THE CORVID JOURNAL

A wonderful story of love at Rook Rescue

2012-02-06T22:19:00.000+01:00

Leicestershire rook rescue would like to share with the Corvid Journal and its followers the beautiful story of the love shared between two rooks. Fizzy the rook was rescued as a fledgling in 2005 after falling from the nest during a cull of the local corvids, he damaged his wing and is a permanent resident and has been with us for 7 years! Through the years he has managed to mimic ‘Baby’ one of our other much loved residents. In 2008 another fledgling rook Keg was found outside the local pub sitting on a pub bench, she too was a very small but perfectly formed fledgling who needed a helping hand in order to survive in the wild.

In 2008 Keg & fizzy paired, they were an unlikely couple, Keg being very small and dainty and Fizzy being a big strong rook, but they have the most loving bond you could ever see. Their courtship involved head bobbing and dancing for each other with their wings opening and cawing loudly, both of them had only eyes for each other and began to feed each other and preen each other’s feathers! All of this was viewed closely by us and both birds trusted us to share this part of their relationship. Fizzy remains quite wild even though he is a permanent resident, however he is still very trusting and accepts the affection we show to his lovely mate Keg. Keg has always been quite tame, she loves a stroke and allows us to put our hand out so that she can climb on and use us as a lift to her next destination. The relationship we share with Keg is quite unique as she has full flight ability and spends hours with the wild rooks but still comes back to us when she wants to see Fizzy. Quite amazing really is that she seems to know Fizzy is unable to take to the skies with her, although he does sometimes get a bit overbearing so she sometimes just loves to get away! Fizzy does get quite stressed when Keg takes off, he often chases after her like she’s jilted him at the alter or he stays inside the aviary cawing at the top of his lungs, pecking everything in sight, much to the other rook's annoyance!

In 2009 something very special happened, Keg and Fizzy mated for the first time, Keg only being a one year old rook didn’t seem to stop her. We were amazed how Keg did everything by instinct; Michelle collected the nesting material, twigs moss mud hay leaves even horse hair, and Keg and Fizzy began to build their nest for the eggs. Before the nest was ready Keg laid one egg over the side of the perch and onto the floor where the fragile little blue speckled egg shattered on the floor. However her next eggs were laid inside the nest which is an amazing thing to watch! Unfortunately this first brood of eggs did not hatch and began to smell. We put it down to Keg being too young but the outlook was very positive for Keg and Fizzy, all eyes would be on them for future broods.

In 2010 Keg and Fizzy began courting one another again and selected a better nesting area in the aviary, we were quietly optimistic for this year’s breeding season, Keg laid 5 eggs in total and incubated all of the eggs, all of the eggs hatched and we were very excited for these nestlings. Support was provided to both Keg and Fizzy and Michelle was on hand to help feed the nestlings because Keg and Fizzy were not feeding them enough, although they lost several of their nestlings they managed to raise a tiny little fledgling we called Bubba!

Bubba definitely took after his mum and had his own battles to fight, so serious in fact we had to intervene in order to save his life. After nursing Bubba through the night whilst Keg sat lovingly on an empty nest, Bubba had survived. There was worry that they would not accept Bubba back in the nest after hours of separation but we needn’t have worried, Both Keg & Fizzy welcomed Bubba and continued to nurse him and devote themselves to him.A year on after Bubba hatched and both Keg and Fizzy were still feeding Bubba! They are still so devoted to him and he is to them, their little family unit is just one of the most precious things we have ever witnessed and shared, we feel extremely fortunate to have been part of their amazing journey together!

...

You can learn more about Rook Rescue and the work they do by visiting their Website

Crows in the news today

2012-01-27T20:19:00.000+01:00

Particularly for our fellow Corvid lovers in Australia but of interest to us all...

Could corvids be Australia’s smartest export?

"The family Corvidae originated from a forest ancestor in the Australian fragment of Gondwana. It’s thought that the mental abilities of the early corvids developed as a response to the challenges of adapting to a drying continent. As Australia drifted towards Asia, corvids dispersed and colonised the other continents."

To read more of this Article visit The Conversation

And for our Friends in San Francisco, USA...

Clever crows, ravens crowd the Bay Area

"The flocks settle in the bare winter trees in ominous silence or fill the air with banshee screams and unearthly gurgles and rattles. Seattle writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt calls it "Crow Planet." You're not imagining it; there really are more of them and their raven cousins in Bay Area cities lately"

Read more at The San Franciso Cronicle

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T11:28:00.001+01:00

Just a quick message to wish everyone a very happy New Year. We'll be bringing you lots more Corvid news very soon.

The Fasinating Life of Carrion Crows

2011-12-14T14:14:00.001+01:00

For those who haven't yet bought a copy of December's Bird Watching Magazine you might want to pop out and grab a copy while they're still on the shelves.

Turn to pages 38, 39 and 40 for a nice little article on Carion crows.

"the noisy sound of a 'murder' of crows is one of the UK's most familiar sounds - but Dominic Couzens discovers, there's more to these birds than a simple 'caw'.

We regularly hear our Rescue Carrion Crow making the somewhat surprising calls Dominic describes. I won't spoil it by saying anymore here. No online link this time I'm afraid you'll just have to get the magazine to read on. At £4.10 is a but spendy but there are some great articles and beautiful photography throughout the whole magazine so we'd recommend it.The Bird Watching Magazine website.

