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Why These Creatures Were Seen as Cursed | Lindsay Nikole

Lindsay Nikole | November 5, 2025



For thousands of years, we’ve believed certain animals bring bad luck, signal doom, or even warn of death itself. But why? Let’s dig into the myths, legends, and wildly dramatic stories that built their spooky reputations. We’ll look at how crows and ravens became linked to death, why the aye-aye is considered a literal walking bad omen, and what deep-sea fish have to do with the end of the world (spoiler: not much).

A huge thanks to Josh and Gian for the fantastic editing!

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ABOUT LINDSAY NIKOLE
Join zoologist Lindsay Nikole for vivid stories about evolution, animal behavior, and the wonderfully weird life around (and before) us. Each video dives into creatures you’ve never met and facts you’ll never forget, blending science with humor, visuals, and memorable explanations. From viral mystery IDs and prehistoric deep dives to myth-busting and conservation context, this channel makes complex biology easy and exciting to understand.

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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Spooky Season
01:12 The Crow and Ravens
06:55 The Aye Aye
09:42 The DeathWatch Beetle
11:30 The Oarfish
14:08 The Owls

Cursed Creatures: The Biology of “Bad Omen” Animals | Lindsay Nikole
https://youtu.be/UUmjfPCmAKE

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Written by Lindsay Nikole

Comments

This post currently has 48 comments.

  1. @m.6292

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Awen was worshipped thousands of yrs ago, get your dam facts straight before you tell this BS to your eedjit Americans. It wasn't until Christianity(better called the downfall of humanity)that they were seen as bad omens, of course those eedjits thot a gust of wind was a bad omen.

  4. @KnittedSister

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    It's acorn season in Denmark right now, and our local crows have developed a new technique for cracking the acorns. There is a huge tree right by the parking lot at my local grocery store. They place a few acorns under the back tires of the parked cars, and then just hang out in the tree or on the lawn, and bicker while they wait for the cars to leave again. They seem to largely respect ownership, and the crow that places the acorn is the one who gets to eat it, though sometimes one of them tries to get away with theft, and a huge fight breaks out.

  9. @Velish_Games

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    My roommate and I leave shelled peanuts out for the neighborhood corvids. They frequent our nut-basket, and almost seem to enjoy the engagement they get out of shelling the peanuts.

  20. @NotAGraveRobber

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    We were doing a cool comparative anatomy/cladistics activity in one of my classes, and we were all deeply confused by the aye-aye which didn't have the expected dental pattern. We were all universally horrified by it's hand. I love that class.

  23. @AmandaHugandKiss411

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Magpyies can do and perform the same level of intelligence as crows and ravens. Including learning to speak *not mimic human language. They have the same length for raising their young. Same methodology of teaching their young. Same ability to recognize humans and identify who is a threat from who isn't and never forget even as you age and your features change.
    Crows, Ravens, and Magpyies aren't fooled by the various strategies that fool the most advanced facial recognition software, and they pass along that information to family members.
    Magpyies live with a mate and young. Grieve death, and will morn over their dead as with crows and Ravens. But they don't flock.

    Crows live in large extended family groups but will join up with other groups to form huge murders some with 60+ members when they do this.

    Ravens, like Magpyies, live with a mate and their young until the young are old enough to start off on their own. Although it is difficult to tell how long the males stay involved as males and females are identical in size and plumage.

    Magpyies and crows will live in urban and rural areas. Ravens tend to avoid large urban areas. Too loud is what they suspect, and too many people running around, and although they have a variety of dietary needs, they hunt much larger animals that aren't usually found in cities.

    Fun fact: In Canada, covid hit in March of 2020, Ravens were spotted within the first 2 weeks in our cities as we were in full lockdown. No traffic, people, public transportation. As soon as we were able to go out with only one family member allowed to leave and maintain social distancing, the Ravens left. Of course, moose and other animals had wandered in during that time and left when the Ravens left. Our Mountain Lions and coyotes were more visible than simply went back to not being seen, but they did leave as they are always are here 😅.

    (BTW, this is also true with pigeons, and they remember and pass along that information. They also understand symbols as do the above-mentioned species).

