Crows keep grudges, can remember your face for 17 years

Grudges have long been part of human nature. From everyday social media spats to the classic revenge themes in Bollywood, we’re no strangers to holding on to past wrongs. In fact, among Gen Z, something as small as not getting tagged in an Instagram story can spark a silent feud.
Think of the typical Bollywood revenge plot. A child watches helplessly as their family is wronged by a cruel landlord, only to return decades later for justice. What sustains this vendetta for 20 or 25 years? A childhood grudge.
Grudges take many shapes. But in a surprising twist, it's not just humans keeping score anymore. Crows are joining the league of long-term grudge holders.

A long-term study led by Professor John Marzluff at the University of Washington reveals that crows can remember human faces and hold grudges for up to 17 years. It all started in 2006, when researchers wearing a scary mask captured and released seven crows. Over the years, they wore the same mask while walking around campus, and the birds never forgot.
At one point, 47 out of 53 crows began to scold and dive-bomb the masked researchers, despite only seven being originally trapped. This proves not just memory, but social learning, as crows passed the knowledge of danger to others, including younger birds.
By 2023, the aggression faded, showing the memory did eventually die out, but not before spanning nearly two decades.

To test how deep the grudge ran, researchers introduced a “neutral” mask resembling former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. People wearing this mask fed the crows and were never attacked.
But when new volunteers unknowingly wore the "dangerous" mask, they became targets. This confirmed that the crows had not only remembered the threat but could clearly distinguish friend from foe.

This behaviour isn’t limited to the lab. In Dulwich, a wealthy London suburb, residents have reported being dive-bombed by angry crows. One woman, Alison Frean, shared that she was targeted three times while getting out of her car, leading locals to avoid going outdoors at certain times.

Beyond holding grudges, crows are remarkably intelligent. Studies have shown they can:

One of the most fascinating findings is that crows pass their knowledge to others. When one bird identifies a threat, it spreads the warning to its community. Young crows learn from older ones, meaning some birds can recognise danger without experiencing it directly.
This ability, called cultural transmission, is something humans pride themselves on. That birds can do it too places them high on the intelligence ladder of the animal kingdom.

Whether you’re holding a grudge against an old flame or a former manager, you might have more in common with crows than you think. The next time you see one eyeing you suspiciously from a treetop, remember it might just be remembering you, too.
And unlike humans, crows won’t leave you to “read.” They’ll dive-bomb instead.