November 11, 2022
Even before I heard their distinctive call, I knew it wasn’t just a flock of crows. The way a raven soars seems effortless, and certainly more graceful, than the purpose driven flapping of a crow. While crows always appear to be in a great hurry, these ravens looked like they didn’t have a care in the world.
They showed up not long after sunrise and spent the morning riding thermals, and gliding along the treetops, just below our ridgeline. When they finally got bored with that, they spent some time in our pasture checking out the sheep and pigs. They sauntered about, investigating anything that caught their attention. They’d find something of interest, carry it off, and then drop it midflight. Apparently chunks of left-over pumpkins just aren’t worth their time.
Ravens tend to travel alone, or as mated pairs, but this flock of ten were likely a band of two-year-old juveniles that hadn’t yet settled down with a mate. Three times the size of a common crow, ravens appear to have an oversized attitude to match. Between their scruffy feathers and cocky swagger, they looked like the quintessential image of avian thuggery. This bunch reminded me of a belligerent gang of teenagers, hanging out on a street corner (complete with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in their shirt sleeves), daring someone to tell them to move along.
Ravens can live for 40 years, and like other corvids, they have been described as having the intelligence of a chimpanzee, or that of a 7-year-old child. They have been known to use objects as tools, such as using a stick to pick a grub out of tree, or dropping nuts in the road in front of passing cars and then retrieving them once crushed.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch (a Professor at the Technical University Berlin, Germany, and an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University and Washington State University) once witnessed a pair drinking from a water fountain. One pushed the button with its beak, while the other drank.
I know the last thing we need is a flock of ruffians hanging out on our farm, but honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed their company and I do hope they come back soon.