In the Company of Crows and Ravens

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Average customer rating:

Crow linguistics! What are those birds talking about?

Not so great for reference

a must read for the Corvidae fanciers of the world

Those noisy neighbours

Beautiful ink drawings

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
John M. Marzluff , John M. Marzluff , Tony Angell , and Paul Ehrlich
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)

Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays

Caw of the Wild: Observations from the Secret World of Crows

Ravens in Winter

ASIN: 0300100760

Book Description

“Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.”—from the Preface

From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authors of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well.

John Marzluff and Tony Angell examine the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact. The authors contend that those interactions reflect a process of “cultural coevolution.” They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamic—a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves.

Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.

Customer Reviews:

Crow linguistics! What are those birds talking about?.......2007-08-29

I enjoyed each chapter in this book. Findings from the authors' field observations and original research with crows--by attaching transmitters to the birds, rather than relying on banding and a possible future sighting--provide a fascinating and unique insight into the lives of these smart and sensitive creatures. Did you know that crows usually mate for life or until "death do us part"? That there are actually scientists who specialize in crow linguistics? What are those crows in my yard saying? After reading this book I've started listening more carefully and have decided their whisper songs might be in Italian! I've given this book as gifts to friends. The illustrations are beautiful and don't miss a word of the text!

Not so great for reference.......2007-04-10

I bought this book hoping for a lot of good reference art. Although there are a number of good illustrations, its mostly text, which i haven't bothered to read, since i was only interested in the art. I'd look for another book if you want good reference.

a must read for the Corvidae fanciers of the world.......2007-03-29

This is a wonderful book, the authors have discovered so many interesting insights & amusing observations of the Corvidae family with the most fabulous crow art!

Those noisy neighbours .......2007-02-16

They lack the colour glories of parrots and lorikeets. They're not like the little tweetie birds of our childhood books. Probably the best known of them is Poe's bleak image - perched atop a skull croaking its dismal litany. Long before Poe, however, the corvids had gained a shady reputation in Western European legends and myths. Crows and ravens were messengers of dark fortunes sent by agents of evil intent. As is so often the case with relying on literature to depict Nature, the legends misled us. The reality is far more interesting and explains more than fiction ever has. Marzluff and Angell, are dedicated scholars in the history and legends of the corvids. This book reflects well that background, and their combined skills present what they've gleaned with style and wit.

Perhaps no other species has shown how Darwinian adaptability can work as have crows, the authors suggest. Once wild and scattered, the crow has become habitated to human settlement. They were certainly scavengers at human feeding sites, whether people were hunters or scavengers themselves. Agriculture clearly brought them from the forests to the fields we planted. Grain crops - "the staff of life" - enticed them to our neighbourhoods quickly. The rise of cities only intensified the contact and offered the crow fresh opportunity. The "fast-food" restaurant, with its Dumpsters and scattered, food bearing trash, brings them hovering over what they clearly find a delicacy. They may even become selective, choosing the more brightly-coloured fries container over an equally laden drab one. It's even possible that the newly inhabited urban existence may be enhancing their numbers. The hunting activities in farmland is lacking in the city, but there are many nesting sites. We may complain about their noisy presence, but we brought them into our neighbourhood.

Nobody has ever questioned the intelligence of the Corvus genus. Crows, ravens, rooks and their relations are considered grand tricksters at best, and opportunist thieves at least. Their intelligence is stated by the authors as being the equivalent of "flying monkeys". Marzluff and Angell relate how crows in Japan took up residence near a driving school. They learned to drop nuts under the tires of stopped autos, returning to retrieve the meat after the wheel passed over and crushed the nut. The talent spread out over time and crows many kilometres away now practice the feat. Antics of this sort have been observed over the centuries, with our culture adopting Corvid elements into stories and descriptions. What are the wrinkles alongside the eyes of the elderly, but "crow's feet". We'll pass over the origins of "eating crow".

Corvid intellect goes beyond tricks and chance. The authors have witnessed both a murder of a crow by its fellows. They've also observed "funerals" in which a mob of crows silently surrounds a departed member [not the "murdered" one] for a long period, only to depart without a sound beyond the flutter of wings. Quiet crows are unusual. They also, it has been learned, developed the ability to count. Tests conducted with crows indicate they can count to five. They also "play". According to the authors, crows will slide down snowbanks or another smooth surface much as otters do, and with as little discernible purpose. Perhaps it's indicative that the Norse god Odin had two ravens, Thought and Memory as companions.

There's much more to be said about this book. As a resource, it's without peer, covering all aspects of Corvid life from mating rituals to nesting practices and territorial claims. As a narrative of observations, it reads much as an adventure story. You needn't be a fan of crows or ravens to enjoy this book. Angell's artwork greatly enhances the text, and is both informative and a treat in itself. The Corvids are your close neighbours and it's both pleasurable and profitable to read about who and what they are. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Beautiful ink drawings.......2007-01-19

In the Company of Crows and Ravens provides interesting information about species, habitat, range of the many many varieties of crows. However, it is the drawings that steals one's attention.

