The American Crow’s rattle call is uncommon, and researchers aren’t sure what it means. It could be a gathering call, a predator alarm, or a call between mates. But if you hear it, you might think it sounds like cackling laughter. However, no one has identified a crow noise that indicates glee at the expense of another creature. It’s just a coincidence that the rattle sounds like a laugh. However, crows can play pranks on other animals: egging on cats to fight and yanking on dog tails for their own amusement. They aren’t pranking for survival — as far as we can tell, it’s just for fun.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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