BOOKS as GIFTS #11:RAVENS in WINTER

Ravens in Winter by Bernd Heinrich

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It is no secret that I am fascinated by crows and ravens. I like watching them interact with one another, with other birds, and with people. They are extremely intelligent.

We have a trio of crows that shows up at our home on Fridays and Saturdays around noon because they know that I will feed them on those two days. The small murder of crows that gathers near my workplace band together to harass a nearby bald eagle couple or the many small hawks that hunt the neighborhood grasslands and meadows. Some of them will call out to me in the morning when I arrive and get out of my car. On occasion, one of them will drop small items near me in some sort of game to which I haven't quite figured out the rules.

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Bernd Heinrich is also fascinated by the various corvids. He spent four consecutive winters in Maine observing the behavior of local ravens, realizing they weren't quite the solitary animals that natural science has thought them to be. They aren't as social as crows, but spend more time together than previously thought.

In addition to personal observation and experimentation, Heinrich also draws upon and examines other sources to discover the intelligence and nobility that ravens possess. He delves into scientific, historical, literary, and mythological narratives in order to try to describe these large birds and their behavior. If you are fascinated with crows, ravens, or jays, then this is the book for you.

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Bernd Heinrich is also the author of a subsequent book on ravens, Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds, which further fleshes out the lives of these majestic birds.

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More information about Bernd Heinrich and his books is available HERE.

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File under:
*Nature
*Obsession
*Ravens
*Science