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds

Average customer rating:

Mind of the Raven
The ultimate book of raven behavior
3 - 2 - 1 ....
Proof that ravens understand a lot more than "Nevermore!"
Gotta love this raving naturalist

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds
Bernd Heinrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Ravens in Winter
In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys

ASIN: 0060930632
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Amazon.com

Beyond croaking, "Nevermore," what exactly do ravens do all day? Bernd Heinrich, biology professor at the University of Vermont and author of Ravens in Winter, has spent more than a decade learning the secrets of these giants of the crow family. He has observed startlingly complex activities among ravens, including strong pair-bonding, use of tools, elaborate vocal communication, and even play. Ravens are just plain smart, and we can see much of ourselves in their behavior. They seem to be affectionate, cranky, joyful, greedy, and competitive, just like us. And in Mind of the Raven, Heinrich makes no bones about attributing emotions and intellect to Corvus corax--just not the kind we humans can understand. He mostly catalogs their behaviors in the manner of a respectful anthropologist, although a few moments of proud papa show through when he describes the pet ravens he hand-raised to adulthood.

Heinrich spends hundreds of loving hours feeding roadkill fragments to endlessly hungry raven chicks, and cold days in blinds watching wild ravens squabble and frolic. He is a passionate fan of his "wolf-birds," a name he gave them when he made the central discovery of the book: that ravens in Yellowstone National Park are dependent on wolves to kill for them. Mind of the Raven offers inspiring insight into both the lives of ravens and the mind of a truly gifted scientist. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich, award - winning naturalist, finds himself dreaming of ravens and decides he must get to the truth about this animal reputed to be so intelligent.

Much like a sleuth, Heinrich involves us in his quest, letting one clue lead to the next. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat, studying their daily routines, and in the process painting a vivid picture of the world as lived by the ravens. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation andanalysis, we become their intimates too.

Throughout history there has existed an extraordinary relationship between humans and ravens. Ravens, like early humans, are scavengers on the kills of great carnivores. As scavengers, ravens were associated with hunters they found in the north: wolves and, later, men. The trinity of wolf, man, and raven in the hunt is an extremely ancient one. In considering the appeal of the raven, Bernd Heinrich suspects that a meeting of the minds might reside in that hunting trinity.

Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven takes you on an exotic journey--from New England to Germany, Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature.

Heinrich has a true gift; through his stories, his beautiful writing, illustrations, and photography, the ravens come alive. Each new discovery and insight into their behavior is thrilling to read. just as the title promises, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of these wonderful creatures.

Following the dictum of Leonardo da Vinci--"It is not enough to believe what you see. YOU Must also understand what you see"--Bernd Heinrich enables us to see the natural world through the eyes of a scientist. At once lyrical and scientific, Mind of the Raven is bound to be a modern classic.

Customer Reviews:

Mind of the Raven.......2006-07-31

Very informative yet not too scientific. Contains many facts not commonly known about these intelligent birds. This book could change your mind about them.

The ultimate book of raven behavior.......2006-04-03

I knew the raven had many interesting feature to them before I opened this book but after reading "mind of the raven" I will say I was amazed of both the research Bernd Heinrich has done and of this remarkable bird. Heinrich are presenting his findings about the ravens where he is taking the subject (the raven) seriously and simultaneously managed to make it attractive for people that have not specialize in beaks and feathers.

3 - 2 - 1 ...........2006-03-16

I agree with most reviewers that this book fascinates the reader with interesting science and anecdotes about ravens. There are countless facts and amusing information provided about the intelligence, behavior and antics of both wild and tame ravens. One of the more humorous sections was on vocal communication, particulary mimicking. Heinrich provides descriptions of captive ravens making perfect renditions of radio static, toilets flushing and a motorcycle being revved up. There was also a scientist in a national park who distictly heard several times: "Three, two, one, bcccchhhh", sounding as if coming from a speaker. This was acually a raven who was sufficiently impressed with the park rangers conducting avalanche control to repeat the count-down and sound of the explosion. Hilarious...
The experiments and observations the author describes of wild ravens in the forests of Maine, Alaska,the western states & elsewhere are also superbly written and provide insights into the interactions and cooperation of ravens with large (and dangerous) predators including Man.

Proof that ravens understand a lot more than "Nevermore!".......2006-01-10

Although I have not yet read Ravens in Winter, after having read Mind of the Raven, I would not have any scruples about declaring these birds to be smarter than certain individuals who claim to be my relatives.

Each chapter is essentially a mini-story describing Heinrich's observations of raven behavior in exquisite, although at times excruciating, detail. Many of these observations are of Heinrich's wild-caught, hand-raised ravens housed in his aviary in Maine, while others are field studies conducted with (I dare not say "on") wild ravens. Heinrich also incorporates stories of pet ravens along with the research of others who have conducted field studies with these elusive birds. I was impressed by the fact that observations of ravens throughout the world were integrated throughout the book.

Heinrich manages to neatly intertwine innumerable factoids related to raven ecology and natural history within each behavioral observation. One learns what constitutes the typical diet of wild ravens (if there is such a thing), that only females make a call that sounds like knocking on wood, that it is not uncommon for ravens to reach 20 years of age or more, that ravens either are not offended by or simply cannot smell skunks - honestly, I felt like a raven expert after having read this book.

Overall, Heinrich does an excellent job of interpreting raven social behavior and cognition from his studies. Studies of the social behavior of wild and tame ravens are explored, and the behaviors of other animals are often presented to provide support for his speculations. Heinrich also examines the hypotheses proposed by the forerunners in animal behavior, such as Konrad Lorenz, along side his observations.

