Crowd of Crows Gather on Rooftop in Japan... Did They Predict the Earthquake?

Flocks of Crows Considered Earthquake Precursors
Crows Spotted Before Past Earthquakes in Korea, Japan
Experts Say "No Direct Evidence"

Japan's archipelago has been thrown into chaos by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the first day of the new year, and reports have been coming in of a "flock of crows" spotted just before the quake struck. In Japan, the phenomenon of crows flying in flocks has long been regarded as a "precursor to earthquakes."

On the 1st, a Japanese netizen posted on their X account, "After a tsunami warning was issued in Fukuoka, crows gathered on the rooftops of buildings and cried out loudly," along with a video. The video appears to show the rooftop of a building in a city presumed to be in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Dozens of black crows are perched on metal structures atop the building, making crying sounds.

A flock of crows gathering at a building in Japan before an earthquake [Image source=Capture from X]

This video garnered over 2.4 million views in just one day. Japanese netizens who saw the video made various speculations, such as "It was a really strange sight," "Animals know something," and "Could it be that the crows knew in advance before the earthquake struck?"

The theory that flocks of crows are spotted before earthquakes is well-known in Japan. When a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred near Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, on January 22, 2022, there were also numerous claims of seeing flocks of crows.

In South Korea as well, some consider "flocks of crows" as a sign of impending earthquakes. When a magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, last November, there were eyewitness reports of crows flying in flocks near the epicenter, drawing considerable attention.

Crow. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.

So, do crows actually have the ability to sense earthquakes in advance? Experts say that while some animals may be more sensitive than humans to subtle vibrations, they cannot "predict" earthquakes.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has extensively reviewed research papers on the "earthquake prediction abilities" of some animals, including crows. The agency concluded, "The reason some animals behave abnormally seconds before humans feel an earthquake can be easily explained," adding, "Few humans can detect P-waves, but many can feel S-waves."

Seismic waves are divided into the weak but fast P-waves and the relatively strong but much slower S-waves. Few humans have sensory sensitivity to detect P-waves, but animals do. This explains why animals detect seismic waves seconds earlier than humans and show "abnormal signs." However, behaviors that "predict" earthquakes days or weeks in advance are a different matter. So far, there is no evidence that animals can predict earthquakes days or weeks ahead rather than just seconds, according to the USGS study. The agency added, "This remains an area requiring much further research."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.