    Magpyies wake at the first light of dawn, Crows and Ravens wake once the sun is just below the horizon. They all return to their nest approximately at the same time in the evening. Although crows in the heat of the summer may still be out flying in those mega murders right up to dusk mostly because in the heat of the afternoon in our hotter cities, they tend to return to their nests. Magpyies return to their nests in the heat of a hot summer day, Ravens being in rual areas tend to stay active.

    Crows and Magpyies do not associate at all! But they give each other space and don't usually fight with each other, this mostly is because Magpyies start their day earlier than Crows and they are far more focused on raise their young and building a cash of supplies.

    Magpyies use and make tools or utilize man-made or natural made situations in place of tools whenever possible.

    Crows' and Ravens' nests pretty much are the same only difference is obviously the size.

    Magpyies make a dome woven over the top their nest, something you would think Crows and Ravens, with their high intellect would emulate 😅
    However, Magpyies fully know that are far more colorful and attractive and vain, maybe Crows and Ravens simply refuse to adopt this practice as they don't want to be seen as trying to be 'keeping up with the Jones'.

    I have a tree in front of my apartment with Magpyies and the very next tree has a family of Crows. Trust me, they do watch each other and snub each other.

    The current city I live in our Magpy population far out numbers our crow population. Both species knows this.

    My former city did not contain Any Magpyies. They aren't located in that part of that particular province. Magpyies don't fly south but fly into our wooded areas of the city. The city I used to live in had hordes of Crows, I think the winters are too cold and the summers are far to hot and humid for Magpyies. 🤔 But their supior nest, you'd think would solve this..who knows. No Magpyies in Winnipeg or Manitoba. Hordes of Crows and Ravens (in rural areas).

    In rual areas, none rarely fight as there's plenty of land, forest, fields, farms, and wildlife to go around.

    I am unclear why Magpyies are not spoken about when we mention the intelligence, child raising and other abilities they directly share with Crows and Ravens.

    Final Fun Fact: Magpyies are found everywhere but Antarctica. There's a number of Magpyies that are tropical and have similar colour's of plumage as parrots. ❤

  25. @jessicaleonard4228

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Crows and ravens are badass, they truly just do what they want. In the city that I live, we have small-ish birds of prey that can sometimes hunt small pets from people's yards like cats and small dogs. I once saw 2 crows harassing this poor hawk in the air. They definitely looked like they were just playing a game trying to chase it away.

  27. @Evergreen_Trees_are_cool

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Lindsay didn't include a recording of a barn owl screech, which I think was an oversight. If you watched the guardians of ga'hoole movie as a kid, you know what I mean. Irrevocably bolted into my memory. I am fully convinced as to why barn owls were considered omens

  28. @derictripp9245

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    There are more reasons the crows are affiliated with death ! That also leads to the fact they are put with so many omens ! They morn thier dead ! In a slight wierd way they even do a final viewing a lot of times ! Its one of the many reasons the word murder is put with the crows ! And the obvious ones about the crows being said to be able to travle from both sides life n death to transport souls back n forth !

  34. @johndavies4801

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    The magpies on my allotment loved Walnuts & Chashews.

    If I forgot their offering they'd drop apples on my girlfriends head.

    The closest apple trees where 40m away.
    That chit was intentional.

    She left. The Magpies still visit.
    5 generations later.

  36. @notourz

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    14:20 Owls are such bad juju that some Natives will block out the eyes on pictures, statues, etc. Something i wish you had done for the video bc so many eyes I feel like theyre telling me something. Also if you hear an owl say your name you're gonna die that's just fact not even superstition – signed, Southwestern Native

  37. @depression_food_3555

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Oregon here! I was walking somewhere on a hot day and i saw crows playing in somebody's sprinkler when the grass when being watered, literally hopping around in a circle to follow the water

  45. @harlee9595

    November 5, 2025 at 1:01 am

    Crows LOVE scrambled eggs 😀 I reccomend that and let them watch you Crack nuts open for them. They will see you doing the work of opening and see you as friendly

Comments are closed.

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