Heinrich incorporates studies he designed to test raven intelligence as well. One cannot help but marvel at how smart these birds are. Heinrich provides speculations on the results of these tests and I found myself nodding in agreement; however, I cannot decide if it is because his arguments are so cogent or if I'm simply so amazed by the results that I'm succumbing to anthropomorphism. Nevertheless, Heinrich notes that he was warned in graduate school to not study anything more intelligent than himself - he claims to have met his match.

Gotta love this raving naturalist.......2004-11-04

Bernd applies his multi-faceted brand of research to a species that is clearly close to his heart (the raven), with spectacular results. He weaves anecdotes and scientific studies together flawlessly to draw conclusions that are hard to argue with, if only because he refuses to draw unwarranted conclusions when the evidence isn't clear. He personally studies ravens in his northeastern home area, in Alaska, and in Germany to note the differences between different populations of the animal. He also draws extensively on his observations from his own aviary, where it seems he is at times obsessively painstaking in recording nuances of behavior that would fly over the heads of the average bird owner.

The Good and the Bad:
This book has been done right, with a real attempt to keep the reader's interest without compromising the scientific value of the work. The information given is enough to be compelling without being too boring about statistics. The end of the book gets a little more tilted towards hard science, with a fairly in-depth discussion about what warrants consciousness and intelligence, but there's no other conclusion that would be appropriate.

On the bad side, there are very occasional forays into self-indulgence, as when he takes the opportunity to argue the comments of a peer reviewer who contributed to the rejection of the publication of his study, or when a not-so-funny joke is recounted.

What I learned:
The raven is a remarkable animal, and consciousness evolves for as much of a specific reason as anything else. One bird might be given all of the instinct necessary to operate within a very narrow range of activity, but shorted on additional brain tissue, which is costly to maintain. But the raven has evolved to develop food gathering skills through problem-solving, which allows it to be much more flexible in its approach to food gathering, social interactions, and defense. This hardwired ability to solve problems manifests itself as curiosity, a desire to play, and the ability to visualize consequences without actually performing the action; this last is the most compelling criterion for awareness.

Other interesting raven facts: They can count to as high as seven. They hunt items ranging from ground squirrels to baby seals, but subsist mostly on the carrion provided by bigger predators. They lack the physical ability to pierce skin, and so have to eat through natural body openings or wounds. They have a collaborative relationship with other predators, generally wolves, which results in the ravens possibly directing the wolves to a kill so that they can take their share. This has a strange effect where they're actually uncomfortable eating from a carcass that lacks a predator as a feeding partner. This relationship has been transferred to other species where wolves are scarce, ranging from human hunters to polar bears to, possibly, a cougar, which seemed to be led to a human by a raven hoping to feast on the aftermath of a human kill. The problem-solving abilities were best demonstrated by the fact that a raven, when confronted with a piece of meat dangling from a string, will pull the string up by degrees so that it can reach the meat.

Average customer rating:

If you enjoy birds,don't pass this one up!
A most digestible, intriguing survey.
Illustrations Supreme
Scientists around the world observe
Fascinating Tricksters

Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys
Candace Savage
Manufacturer: Greystone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Caw of the Wild: Observations from the Secret World of Crows
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Crows!: Strange and Wonderful
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)

ASIN: 1553651065

Book Description

Based on more than a decade of research, Crows offers an accurate, humorous, and wide-ranging introduction to these fascinating birds. Who would have guessed that there are more than 40 species of ravens and crows, all variations on a theme, cawing and croaking their way through the woodlands of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and various South Sea islands? (Of the temperate continents, only South America doesn’t know the charms of these amusing, intelligent birds.) Topics explored include evolution, distribution, diet and food-getting practices (including their ingenious use of tools), social behavior (including the many crow “languages”), and impact on the human imagination, as reflected in mythology, literature, and popular aphorisms. Appealing to both the avid birder or the more casual nature lover, Crows is rich in insight, humor, and stories.

Customer Reviews:

If you enjoy birds,don't pass this one up!.......2007-06-23

I am an avid Birder and have a large library of bird and Natural History books. Over the years I have see many books on birds that are just a bunch of fluff gathered together by an editor and/or publisher. At a cursury glance,this might appear to be such a book. However;If you are familiar with the author;you'll know that she has authored several excellent books about birds.

This book is a first class look at Crows.It covers history,legend,personal experiences,behaviour and more importantly many intersting things that are recently being learned by some of the best scientists and researchers around today. They have learned things that just might convince you that crows are much more intelligent than they have ever been credited for. Well,not everyone. It is a pretty well known fact to anyone who has spent time in the country;that crows are exceptionally wary. Just try to get anywhere near them carrying a rifle;even if well concealed.You haven't got a hope!
Whether a very knowledgeable birder or one who just enjoys watching crows around where they live;you will be amased at what is in this book.
As a long time Birder,I must admit,I haven't spent much attention on crows.We see them everywhere;and well,they're just there!
After reading this book I am going to pay much more attenion to them;and I highly recommend it.
I am reminded of those famous words of that great Baseball Player,Yogi Berra;
"You can see a lot by watching!"

On top of being an excellent book because of its subject matter;it has excellent construction,high quality paper,top of the line color rendition and printing.It also comes with excellent references and notes.How can you go wrong with such a fine book? You just can't!

