check out the video at the link below. it's wicked cool (via boing boing)
Friend or Foe? Crows Never Forget a Face, It Seems
By MICHELLE NIJHUISCrows and their relatives — among them ravens, magpies and jays — are renowned for their intelligence and for their ability to flourish in human-dominated landscapes. That ability may have to do with cross-species social skills. In the Seattle area, where rapid suburban growth has attracted a thriving crow population, researchers have found that the birds can recognize individual human faces.
John M. Marzluff, a wildlife biologist at the University of Washington, has studied crows and ravens for more than 20 years and has long wondered if the birds could identify individual researchers. Previously trapped birds seemed more wary of particular scientists, and often were harder to catch. “I thought, ‘Well, it’s an annoyance, but it’s not really hampering our work,’ ” Dr. Marzluff said. “But then I thought we should test it directly.”.........
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Corvids (crows, ravens, etc) appear in almost every work of fiction I write. They are of special interest. Their intelligence, tool-making skills, wide range of sound tones and pitch, and amazing social structure all fascinate me.
In the winter when I walk Sarge I sometimes see murders of thousands of individuals dominating every tree in the park. The colder the night, the more crows show up.
You know Americans are not allowed corvids as pets because of a treaty signed with Mexico over 50 years ago? From what I've read they can be among the most loyal and affectionate of all the domesticated bird species.
i too love corvids but especially crows and ravens. i knew about everything you mentioned EXCEPT the mexico thing. i know we can't them as pets
i hope you got to see the pbs nature special on them a few years back: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/introduction/1506/
they re-run it now and again. if you go to the site above, it does have a few vids from the show. they're AMAZING. there is this one brit who has a raven (it's against the law there as well, but i think she nursed it back from illness or was a scientist or something or other). she gets in her car and drives and the damn bird FOLLOWS her. i mean he FLYS WITH her.
the name i chose for the blog (well it's ravings of a semi sane.... BUT the web address starts with the morrighan. that's how much i love ravens and crows. i also have them inked all over my body.
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