color of a hummingbird, beneath the onyx depths of those lustrous black feathers lies an avian brain like no other.

Crows demolish the insult that calling someone a “bird brain” means they’re not very smart. In fact, crows are considered the most intelligent animals on earth, along with primates, elephants and whales.

What Makes Crows So Smart? For one thing, their brains have a high number of neurons. These extra neurons are located in crows’ forebrain, the area of ​​the brain that controls complex cognitive functions.

Crows also exhibit behaviors that indicate high intelligence, such as B. making tools, having a strong memory (such as the ability to recognize human faces) and using non-verbal forms of communication.

The Crow and the Pitcher

The Crow and the Pitcher. Figure: Milo Winter.

There is a popular Aesop fable called The Crow and the Jug about a thirsty crow in the desert. He comes across a water jug, but his beak isn’t long enough to access the water in the jug. He realizes that if he tips the pitcher over, he may lose all of the water in it. So he decides to innovate and starts putting pebbles in the water jug. Eventually, the pebbles displace the water at the bottom of the pitcher, pushing the liquid down to a level where he can drink.

Enviable problem solving skills

The spirit of the crow should remind us all to use our brains to solve our problems. It’s easy to get emotional when we’re facing challenges in life. The crow reminds us to step back, take a deep breath, tilt our heads and look at the challenge from a different perspective.

Crow Symbolism: Adaptability

While many of us see crows on a regular basis, it’s important that we don’t take these clever creatures for granted. After all, they’ve demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive in the human-dominated world, so they must be doing something right. The crow is the embodiment of adaptability and acceptance of change.

When a crow crosses your path, it could be a sign that you are capable of taking action in any situation – even if you don’t always feel that way. Don’t let sudden upheavals in your life or other people’s dramas upset you. The crow spirit animal helps you adjust and soar above the fray, find a safe place to sit and watch it all unfold.

Be flexible and open to new situations.

Undoubtedly, one of the keys to crow survival in environments that are challenging for other animals is that, like coyotes and raccoons, crows are omnivores. Crows will eat anything from other birds to fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, mice, fish, frogs, carrion and dog treats. (If you go to dog parks, you’ve no doubt seen crows hanging around looking for treats.)

This too shall pass.

If the crow were a Sufi poet, he would say to you, “This too shall pass.” The crow is reminding you that we can all rest assured that things are changing. Resisting change is like living in a state of denial.

The crow spirit reminds you to be flexible instead of rigid. Be open to new experiences, whether they’re as simple as a culinary experience, trying to learn a new skill, or inviting new people into your life. Sometimes a change you dread or dread can turn out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to you.

teamwork and reciprocity

While ravens tend to stay with their significant other, crows like to congregate in large groups, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of birds. The term “crow kill” is often used to describe these large groups, possibly because these clever and social birds appear as if they are planning something when they are all together.

It is not for nothing that Alfred Hitchcock chose large groups of crows as his main criminals in the classic film The birds. In reality, however, crows are social and playful birds, using over 250 different calls when communicating with one another.

Crows work together to scare other birds, such as hawks and owls, out of their territory. They have also been known to seek out other crows to inform them of good food sources.

Loyalty and Lifetime Mates

However, although they are very social and will gather in large groups, crows are monogamous and mates for life.

One of my favorite stories about crows, demonstrating their understanding of teamwork and the concept of give and take, is the BBC video Gift Giving Crows.

In this documentary, a group of crows regularly bring gifts to a little girl who feeds them:

If the crow is your spirit animal, you are most likely a person who values ​​relationships. You understand that relationships are the greatest “currency” in life. As the saying goes – It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.

Crows also embody the Japanese proverb: “We are all smarter than any of us.”

Relationships

The crow spirit reminds you to nurture your relationships – with your family, your friends, your co-workers and most importantly – your significant other.

If you are very independent and/or single and a crow crosses your path, it could be a sign that one of your soulmates is looking for you. While soulmates can be romantic partners, they can also be close friends, business associates, and family members. The crow spirit animal reminds you that we should not do it alone.

Crow meaning: transformation

All over the world the crow is considered to be the mediator between the material and the spiritual world. As scavenging birds, they are often present at times of death, which is probably why they are associated with dying. Death is a scary concept for many of us. And so, crows are often thought of as “scary” birds. However, death is actually a transformation and not an end.

This depiction of crows as spooky, passed down from generation to generation, is why they are so closely associated with Halloween, cemeteries and the like. In fact, in Swedish folklore, crows were considered the ghosts of murdered people who did not have a Christian burial. And in Germany they were considered the souls of the damned.

The circle of life

However, this negative association of crows is misleading. As scavenging birds, crows are an integral part of a healthy ecosystem and life cycle continuum. Because of this, crows are powerful symbols of transformation.

When you see a crow, think about your life and the positive changes you want to make happen. See every challenge you face as an opportunity to grow as a person and as a soul. The crow can be a helpful symbol, serving as a catalyst for positive changes in your life.

Psychic Abilities

Moon Crow by Tamara Philips, Deep Colored Water.

Like the owl and raven, the crow also symbolizes psychic abilities. The crow is said to be able to see the past, present and future. If the crow is your spirit animal, you most likely have special insights into situations where others may not. It is important to always use these gifts as a force for good in the world.

Crow spirit animal

Your power animal serves as a guide in your life, bringing you teachings and messages from your spirit guides to help you navigate your life path here on earth and throughout your soul journey.

In Native American cultures, your power animal chooses you during a vision quest, meditation, or other powerful experience that affects the course of your life. You may know…