A most digestible, intriguing survey........2007-01-07

Crows are toolmakers, tool users, and have complex family lives as well as their own language. Sounds too human to believe? Then you have to read up on them in CROWS: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE WISE GUYS. CROWS celebrates crow abilities, surveying their behavior, natural history, and more. Observations by scientists around the world are based on more than a decade of research and blend stories about crows with scientific observation to make for a most digestible, intriguing survey.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Illustrations Supreme.......2006-08-08

Although there are quite a few miles between Saskatoon and New York, it seems clear to me that many of Candace Savage's Wise Guys and ours must be relatives! They've worked out a real-estate-sharing arrangement with cardinals, blue jays, and many smaller birds (plus squirrels, etc.) -- all in and around a huge oak tree in our back yard. If they're not out and around, I know it's not going to be such a good day.

Ms. Savage covers crow-family relationships and behavior as well as their interactions with urban or rural human surroundings. Her illustrations are many and as varied and wonderful as their subjects - current and historic, geographically and culturally significant. She has an excellent additional reference list and a good index.

Scientists around the world observe.......2006-03-19

Fascinating Tricksters.......2006-03-09

If you, like me, love the image of Crows as "swaggering black-clad wise guys", then this book is for you!
Candace Savage's book is not an acedemic tome, or a scientific study..it's a wonderful, witty, captivating exploration into these amazing birds.
The many beautiful illustrations, including several by Arthur Rackham, as well as Pacific Northwest Indian designs, are a treasure in themselves, and her inclusion of myths and legends of this fabled bird make this book an incredible treat. I laughed and cackled all the way through it!

Ravensong: A Natural And Fabulous History Of Ravens And Crows

Average customer rating:

Ravens and crows from a literary standpoint
Great illustrations!
well intentioned but useless
I admit I was irritated...
justice for ravens

Ravensong: A Natural And Fabulous History Of Ravens And Crows
Catharine Feher-Elston
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys
Ravens in Winter

ASIN: 1585423572
Release Date: 2004-12-29

Book Description

From the raven's role as trickster in Native American religion to its capacity to captivate ornithologists and biologists, the raven is an archetype in myth, dream, song, and ritual.

In this beautifully illustrated study, Catherine Feher-Elston looks at ravens and crows in the contexts of Native American folklore, history, and science. Through interviews with Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and other native peoples, and drawing on the most recent ornithological research, Feher-Elston offers a well-rounded consideration of this enigmatic species, bringing to light its roles as messenger, symbol, harbinger, and totem.

Customer Reviews:

Ravens and crows from a literary standpoint.......2007-01-19

Not a book to read if you are seeking more science than legend.

Great illustrations!.......2006-11-05

This is a good book for people who want to learn about ravens and crows. For more knowledgable readers, there's not much new information, but it's a very nicely written book. The black and white illustrations are special, however, and the book makes a good addition to any bird library for that reason--they beautifully capture the 'crowness' of these magnificient birds.

well intentioned but useless.......2006-07-26

This is a book by someone who obviously loves corvids but is unequipped for realizing the task she set herself. The "fabulous" part of the book deals with old world history in two sentences, spending the rest of the space on folksy retellings of stories from Native American traditions. The "natural" part of the history is anecdotal, sentimentalized and inadequate. Other works serve far better for each of this one's stated purposes.

I admit I was irritated..........2006-06-06

when I first began reading this book. I expected that this book was going to be a mix of scientific report and anecdotal evidence illustrating the intelligence of ravens. I was wrong.

As I began to read through Feher-Elston's story, I was annoyed by her persistence in discussing religion and spirituality in connection with the raven. However, as I read on, I found myself more and more reluctant to set this book down. Before I knew it, I was reading on voraciously, completely consumed by the story.

Feher-Elston very successfully weaves together science, history, and spirituality, guiding the reader through many different and equally important perspectives on these birds. Through her exploration of the importance of Raven in Native American religion, the ghost dance, and creation stories, it feels as if one somehow begins to grasp the gravity of this bird through the wisdom of ages of man.

Folded into this story of history and legend, are the modern scientific truths of these birds. The author offers the reader the benefit of humanity's whole history of observations of these birds, and layers it with modern scientific knowledge. Through this book, the reader is left with a greater scientific and emotional understanding of the both the corvid, and of all of man's hopes and fears that it embodies.

justice for ravens.......2005-04-01

Several books have been published exploring the amazing intellignce of ravens, and ravens also appear in various books on mythology, but you can't do justice to ravens until you combine both perspectives, both their real lives and why they have appealed to the human imagination. This book finally puts everything together, the biology and the mythology, the raven psychology and the human psychology, and that's why it deserves to be called Ravensong, for it is a song, a tribute to the complete creature.

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest

Average customer rating:

Raven -Great childrens book
Raven
glorious, sumptuous and respectful
They ask to listen to it again and again!
Beautiful Illustrations

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
Gerald McDermott
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa
Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon
Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale (Picture Puffin)
Papagayo: The Mischief Maker

ASIN: 0152024492

Book Description

Raven, the trickster, wants to give people the gift of light. But can he find out where Sky Chief keeps it? And if he does, will he be able to escape without being discovered? His dream seems impossible, but if anyone can find a way to bring light to the world, wise and clever Raven can!

