Two is better than one
Finding a significant other is an important part of human life - we are made to believe, often at a very young age, that we need a partner; that two against the world is a lot better than one; that life alone is lonely and treacherous (by the way, it's not). For crows, however, pairing up is not only an important part of their lives, but also a need. Without a partner there is no reproduction, and without reproduction species can quickly become extinct - so reproduction becomes very much a key part of survival, and they know this. For the crows pairs are for life, and after they pair up, they stay paired up until one of them dies. Crows that lose a partner will likely pair up again if they are relatively young. If older, they tend to remain unpaired, which subsequently leads to the loss of territory and a lowering in rank. They will also grieve (although this is somewhat subject to debate) and in most cases there will also be a 'funeral', especially if there was an untimel...
