RAVEN VS CROW: SACRED STORIES AND SOUNDS
Hi guys! As always it's zavi! (zavien), and today you guys will be reading and learning about ravens and crows. Now we all know that the common raven is one very smart bird, but we also know that it is known for its tricks. And, the crow is known for its harsh "CAWS". What's the difference between ravens and crows? Now let's get on to some more interesting facts about our amazing crow and awesome raven!
Ravens:
Ravens as we know are one of the smartest birds, but did you know that ravens actually eat HUMAN FLESH? And, that ravens will consume more human flesh then any other animal. That's cool! Ravens will find certain tools like sticks, rocks and other stuff like that to help them get food. They are handy at getting the job done.
Photo by Casey Horner / Unsplash
Here's some Fun Facts:
-ravens can talk
-they point at stuff with there beak to show other ravens..no other animal does this other then humans!
-they are very logical and crafty, constructing their nest out of even coat hangers...they are brilliant architects!
-no food is off limits, they will eat anything..even a Big Mac left unattended. Most birds get sick eating human food like that.
-Ravens have a special friendship with wolves, possibly hunting partners, as Ravens call wolves to an injured elk or moose, and the wolves tolerate the Ravens eating more meat from the kill then themselves. There is research done by Michigan Technological University biologists John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson as they carried on the legacy of a 50-years-and-running research project to document the lives of wolf and moose populations at Isle Royale National Park, that wolves travel in packs systematically because the ravens are always present within range of a wolf kill....and eating twice their own body weight. Very unusual dinner guests! (The wolves are still trying to outwit the Raven...more numbers more chances I guess! But thanks Raven for the food tip. Give and take for everybody).
-Ravens can consume/stash twice their body weight of 2lbs in meat at a kill site per day.
I love Ravens, they live all around me in the Big Douglas Firs and Cedars of Vancouver Island. Especially on Denman Island where I get to go for Rainforest time....no rules!! On Denman Island..an island off an island..they are more prominent, as I imagine there is more freedom for them as well...come on guys satellite doesn't even work there! Neither does your cell phone. That's one place I love to hang out at.
SACRED STORIES OF RAVEN
There are so many stories of raven from First Nations creation stories, it is amazing to think of this bird as such an important figure in the beliefs of so many.
My mom studied First Nations Art History in University, and she says that the imagery and stories of creation are very vivid and powerful. Raven is a very central part of stories and always the Trickster, the funny parts of life. There is a great respect for all of the natural world around us that maybe we do not see everyday, but should understand we are but a small part of everything going on.
What I say is, who is watching who?
THE CROW
I easily mistake crows for ravens and the opposite at first glance. I am practicing telling the difference. Both belong to the genus **CORVUS** along with Rooks. Both Crows and Ravens are found all over the world, and both like open spaces; *tundras, seascapes, rocky cliffs, and grasslands with trees nearby, and mountain forests.* Crows are super smart, as we know, and we cannot leave **anything** on the beach that looks like a chip bag, or bye bye chips while you surf!! Same at the park for picnics. They are great problem solvers as are the ravens, and great at communicating. Logical as they are at figuring things out, they also can remember faces. Especially faces of mean humans. Reading on a site called [Facts About Crows](https://www.livescience.com/52716-crows-ravens.html" target="_blank)Many types of crows are solitary, but they will often forage in groups. Others stay in large groups. A group of crows is called a murder. When one crow dies, the murder will surround the deceased. This funeral isn’t just to mourn the dead, though. The crows gather together to find out what killed their member. Then, the murder of crows will band together and chase predators in a behavior called mobbing. With some crow species, the yearlings and non-mating adults live in a group called a roosting community.
Photo by Alex Jones / Unsplash
This photo may or may not be one of the smaller varieties of crow, since there are 40 species, but the image is what came to mind with the info I learned on livescience.com!! Creepy but cool.
In front of my bedroom window are 2 huge firs that the crows like to roost in, and one year they must have nested up there near the top, or so I thought. I have a lovely site right into the tree from my bedroom up high. One day a HUGE EAGLE lands at the top of the tree. Well, I knew something was up because of the "community of crows" that came cawing and cawing like alarm bells or an ambulance on the move. I say "community" because I read that crows stick close to where they themselves were born, and they help raise the chicks of the community. I didn't know that till I watched it happen. Happy little crow families living in my great community of Fairfield..I love it!
Well...the noise was for a reason, I learned that the mobbing traits of crows were happening to the Eagle! The crows just didn't want the Eagle there, as he didn't have anything to scavenge from , and was just in between meals taking a break. So the crows "mobbed" him, and eventually they succeeded, and he flew away. The eagle doesn't bother trying to hurt the crow, as the crow is very agile and quick. This seemed strange, as the Eagle has lethal talons that in one swipe the "crow would be toast". I learned it just takes too much energy, and the Eagle doesn't feel threatened, just bothered enough to leave.
The fun fact here is there is NO evidence of crows trying to fly or mob near an Eagle nest when there is young nesting in it. The crows are so smart, that there is a no fly zone at that time. Sounds like there great communications skills save them the grief!
CROW FABLES AND MYTHS
Two fun crows fables is "the crow and the fox"and "The crow and the pitcher"
THE FOX AND THE CROW (AESOP)
The moral to this story is "don't trust flattery", because you might get tricked,even the crow got tricked and lost his cheese!
THE CROW AND THE PITCHER (AESOP)
The moral to this story is "never give up" like the crow who was smart and got what he wanted...a cool drink of water!
CROW AS A TOTEM
Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
We hope you enjoyed reading and learning about ravens and crows who are both very smart. Make sure to check out our next post were I will talk about random stuff:being a girl! As always LIVE,LOVE,LEARN,LIFE!!!!