Customer Reviews:

Raven -Great childrens book.......2007-06-26

A classic Native American tale with brightly colored pictures.I have searched for this book for several years to replace an old worn copy.
I was very excited to find it through Amazon.

Raven.......2005-03-25

Raven the trickser wants to give people the gift of light.
Raven gives light but you have to read the book to find out what else happens.

glorious, sumptuous and respectful.......2003-07-12

I get antsy when Native American themes and stories appear in children's books. Too often they reek of cultural misappropriation.

But this beautiful book--gorgeous watercolor backgrounds to the Northwest Native American-style imagery--feels respectful, and does a great telling of a favorite Tlingit Haida tale of how light came into the world.

The illustration of the morphing of the Sky Chief's spoiled grandson back into Raven is particularly effective.And when Raven fills the sky with the sun in his beak, it's very easy to buy into this story as a valid creation myth.

I've now bought three copies of this book for various pre-schoolers I know, and all my grown-up friensd who've seen this book have fallen in love with it, too. This is a definite winner, bound to become as classic in its own way as Robert McCloskey's ``Blueberries for Sal.''

They ask to listen to it again and again!.......2000-01-03

The children in my Pre-K class cannot get enough of this book. The magic of the illustrations and the text has them mesmerized. Many times, when we have finished reading the story, they want to here it again!

Beautiful Illustrations.......1999-07-01

This is a wonderful book! My daughter and I really enjoyed the way that this tale was re-told and the illustrations were beautiful!

Average customer rating:

More than Ravens
Precise and poetic
Exploration in Ethology
Great book on observing nature, but not the best on ravens
Bernd Heinrich teaches us how to study animal behavior

Ravens in Winter
Bernd Heinrich
Manufacturer: Summit Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Birds | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)
In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
The American Crow and the Common Raven (The W.L. Moody Jr Natural History Series, No 10)
Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival

ASIN: 0671678094

Amazon.com

Ravens are among the most elusive and yet (or, consequently) fascinating animals of North American I have ever encountered. Heinrich--an incredibly patient and cold-hardy fellow, not to mention, a heck of a writer--studied ravens in the dead of winter in Maine, and made some remarkable discoveries of how these normally solitary birds would actually engage in food sharing. Few of the many works on behavioral ecology I have read so compellingly capture the tedium of field work, the inscrutability of subject animals, and the satisfaction of discovery that provides even greater warmth than a blazing wood fire in the middle of a northern winter. Highly Recommended.

Book Description

Why should ravens--which are usually solitary birds--share valuable food in the dead of winter? How clever are these birds? Do they have a language? These are some of the riddles that noted sociobiologist Bernd Heinrich, author of Bumblebee Economics and winner of the John Burroughs Medal, explores in this intriguing book. 16 pages of drawings.

Customer Reviews:

More than Ravens.......2006-09-26

A very interesting book. I found the hardships the author so enthusiastically suffered for his research even more interesting than the ravens. Doctor Heinrich was not a young man when he began the research in the frozen Maine woods. I believe he was about 45 when he started and close to 50 when he finished this particular phase of study. He was climbing close to the top of 100 foot trees in freezing or below freezing weather, he was shivering in blinds (and in his cabin) for hours in below 0 weather, he hauled hundreds of pounds of meat in snow and sleet countless times. He walked and sometimes ran many, many miles through the snow with and without snowshoes. He was up before dawn many, many times. Pretty amazing.

Of course, his raven research is extremely interesting. I thought I had heard at least one of them sound like a barking dog at my cabin in the Canadian woods. My dog barks in the cabin when I have to leave him when it's too hot to take him in the car. I know now that it's possible the raven copied the bark.

Certainly worth reading even if you aren't a scientist.

Precise and poetic.......2005-10-09

Academic field biologist Bernd Heinrich created a poetic and spiritual account of his exacting field observations regarding the intelligence of ravens. This book is moving and illuminating. It is also a true life mystery novel that keeps you turning pages to see how it all works out. The best part: Bernd Heinrich has written many other books equal to this one.

Exploration in Ethology.......2005-07-07

This book provides an introduction into how questions of animal behavior are asked and answered. Heinrich, a professor of zoology and naturalist noticed that crows seemed to call others to join them when they discovered large animal kills in the winter. Such behavior would seem to be against the crows' best interest, since an individual crow could perhaps have more food if it kept it all for itself. This set Heinrich's curiosity afire, which impelled him to embark on a multi-year study of crow behavior so that he could determine why the crows seem so eager to share their bounty. In this book, presented as a daily journal, Heinrich details his project, from the original posing of the question through final publication of the results. He describes how he gathered downer cows, transported them to the study site, and how he observed crow behavior for hours and days on end at feeding sites. He also describes how he trapped and banded crows so that he could record the behavior of individuals over time. In the end, he builds a very solid case for the idea that juvenile crows recruit others to overwhelm resident crows who would otherwise defend their territory (and food) from outsiders. The book is illustrated with a set of black-and-white drawings done by Heinrich. End material includes appendices with numerical and graphical analyses of the study data, an extensive bibliography, and an index.

