SCP-7337 washing a piece of food in a water feature of the Site-88 botanical gardens.

Item #: SCP-7337

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Due to its comparatively minor anomalous properties and low Veil-threatening status, SCP-7337 is permitted to remain uncontained.

Personnel tasked with studying SCP-7337 are to maintain a suitable roost for it and up to 20 other crows in the Site-88 botanical garden. At least two designated primary caretakers are to be assigned to maintain amenities allocated to SCP-7337, including food, cleaning supplies, and enrichment/training objects. Requests for additional amenities may be made to the Site Director.

Direct interaction with SCP-7337 and associated crows is permitted to research personnel with Level-2 or higher clearance, provided they have completed requisite ornithology training. Should any member of SCP-7337's murder (including SCP-7337 itself) establish a trust bond with a Foundation staff member, said staff member is to carefully document all activities they engage in with the crow(s). These reports are to be submitted on a weekly basis to the SCP-7337 research team.

Description: SCP-7337 refers to an instance of Corvus brachyrhynchos (American crow) possessing multiple minor anomalies. These anomalies include:

Heightened intellect, notably puzzle-solving ability comparable to that of the average adult human;

The ability to attract other members of its species to itself to form a murder1;

The ability to shed gold-hued feathers, which can become permanently affixed to the plumage of other crows2 (The significance of this occurrence is currently unknown.);

When observed indirectly and at distance, the appearance of a third leg at the base of its tail feathers.

SCP-7337 typically surrounds itself with various other members of its species, most commonly those displaying submissive characteristics such as begging for food via cawing and spreading wings. While non-anomalous corvids of this species usually take advantage of such behaviors to establish dominance, it is noted that SCP-7337 does not display aggressive behavior, nor does it attempt to establish a hierarchy between itself and others.

Additionally, the murders formed by SCP-7337 typically do not consist of familial crows, as is common in traditional groups of such corvids. Instead, SCP-7337 appears to approach individuals solely if they have been previously rejected by other groups. Further research into this phenomenon is currently ongoing.

SCP-7337 was originally registered as a completely unrelated anomaly, wherein various crows nesting within the Site-88 grounds were observed to possess a single golden feather tucked within their plumage. It is noted that this anomaly came to Foundation attention shortly before the landfall of Hurricane Sally in 2020, when local crow populations were sent into a state of upheaval and various murders were disrupted. In the aftermath of the hurricane, there was a 230% increase in crows possessing a single gold feather roosting near Site-88 and the surrounding area.

The reason behind this occurrence remained a mystery until 31/12/2020, when Researcher Gonzalo Paez initially observed a crow (later identified as SCP-7337) removing a single feather from itself and placing it among the flight feathers of another crow. The feather then changed color to the previously observed golden variant, leading to an investigation into the various crows which inhabit the area. SCP-7337 was easily identified as it was the only crow not possessing a single golden feather upon its plumage. The behavior observed by Paez was repeated on 03/01/2021 on another crow, and SCP-7337 was officially categorized shortly after.

Addendum SCP-7337-1: Behavioral Logs from Researcher Ōtsuka, team lead (former) for SCP-7337 project.

SCP-7337 Log 1: Researcher Ōtsuka

- behavior consistent with that of non-anomalous crows (foraging and hoarding mannerisms)

- seem wary of humans (normal) but SCP-7337 birds less skittish around humans who give them resources

- uncertain as to how crows determine edge cases (e.g., groundskeeper repairing the birdbath fountain)

- birds seem to recognize those who refill their bird feeders daily

- I am identified due to hair color? greyer than younger staff, and my giving toys/enrichment to birds

SCP-7337 Log 12: Researcher Ōtsuka

- many crows within SCP-7337’s group engaging in courtship behaviors

- nest-building behaviors not seen yet

- some smaller enrichment items (shiny toys) went missing over the last week

- SCP-7337 birds also take certain flowers from the springtime bouquets left on tables to attract pollinators

- birds try to bring "replacements" (loose change coins, a piece of a broken CD, and half of a fast food box)

- "replacements" left on table holding the crows’ allotment of enrichment items.

SCP-7337 Log 25: Researcher Ōtsuka

- heat and the humidity = fewer personnel attending regularly to birds

- SCP-7337 and crew stay in shaded spots in the garden

- new crow in murder, birds are getting it acclimated to the people here

- SCP-7337 "striding" around garden, new crow (scruffy-looking male) following it

- when approaching me, new crow very wary but SCP-7337 nudged it forward. I gave them both some unshelled peanuts

- both crows did not approach food until I backed up a few paces

- potential inquiry: funding to install aviary? better temperature-controlled areas the birds can spend time in

SCP-7337 Log 38: Researcher Ōtsuka

- small autumn-themed picnic out on the grounds today in vicinity of birds

- someone made bird-safe muffins, staff had muffin pieces and tried to see if SCP-7337 or any of the crows would approach them

- crows did not approach, except one junior researcher got swarmed by the birds

- researcher was very quiet during the whole picnic (just finished Foundation Master’s and wasn’t sure where to go next with the degree). Reason for birds to approach?

