Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!purdue!bu.edu!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!dragon
From: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Ravens
Message-ID: <19861@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 2 Mar 90 23:08:31 GMT
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 66

"This grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore..."

Poe knew not what he was talking about.  Ravens are just about the most
fascinating non-raptors (believe it or not, they're classified as
songbirds!) that I know.  If you ever have the chance, take some time
and watch one.  They are to the bird world what otters are to the 
mammalian one:  intelligent, cunning, and above all, playful.  Yes, they
eat garbage and drop nasty stuff on your car, but we all have our faults.
I was watching a raven outside my window who had found a shoelace and
was having a grand old time playing with it.  He slung it around in 
circles around his head, threw it and chased after it, and once when
it whapped him accidentally in the face he jumped on it and yelled at
it for nearly five minutes.  It was like watching a kitten.

I am fortunate to have made the aquaintance of an imprinted captive
raven who has shown me just how slim the margin between "human intellect"
and "animal intellect" can be.  Ravens are well-known for their
ability to mimic human speech (and forget all that horsehockey some-
one might have told you about having to split their tongues, first).
This one doesn't stoop so low; he's taught all the people at the center
to mimic HIM.  I noticed recently that we all seem to have picked up
his ravenesque vocabulary, and can tell when he wants attention, wants
food, or wants to play...and we can respond in kind, though we often
make ourselves look very foolish.  He loves to play, as is the nature
of his species; unfortunately, his favorite game is "bite the humans as
hard as you can and make them scream".  Alas, with all his smarts, he
doesn't understand that his powerful beak can hurt -- then again, maybe
he DOES.

Ravens, like many animals, suffer greatly at the hands of Mankind.  Not
only are we throwing more and more plastic and other indigestible garbage
out there to tempt them, but ravens are very often mistaken for crows
and shot.  There are many subtle yet definite differences:  crows are
small, have small pointed beaks, and a hawk-like short tail in flight.
Ravens are larger, have big Jimmy Durante shnozzes, a diamond-shaped
tail in flight, AND ARE FEDERALLY PROTECTED.  This doesn't help the
nearsighted gunman who can't tell the difference, although the resulting
fine can often improve his eyesight.  It does somewhat help the 
problem of people wanting ravens as pets.  At first glance, this would
seem attractive.  Their plumage, though it appears dull black, is really
very shiny and irridescent up close, and their wit and wisdom has
already been mentioned.  My friends, ravens do NOT make good pets!
Not only are they perfectly happy surrounded by the most messy conditions,
for which they will strive given half a chance, but their curiosity and
sense of fun will lead them to make a shambles out of any room you
try to place them in.  Not only that, but their beaks are powerful enough
to peck a hole in a stone wall -- and again, given half a chance, they
will!  Our imprinted raven was raise illegally by some teenagers in
Arizona.  It is said that it was brought to the attention of Conservation
authorities by the teenagers themselves, who had tried desperately to
get rid of the bird...who kept coming back!  The authorities con-
fiscated the bird and charged a fine to the perpetrators, although
having seen this bird's idea of a good time, they doubtless thought it
a small price to pay to be rid of him!

Thus, the best place to observe a raven is in the wild.  If you are
patient, these birds, natural performers all, will very likely give you
a good demonstration of their remarkable intellect.  Just don't bring
your lunch:  while you're busy watching one, his friend may be sneaking
into your picnic basket to see what you've brought!

--
Sam Conway                               *
dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu             *   Don't mention the war!
Chemistry Dept., Dartmouth College, NH   *   I mentioned it once, but I
Vermont Raptor Center (VINS)             *   think I got away with it...