What takes this book beyond simple ecological description is Heinrich's careful inclusion of his methodology. He is very much a teacher, so he takes great care to explain how he came up with his hypotheses about the recruiting behavior, which in the beginning numbered not one but nine. He discusses scientific methodology, the right way and wrong way to observe natural phenomena, as well as background material about ravens. He also notes how any one piece of data or type of data do not in themselves lead to a conclusion, but that the final result in this type of research must be constructed by examining all the data, and seeing how they all point in the same direction. I found one comment particularly fascinating. Somewhere along the way, I had been told that animals do not have the mental capacity to experience emotions, or that if they do experience emotions at all, such emotions are simple and limited. But Heinrich states "Birds are primarily emotional beings, and their responses to emotional drives are probably much more direct than ours are, since human reactions are tempered by reason." When one considers animal behavior in this light, much becomes clear, yet many more questions arise.

Great book on observing nature, but not the best on ravens.......2004-10-12

As readers of his other books know, Bernd Heinrich is an outstanding observer of nature. He has retained his childlike curiosity, and enjoys poking around under rocks, climbing trees to look around, and conducting simple experiments in the woods to see what will happen.

He has long since grown up into a scientist and a teacher as well. As a result, he knows how to take notes, conduct a literature review, justify his conclusions, and convey information to readers.

In this book, he does all this very well in trying to figure out a puzzle of raven behavior. If you want to walk with him on an intellectual journey, this is a five-star book.

But . . . I wanted a book about ravens. Instead of the journey, I wanted the destination. There is a better book out there on ravens, and as it turns out, Bernd Heinrich wrote that one, too. If, like me, you want to know what we know about these remarkable, intelligent birds, read Heinrich's "Mind of the Raven" instead.

Bernd Heinrich teaches us how to study animal behavior.......2004-07-22

Mr. Heinrich has hit on a truth: when studying the behavior of animals you must remain mentally flexible, keep an open mind and open senses, and keep your eye on the big picture--all while preventing yourself from either trying to make the organism either too human or too robotic. He has developed an amazing capacity, rare among scientists, to do all these things while balancing them with the need for a scientific approach, and that skill has led him to exciting results. While his approach may seem frustratingly scattershot to those who practice or admire "pure" sciences like mathematics, it is revealed in this book as the only method that can provide rapid (within a human lifetime), ground-breaking results in the complex and chaotic world of behavioral research. Heinrich has revealed ravens as neither humans wearing feathers nor as creatures of knee-jerk instinct, but rather as fascinating and intelligent members of our living planet. I am in as much awe of his ability to penetrate to the reasons behind behaviors as I am of his endurance, strength, persistence, and love of nature. I'm going to have to read his book on bumblebees next--and in fact, every one of his books!

The American Crow and the Common Raven (The W.L. Moody Jr Natural History Series, No 10)

Average customer rating:

Don't forget the illustrations!
Detailed observations of corvid behavior
GREAT!!!
Educational and Enjoyable and AWSOME

The American Crow and the Common Raven (The W.L. Moody Jr Natural History Series, No 10)
Lawrence Kilham
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Caw of the Wild: Observations from the Secret World of Crows
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)
Ravens in Winter

ASIN: 0890964661

Customer Reviews:

Don't forget the illustrations!.......2000-03-28

There are more than enough reasons to pick up this book if you have any interest in crows or birds in general or even seeing a good example of descriptive biological studies, however one point missed by others are the beautiful illustrations in this volume that are well above average for a science book.

There are very few books about Corvids, and even fewer based on North American research, but this wonderful volume is a solid step in the right direction that is both well informed while also personable, leaving one to hope that future volumes or at least more research on these birds will result.

Any Corvid enthusiasts should purchase this book without hesitation as it is a relatively inexpensive and irreplacible contribution to the literature.

Detailed observations of corvid behavior.......1999-03-31

With a keen observer's eye and a flair for marvelous prose, Kilham has written a book that is not only an important resource for researchers in behavioral biology, but also a delightful read for any nature lover.

GREAT!!!.......1999-03-03

I thought that this book was very informative and easy to read. I research on corvid communication and even found the book to have VERY important information. Anyone interested in birds in general should read this book!

Educational and Enjoyable and AWSOME.......1998-02-12

This book illustrates great behavioral and environmental aspects of crow life within social groups. It was nice for me to read this book to familiarize myself more with Crows with my research. As a corvid researcher myself I found the book very interesting, educational, and informative. I suggest anyone interested in birds or corvids (crows, jays, ravens, magpies, etc.) especially should read this book. The author writes with passion about his research and he explains it in a VERY simple way, understanding is easy. All in all this book was AWSOME!

Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays

Average customer rating:

Watch The Birdie!
Delightful book
Was that Aunt Rose?
pictures 4 stars and text 2 stars
buy it for the pictures, not the text

Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Candace Savage
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P.S.)
Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys
The American Crow and the Common Raven (The W.L. Moody Jr Natural History Series, No 10)
Ravens in Winter

ASIN: 0871569566

Book Description

Birds have long been considered the archetypal featherheads, beautiful but dumb. Members of the crow family (corvids), however, appear to have powers of abstraction, memory, and creativity that put them on a par with many mammals--even higher primates. Bird Brains presents these bright, brassy, and surprisingly colorful birds in a remarkable collection of full-color, close-up photographs by more than two dozen of the world's best wildlife photographers.

Customer Reviews:

Watch The Birdie!.......2006-11-10

You will never look at these birds the same again - fansinating.

Delightful book.......2006-08-30

Though it's not as long as I would like, the pictures are fabulous and the information is great. It's a must-read for anybody who likes corvids.

