# The crows say 'Lololol.' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380 "2018-03-28T22:55:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/1 "2018-03-28T22:55:30Z")
The crows in the back yard make a sound like ‘lololol’. [This video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-cI8B2m6w&t=1m0s) shows a crow making a similar sound, but more like ‘lolol’ instead of ‘lololol’. Any idea of the meaning of this call? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/2 "2018-03-28T22:57:25Z")
Reported for title typo fix. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/3 "2018-03-28T23:05:33Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Reported for title typo fix. Fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/4 "2018-03-28T23:06:26Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Fixed. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/5 "2018-03-29T00:04:10Z")
Maybe it is a NoWA dialect? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/6 "2018-03-29T00:08:51Z")
It sounds more like ohoho, to me. It doesn’t sound like an alarm. Maybe he’s just singing. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/7 "2018-03-29T00:20:08Z")
Sounds like a bonding or mating call–they also make an odd crickety sound that’s a happy noise to connect to other crows in the area, kind of a “I’m fine, how you?” noise. Or it could be something that particular crow picked up because some of them are crazy good imitators. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/8 "2018-03-29T00:27:07Z")
That odd crickety sound reminds me of the Predator noise. It creeps me out when I hear them do that up in a tree behind me. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/9 "2018-03-29T00:31:03Z")
It is rather Predator sounding, isn’t it? Gotta love the crows. For those who aren’t familiar with this crickety noise–check the third call down, the one from Oregon, that’s what I’m on about. > **[American Crow Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/sounds)** > > American Crows are familiar over much of the continent: large, intelligent, all-black birds with hoarse, cawing voices. They are common sights in treetops, fields, and roadsides, and in habitats ranging from open woods and empty beaches to town... ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/10 "2018-03-29T01:06:50Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > It is rather Predator sounding, isn’t it? Gotta love the crows. > > For those who aren’t familiar with this crickety noise–check the third call down, the one from Oregon, that’s what I’m on about. > > [American Crow Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/sounds) At most of the Walmart parking lots I’ve been to, the crows have a slight variation of that call that sounds like a car with a bad CV joint/bad brakes turning down an aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/11 "2018-03-29T01:48:37Z")
I always hear a call that sorta sounds like “luckluckluck”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/12 "2018-03-29T02:09:42Z")
Our Sonic crows will cluck at you to throw them a French fry. They must have high cholesterol. The call sounds like a long cawww-ca ca. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/13 "2018-03-29T05:07:01Z")
Wow. I’ve never heard that. Very cool. **Hopeful Crow** might have an idea about it. Isn’t he a corvid fan? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/14 "2018-03-29T14:16:37Z")
Crows do sound like they’re laughing; to me they sound like W.C. Fields. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/15 "2018-03-29T14:57:53Z")
I use to have a crow in my neighborhood that sounded like a cat yowling. The first time I heard it I tried to follow it to see if it was a cat. About a year after I first heard the noise I finally saw the crow making the noise. Haven’t heard it in a couple years now. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/16 "2018-03-29T15:57:59Z")
Don’t know if it’s of interest, but when I played those crow calls my conure zoomed off and took cover. Feel a bit bad about that but how would I have known ahead of time? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/17 "2018-03-29T16:17:25Z")
Well, there you go. The bird knows. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/18 "2018-03-29T16:26:56Z")
Just to be clear: I’m asking about the ‘lololol’ sound similar to the one in the video in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/19 "2018-03-29T18:27:34Z")
I’ve never heard a crow make the sound in the OP, which is what leads me to think it’s something that particular crow learned to do. Crows are excellent mimics, and when raised in captivity have been known to acquire extensive vocabularies. I combed through a bunch of sites that have recordings of various bird calls and didn’t find anything like that one. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380/20 "2018-03-29T19:41:26Z")
I have listened to the OP several times. You know what it reminds me of? A car beeper when someone is checking their door lock. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crows-say-lololol/811380.md?page=2)