- some of SCP-7337's murder tried to sit on her shoulders and preen her hair

SCP-7337 Log 63, second week of switching from notes to audio transcripts. Oversight wants more spontaneous observations rather than afterthoughts I suppose. Well. I should have brought another jacket for the walk between the greenhouse and the rest of the botanical gardens. We opened up a little side room in the greenhouse for the crows to occupy. They can come and go as they please and I think they like that. The crows seem to be enjoying the heated area, I see them all huddled up under the lamps. Some of the older ones caw at me when they see me arrive, but they don’t swarm me like they used to. I wonder if they can tell when I’m in a mood? Smart birds. [pause] I think I’ll miss them a lot, when I’m done here. Technically I’m far past the age for retirement, but I could never really leave well enough alone, could I? There was always more I wanted to do. There still is more I want to do, but I don't know if that's because I genuinely want to continue with my research, or I'm just scared of what I would do if I didn't have my work to take up my time. It's more comfortable sticking with what you know.

SCP-7337 Log 78. Has it really been that long? [pause] It’s springtime again already. I can’t believe that I’ll be retiring in a few days. Higher-ups told me there would be a ceremony for the lot of us, out in the courtyards. That’s when we get the keys to our benefits residences too. Maybe the crows will see me. They probably aren’t used to seeing that many people. I wonder if they would think that we’re all just part of the same big flock? [pause] It will feel strange no longer coming in for work each day. Even if the retiree community is only a few minutes from here by vehicle, it feels like I’ll be going far, far away. [pause] They did say I could come back and visit. Maybe I will.

SCP-7337 Log 79. I… I do not know what to say. There is a feather in my hair, a feather of gold, from SCP-7337 itself. I had gone to say my final farewells to the murder, brought along some special treats as well, and somehow… somehow I felt like, they knew. Almost every crow was there, I remember their distinguishing features, you see. The little spitfire with the slightly bent beak. The older fellow with the scraggly head feathers. The stately lady with the missing toe.

SCP-7337 found me after the ceremony. I was just… sitting on my usual bench, as I always do. [laughs] I thought he wanted another snack, or maybe he wanted to play. But no. Just hopped right up on my shoulder, feather in his beak, and stuck the feather in my hair. I can’t get it out, and now I’ve got… this streak of gold in my hair? I reported it immediately, but the Site Director just told me to keep an eye on it, check in every once in a while, and focus on the move. [pause] You know what, I think… I think I’m looking forward to it. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to settle down, really settle down. I’ve watched these crows find their place for a year, it might just be my turn now.

Closing note: As of 15/06/2023, the Foundation personnel assigned to the SCP-7337 project received a letter from Researcher Ōtsuka. Attached to the letter was a photograph of three crows, presumably two parents and a juvenile, sitting atop a picnic table identified as being on the shared property Researcher Ōtsuka occupied with other Foundation retirees. The two parent crows both have a single golden feather3 tucked into their plumage, and the juvenile is pictured playing with a feeding enrichment toy. Researcher Ōtsuka is seated at the table; there is a noticeable streak of dark-and-gold hair amidst the silver-white of her natural hair color. The letter was unsigned, and read, “They brought the new little one to visit. It’s nice to be remembered.”

Addendum SCP-7337-2: On 06/12/2024, Foundation personnel observed a younger crow within the SCP-7337 murder receiving a golden feather. However, rather than the usual melding effect, the plumage of the crow in question turned entirely gold, with black streaks. Closer examination of video footage of the incident shows that when observed from certain angles the crow also appears to possess a third leg. SCP-7337 was noted to have reverted to the form of a seemingly non-anomalous corvid.

The new successor, tentatively designated SCP-7337-1, was observed in previous interactions to have been particularly sensitive to human emotional states, as well as being well-accepted by the entirety of the SCP-7337 murder. SCP-7337-1’s most commonly recorded activity was noted as “assistance” to other crows, aiding SCP-7337 with onboarding new arrivals by guiding them around the botanical gardens and showing where various resources could be found. On one occasion, SCP-7337-1 had been observed assisting a junior researcher with locating the correct fertilizer to use for a certain flowerbed.

SCP-7337, meanwhile, has been most frequently spotted in the vicinity of Ōtsuka's retirement apartment, having taken up residence in a tree close to the premises. Discussion regarding revising designations for SCP-7337 and SCP-7337-1 are underway. Further research is necessary, to better determine whether the anomaly inherent to SCP-7337 merely affects an entity by chance, or rather, is a position that must be earned.

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