Was that Aunt Rose?.......2006-07-23

A good part of my childhood was spent on an upstate New York farm. We had lots of corn and many other vegetables; many birds - and one extra-special crow. He quickly adopted us and often spoke to my uncle and me by name in my aunt's voice and exact intonations. The vegetable farm, barn, shop-garage, and chicken coop were at the top of a fairly steep hill and the house was at the bottom. Aunt Rose ruled the household; the crow ruled the farm area. Sometimes he would deliver small things up or down the hill. My uncle and I never tired of his antics and wisdom. We were happy to do the work orchestrated by the crow and I was ready for J. Allen Boone's work years in advance.

Bird Brains may not be the most scientific or even accurate book, but I bring it out any time I find a potentially interested visitor. Even now where I live in a fairly rural area of New York City - there are crows among my friends. They live in close quarters with several Cardinal families, near blue jays, and many smaller birds in a huge oak tree and smaller peripheral trees. Crows are gregarious and adjustable. They would no doubt be pleased with this book and see no reason to find fault.

If the book were about humans, would be as picky as we are about crows being correctly represented? Do we expect all humans to be alike? Equally smart with similar talents?

pictures 4 stars and text 2 stars.......2006-03-04

I must have bought this book without reading the reviews. I wanted savvy text; I opened the package and found a coffee table book. And on the coffee table it will be stored. Four stars as a coffee table book. Two for content.

It is a quick read. A few steps up from a Reader's Digest level. I did learn from it.

buy it for the pictures, not the text.......2005-12-23

This book consists of about half text and half glossy pictures of corvids (ravens, crows, magpies, and jays). The pictures are beautiful, and range from "posed" shots of individual birds to some action shots of corvids interacting with other animals. Savage is from Saskatchewan, so the pictures show these birds in all four seasons. Some additional pictures come from Europe or Siberia.

The text holds the book together but is not the focus of the book. Her central argument is that corvids are really smart, and she provides some anecdotes to that effect. The evidence is one-sided, but it's nonetheless true that corvids are smart. That said, the text is really beside the point in this beautiful book. If you want to know more about how smart these birds are, read Bernd Heinrich.

In short, it's a coffee-table book in soft cover. The pictures really are beautiful, and the text is beside the point. It seems unfair to criticize it, as some other reviewers do, for being superficial.

Average customer rating:

Well observed shore and barnyard portraits by James Wyeth.

Gulls, Ravens and a Vulture
Victoria Woodhull
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Themes | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0918749166

Customer Reviews:

Well observed shore and barnyard portraits by James Wyeth. .......2007-01-23

When the Stern Librarian is not diligently reading through the never-ending contents of her magic book bag, she likes to take long, leisurely ambles by the shore. If there is any lovelier sight than the Stern Librarian on the beach nearsightedly staring out to the horizon, it is a herring gull soaring overhead (unless of course I have just washed my car or am indulging a very rare craving for French fries). James Wyeth's paintings capture the beauty of gulls, while not ignoring their shrewish, greedy temperaments. This beautiful book also contains paintings of ravens, crows, chickens and geese, as well as two intriguing essays by naturalists. I learned that gull populations have increased in Maine since the 17th century, because gulls will eat almost anything (including other gulls) and fly great distances for garbage. The essay on ravens reveals that the measures James Wyeth had to take to study these elusive creatures in nature were not pretty, though the resulting art is so. This book also pointed out to me a hitherto unknown connection between James Wyeth and Andy Warhol (James one of two artists invited to work at Warhol's factory), a connection which is very apparent in the chicken paintings. The Stern Librarian was privileged to have her copy of this book inscribed by James Wyeth himself at a very giving holiday appearance at the Farnsworth Museum. The Stern Librarian (I am generous with free bookmarks).

Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island

Average customer rating:

A Somber but Important Tale
Saving a species and the natural world
Highly recommended.
A Balanced Analysis
Trouble in Paradise

Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island
Mark Jerome Walters
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Ecotourism | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Vol. 1: Renewing the Conservation Promise
The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Vol. 2: Conserving Biodiversity in Human-Dominated Landscapes
Last Stand: George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West
Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World (Princeton Field Guides)
Peterson Reference Guides: Gulls of the Americas (Peterson Reference Guides)

ASIN: 1559630906

Book Description

Will the 'Alala ever return to the wild? A bird sacred

to Hawaiians and a member of the raven family, the

'Alala today survives only in captivity. How the

species once flourished, how it has been driven to

near-extinction, and how people struggled to save it,

is the gripping story of Seeking the Sacred Raven.

For years, author Mark Jerome Walters has tracked

the sacred bird's role in Hawaiian culture and the

indomitable 'Alala's sad decline. Trekking through

Hawaii's rain forests high on Mauna Loa, talking with biologists,

landowners, and government officials, he has woven an epic tale of

missed opportunities and the best intentions gone awry.A species that

once numbered in the thousands is now limited to about 50 captive birds.

Seeking the Sacred Raven is as much about people and culture as it is

about failed policies. From the ancient Polynesians who first settled the

island, to Captain Cook in the 18th century, to would-be saviors of the

'Alala in the 1990s, individuals with conflicting passions and priorities

have shaped Hawaii and the fate of this dwindling cloud-forest species.

