Posted: 8/11/04

The Raven

A squawk will guide your glance to this big, bold bird. It will be sitting on a branch, studying you just as carefully as you are studying it. At first you might think this is a crow, but on second glance, not. This would be a crow on steroids.

In the decorated world of birds, the raven is dull. Male and female have the same monotone paint job. Eyes, legs, and feet are black. While it may be clever at imitating sounds, (and perhaps Poe got a ënevermoreí out of it), its song is nothing to write home about. I called it a squawk, and I bet you will agree-it is a squawk.

No point trying to make some exemplary citizen of this bird, either. It raids nests of other birds, to eat the eggs or young. I have seen it tear apart a chicken sandwich that, to my knowledge, it had not purchased. It has been known to gang up and eventually kill sick or orphaned animals, that cannot defend themselves.
In each of these dastardly acts we recognize intelligence. Ravens use an assigned sentinel to watch for enemies while the group forages. They follow wolf packs, and may even lead them in the direction of prey.
Using tone of voice, they summon raven friends and neighbors to drive away the dreaded great horned owl. They quickly learn routines of campgrounds and garbage cans, understanding human wastefulness in all forms. If there is a single bird ëmost likeí human beings, this is probably the bird.

You may not like the thieving life style, or unpleasant voice. Credit the raven at least for intelligence, and willingness to clean up some of the messes (dead bodies) in nature. Unlike the crow, the raven does not duck out of winter via migration-he toughs it out and does just fine. (I am not sure this last is a measure of intelligence, however!)

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