Crows

[marko_the_rat]

Researchers have found that corvids (crows and ravens) are by far the smartest of the birds. No wonder humans hate them so much. I like crows. They're outcasts, just like rats.

Comments

[ristin.livejournal.com]

I like crows and ravens. Both would be in my top 10 favorite animals. ^_^

[vandringar.livejournal.com]

I wonder where the parrots and like fit in on their scale.

I like crows.

[vass]

I like crows too, although I tend to compare seagulls to rats more often. I like the way they fly (crows, I mean specifically, but I like how seagulls fly too. Not rats, though.)

Have you read Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion? It's a fantasy novel, set in a country that worships a fivefold deity. The fifth god, the Bastard, is the god of outcasts (including queer folk), and accepts those who don't fit under one of the other four gods. His totems are rats and crows.

[darth-phylos.livejournal.com]

I am a big fan of corvids, except when a murder of them is outside my window talking to each other - I'd like one as a pet to see if I could get it to talk...

[aldi.livejournal.com]

Partridges, new world quails, emus and ostriches are the dolts of the bird world.

I've seen emus up close, and I believe that!

[kendermouse.livejournal.com]

We have a great deal of crows out at the university where i work. I love coming in on foggy mornings and hearing them do their Sentinel calls from the corners of the buildings. It's comforting to know we're being watched out for by them. (At least, that's my take on them - and yeah... i tend to talk to them too. It's a quirk.)

as for smart! I will SO agree to that. We had one that would pick through the fast food sacks left in the outside trash receptacles until he reached a McDonald's sack, then he'd tear up JUST THAT SACK and eat what he found. It was the COOLEST thing to watch because you could just SEE him turning his beak up at any of the other fast food "choices". ::giggle::

thanks for the link.
the kendermouse

[subrosa-florens.livejournal.com]

That is in keeping with what I know about corvids. I have done some reading about them. They are actually songbirds, with highly developed vocal chords. Though the sounds they make are not exactly what most humans consider pleasant. As Kendermouse said, they do use their voices to warn animals of approaching dangers. They are sort of watchmen in the wild.

I have always had an affinity for crows and ravens. Like you, I love hearing their caws. It is good to know they are watching over me. I often turn to say hi to them when I hear them.

When I learned about their mythology, I understood why. They are psychopomps, leading the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. That is why war/death deities are so often associated with them. Such as Freja, The Morrigan, Odin, etc... In fact, one word for the Valkyries was Krakeit, meaning "crows".

Back when I roleplayed, I even made a Crow Totem for shamans in Shadowrun, because I was not satisfied with the one for Raven that they provided.

Another funny thing. According to the native american zodiac, I am a Raven/Crow person.

Needless to say, I consider Crow to be my totem animal/spirit guide. I just wish I could find a crow feather for my altar. Sadly, because of West Nile virus, it can be hard to get ahold of them.

[marko-the-rat.livejournal.com]

I wonder what the rules for mailing crow feathers are? I don't have one on me, but I imagine I could come across one sooner or later if I put out the "call" that I want one.

[subrosa-florens.livejournal.com]

I do not know. I think it is illegal to sell them. But if you put one in a package, who is to know it is anything other than a feather?

Needless to say, I would be muchly apprecative if you did send me one that you find. I have had no luck in locating one, even though crows are all throughout the area.

[marko-the-rat.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I consider choosing to eat McDondald's a sign of intelligence. :)

[nightcoon.livejournal.com]

LOL. Good one, marko! Perhaps the crows should see Super Size Me!

[nightcoon.livejournal.com]

Well, Squirrel and I both adore crows and magpies. And you should see the ravens at the Tower of London - it's illegal to kill one, as it should be, and they're so sexy!

[merik.livejournal.com]

I rather like crows, too. There are lots around campus, and many of them are scientifically-inclined crows with identity tags for monitoring their movements.

On the other hand, too many crows can be a pain. Not too long ago, a town about 40 miles north of here had to call in help from crow experts and the government to scare off the 75,000+ crows who had decided to make the town their home for a while. The noise from the crows was deafening, and the massive amount of crow manure was starting to worry public health officials...

[marko-the-rat.livejournal.com]

75,000+!? As much as I like crows, I don't think I'd appreciate having that many in my neighbourhood either.

[merik.livejournal.com]

Me either. I saw some video of the crows, and it was pretty amazing with huge trees that were just big, black masses of crows. Alfred Hitchcock couldn't have done a better job assembling such a scary mass of birds ;-)

Interestingly, after several nights of various methods to drive away the crows, the crows mostly all went away, but no one knows for sure where they went to...