Walters captures brilliantly the internecine politics among private

landowners, scientists, environmental groups, individuals and government

agencies battling over the bird's habitat and protection. It's only

one species, only one bird, but Seeking the Sacred Raven illustrates

vividly the many dimensions of species loss, for the human as well as

non-human world

Customer Reviews:

A Somber but Important Tale.......2006-12-25

In the 1970s, when the environmental movement was at its height, stories of conservation were often presented as melodramas, in which idealist crusaders battled against greedy developers and public indifference. The story of the extinction of the alala, or Hawaiian raven, in the wild, as it is told in this book, could hardly be more different. Almost all parties share a concern about fate of the alala, and many people are obsessed with saving it. The cause of saving the alala is glamorized in the press, and government money is available, yet all of this helps little in the end.
Part of the problem is that those working to save the alala are constantly engaged in increasingly bitter conflicts with one another, which mirror the larger conflicts in the contemporary society. The various biologists, native people, landowners, and governmental officials may all care about the future of the bird, but they care in different ways and for different reasons. None of them can be entirely objective about the means to save the bird. The author details these conflicts in great, perhaps excessive, detail. Perhaps the greatest lesson of the history recounted in this book is the need for an inspiring vision, which might enable those working in conservation to put aside their diffenences.

Saving a species and the natural world.......2006-11-11

One might ask what is the importance of a crow whose ancestors reached the island of Hawaii long enough ago that they had time to separate from their close relatives of the genus Corvus. After all, it's still just a blackish crow. And one might ask why someone would trouble to write a well-researched treatise on what appears to be a fairly narrow subject. Words in the book's title hint at the answers: "sacred" and "politics". The `alalâ, as the Hawaiian crow is known, had spiritual significance to ancient Hawaiians, and it became a sacred quest for author Mark Jerome Walters. While human activities were contributing to the bird's progressive march toward extinction, numerous governmental organizations (federal, state, and local) and individuals (land owners, biologists, conservationists) attempting to resuscitate the species came to conflict over just what to do to help it. No one, despite best intentions, has had definitive answers. The species is fastidious in its habitat requirements--it never expanded its range much beyond the moist mountainous region of the southwestern portion of Hawaii, and that habitat has been substantially altered by human activities. The `alalâ is sensitive to nesting disturbance and susceptible to disease and predation. Captive breeding has been a matter of fits and starts, and released captive birds have failed their promise. The few remaining wild birds have been captured, and all `alalâ are now in captivity. But what is the future of a species that no longer knows the wild or its natural survival and breeding tactics, and which may in actuality no longer even have a habitat? While Walters's book concerns one species, impending extinctions are going on all over the world. "Seeking the Sacred Raven" shows us how much knowledge we need--and determination against our own selfish interests--to protect the sacred natural world before it is too late to save it and its remarkable diversity.

Highly recommended........2006-11-05

Written by Mark Jerome Walters (Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida), Seeking The Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island is the true story of the ill-fated effort to preserve the wild alala, a type of raven indigenous to Hawaii and venerated as sacred by the native populace - the alala is thought to be a guide that aids the souls of the dead in their journey to the hereafter. Yet as environmental pressures, diseases, and non-native predators decimated the alala population, the most valiant efforts of captive breeding and release programs were insufficient to halt its slow extinction. The problem was not simply population and genetic diversity of the alala, but that there was no safe habitat to release them into - cats, mongoose and hawks would eat them, among other mortal perils. With the deaths and protective recapturing of the last wild alala, the species forever lost the survival knowledge that parent birds had been passing to their chicks, and though approximately fifty captive alala remain, their breeding to survive in captivity rather than survive in the wild is sure to forever change the ecological signature of the species. A disturbing look at shortsighted species conservation efforts, the dire need to protect species by preserving their habitat, and human hubris as it trifles with the sacred. Highly recommended.

A Balanced Analysis.......2006-08-04

Hawaii probably has one of the most polarized and devisive environmental movements in the U.S. The islands' environmental media often reflect the highly biased and vitrolic nature of the movement itself. That is the real contribution of Seeking the Sacred Raven--a level headed look at the situation, in this case, the impending extinction of the Hawaiian sacred raven, the alala. The book dispels many powerful myths about Hawaii. It's not the place of paradise many people imagine but a land overrun with exotic plants and animals and of all things, cattle, pigs and sheep. We also learn that environmental scientists and activists are not always friends of conservation but sometimes unwittingly harm their own cause. The book debunks a common myth surrounding the indiginous belief in guardian spirits. Because the alala was adopted as a guardian spirit by some Hawaiians doesn't mean it was held sacred by all. While some Hawaiians prayed to it, others actually ate it. This paradox, which has dogged discussion of the alalas' sacredness to Hawaiian culture, is convincingly resolved by this book. The book is well written, carefully documented and well worth the read.

Trouble in Paradise.......2006-07-18

Your view of paradise will never be the same! Hawaii, revered as a land of tranquility, in this book becomes the scene of a bitter feud to save a native species of bird, the sacred alala. Invaded by alien species as well as by well-meaning environmentalists, both of which do their share to dim prospects for the bird's long-term survival, paradise begins to look more like the Wild West. Although it has lots of action, the book has moments of profound reflection, where it laments for the terrible human destruction of the islands' natural landscape and thousands of dwindling species whose receding tide no one seems able to stem. A touching and caring book that should be required reading for anyone concerned with environmental conservation.

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