Can crows sense death? For thousands of years, crows are represented as an omen of death and believe that crows can predict death. Lots of superstition and mythological theory existed behind it.

One of the major reasons behind this superstition might be that crows are always found with human dead bodies and crows are great scavengers. But it’s nothing but only a misconception because crows do not have any supernatural power to sense death and there is also no evidence behind it. 

Common Superstition 

There are lots of superstitions related to crows. Most populars are:

• If three crows are roaming around the house together, someone from that house will die soon. And it’s the same for the six crows too.
• Seeing a single crow is taken as a misfortune.
• Seeing five crows is the sign of sickness.

Can Crows Sense People’s incoming Death?

No, crows cannot sense people’s incoming death, but the myth of them doing so has been around for centuries. People have believed that crows can detect signs of death, and when they spot them, they will flock to the area to scavenge for food. Recent studies have debunked this myth, proving that crows are actually just drawn to areas of death for the food resources. Despite this, crows continue to capture the imagination of many people all over the world.

Can Crows Sense Death?

“Crows can sense death”, there is some reason behind these theories. Because of some myths and coincidental reasons it gets stuck into the human mind for thousands of years. Below we are going to discuss some of these-

Mythological theory

In the Vikings myth, crows are the symbol of death and prophecy. Odin is a Vikings god who can see and hear everything and also the god of death and war .Odin has two crows who serve him and deliver him messages from everywhere. Viking people believed that the crow’s presence in the battlefield was sent by Odin.

Similarly according to Greek mythology, Greek god Apollo tells people about the future by using crows and ravens. According to the Celt nation, if three crows roaming around a house together then death is knocking the door of that house.

In fact Japanese, Romans and in many other cultures of the world crows are taken as harbingers of death because of their mythological reason which doesn’t have any proof.

Carrion Creature

It’s very familiar for us to invent a large number of crow around a dead body. When dead bodies started to rot, the flesh started to produce putrescine and cadaverine. Carrion bird-like crows can smell the chemical smell and easily locate the spot. The smell of the rotting flesh is work like a feast gong for crows. So we can say that a crow doesn’t sense but it can smell death

Crows Funeral

We often see when a crow dies, a group crow surrounding the dead body starts to make very loud and harsh sounds constantly. It seems they are mourning just like humans do. This is another reason why people relate them to the deaths. But research said, mainly they are trying to find out the reason of the death which can be threatening for their survival too.

Observation Power and Smartness

Some forum said that crows brain power is almost equivalent to chimpanzee. Crows have very good observing power and they can easily identify the sick and dying animal. If they detect any weak or dying creature they follow it for days and wait for the animal to die. Theses is another major reason for these sensing death rumors.

Plague doctor and their Crow-faced-mask

One of the biggest pandemic of the 17th century is Back plague and the plague doctors used to wear a crow faced mask and they sometimes held a rose in their hand to avoid the smell of death. Since then, because of these face mask crows are associated with deaths.

Black Signifies the Death

There is a common culture in our society to wear black at funerals. And if we think about movies maximum time the villains and especially evil and haunted movie characters wear black costumes. And crows are also black in colors. The mysterious human mind relates these with darkness.

Without these it is very hard to find any area without crows because crows are everywhere in the world. And they need to stay close to the human because of food, so naturally they know when any human gets dead. So we can say that they are not any omen or harbinger and  their presence it’s very common instantly around the dead body as a carrion creature.

Do Crows Smell Death?

Yes, crows can smell death. They are highly sensitive to odors associated with dead bodies and are known to flock to areas where they can detect a corpse. Scientists believe that crows may use their sense of smell to identify predators or other potential threats and to locate food sources.

Crows have even been known to alert other crows of a dead body, leading to a large gathering of the birds around a deceased animal. This behavior has been observed in other species, such as vultures, suggesting that their ability to smell death is an evolutionary adaptation.

Read: How To Attract Crows To Your Yard [7 Proven Tips]

Why Do Crows Come When Someone Dies?

Have you ever noticed crows gathering around an area when someone dies? It’s a phenomenon that has been observed for centuries, leaving many to wonder why crows come when someone dies. As it turns out, there are actually a few different theories to explain this behavior. Some experts believe that crows are attracted to the gathering of people after a death, while others think that they can sense a change in the environment.

But there is no direct relationship between crows and death. In fact, crows may be drawn to a gathering of people simply because they are attracted to the food that is offered. This may explain why crows are often seen at funerals and memorials, where people are likely to share food in remembrance of the deceased.

No matter the reason, it is clear that crows are a powerful symbol of death and mourning, and their presence is a reminder of the fragility of life.

That’s All, Folks!

Although there is no scientific evidence to support the belief that crows can sense death, their presence near people’s passing is still a mysterious and fascinating phenomenon that captures the imagination of many.

Hyeat

Hyeat is the founder of Birds Indeed, a blog dedicated to all things avian. With a passion for birds and a deep understanding of their behavior, Hyeat shares their knowledge and experiences with readers. Join Hyeat on their journey to learn more about the diverse and beautiful world of birds.