Caring for Corvids 2012 Calendar

2011-12-07T13:55:00.001+01:00

Still looking for gifts for Christmas for fellow Corvid lovers?Maybe even for yourself?I think you're going to like this wonderful Corvid Calendar by Mark Williams at G900Photography

You may see some familiar faces among Mark's photographs and all profits go our friends at Rook Rescue and Corvid Aid to help with invaluable work they do. At just £5.99 we think it's unmissable. >>Link

There's another design available for our lovely friends at Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue too, with some great photos of our beautiful British wildlife. Mmmm, I'm thinking one for work, one for home maybe? ;) Check it out >>Link

Rook Rescue, CorvidAid and Bedforshire Wildlife Rescue do so much for our native Corvids, working tirelesly to rescue, heal, protect and give them a second chance; these calendars are great gifts fo so many reasons.

One more linky. Do have a good look at Mark and Lisa's website, its a great site http://g900photography.co.uk/

Ravens use gestures to grab each other's attention

2011-11-29T19:02:00.004+01:00

Source: The following excerpt is taken from the NewScientist article by Linda Geddes (link below).

How do you capture a raven's heart? Arrest its attention by showing it a twig or stone. Ravens use referential gestures – one of the foundations of human language – to initiate relationships.

From an early age we learn to use referential gestures such as pointing to direct another's attention. "People think that this pointing forms the basis of language," says Simone Pika at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen, Germany. "It has also been linked with mental-state attribution – the idea that you understand what I am pointing out."

Apes raised in captivity can learn to use referential gestures to communicate with their human caregivers. Now Pika and Thomas Bugnyar at the University of Vienna, Austria, have recorded common ravens (Corvus corax) using them for the first time.

For the full article please follow the link to Linda's full article on the New Scientist online. >> more

Mental Time-Travelling Jays.

2011-11-20T08:17:00.002+01:00

The following excerpt comes from an article published by the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge.

Scientists say scrub jays are not stuck in the present

Mental time-travel, the ability to use memories of past experiences and plan for the future, has traditionally been considered a quality unique to humans. Now scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified the same ability in a bird - the Western scrub jay, [a US native] similar to the British jay.

In a paper published this week in Nature magazine they describe laboratory tests which show that scrub jays who have experience of stealing food from other birds? hidden caches seem to use this knowledge when hiding their own supplies.

"To our knowledge this is the first experimental demonstration that a non-human animal shows elements of mental time-travel," says Dr Nicky Clayton who conducted the research with her husband, Dr Nathan Emery.

For the full article click >>more

Can Crows Read?

2011-10-26T20:05:00.000+02:00

Crows can recognise and ascribe numerical meaning to symbols, a new study shows, suggesting that the unusually intelligent birds may be able to “read” numbers and simple icons.

Crows are known for their extraordinarily good memories, tool-making skills and ability to discern minute subtleties in judging a threat level. It was reported earlier this year that the US military considered using crows to help track down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden...

This excerpt was taken from an article by Sunanda Creagh, editor of The Conversation. To read more please visit their website >> Link

Many thanks to @Corvidaid for posting the link on Twitter.

Leicestershire Rook Rescue - New Online Shop

2011-09-11T11:22:00.009+02:00

Leicestershire Rook Rescue specialises in the Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release of Corvids. A really great way of supporting their invaluable work would be to treat yourself to something from their new online shop. The designs are fresh and elegant and they'd make great gifts for any Corvid lover too.

This Beach Tote is one of our favourites. It's availabe in three stylish colour options so if you're buying them for more than one of your friends you can add a bit of individuality to each gift. We love the "I love Corvids" message on the back.

So, if you want to help, click
I Support Rook Rescue
and visit the shop now.

To learn more about Rook Rescue visit
their main website and for regular updates @RookRescue on Twitter.

Why there must always be 6 Ravens at the Tower of London

2011-07-06T17:02:00.000+02:00

Visit The Guardian Website page to access the audio file. Here's the Link >>

Arrest as pub serves up rook salad

2011-06-20T09:49:00.000+02:00

The Daily Mirror reports

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of supplying rooks to a pub featured in the Michelin guide.

Police acted after chef Roger Serjent, 40, sparked outrage by featuring a rook salad on his menu.

They held a 45-year-old man on suspicion of supplying legally-protected birds to The Taverners pub in Godshill on the Isle of Wight. Four years ago celebrity TV chef Gordon Ramsay sparked a row after he served up the same dish during filming of his Channel 4 TV show the F Word.

To read more please visit the Mirror online >>>more

Choughs at St Govan's Head

2011-06-19T22:32:00.002+02:00

Continuing our Chough theme for a little longer, here's a rather good little video from ianjohnson1000's YouTube Channel of Red Billed Choughs filmed at St Govan's Head in Wales.

Cornish Choughs

2011-06-17T09:29:00.002+02:00

Sorry for being a bit slow on the uptake but I've just discovered an excellent website www.cornishchoughs.org

The following extract is from an introduction on the homepage. I reccomend you take a look.

"In 2001, the unexpected happened - choughs returned to Cornwall. They were not re-introduced, but wild birds, wandering Celts that found a new home and settled on the Lizard. A pair bred and the rest is history. The Southerly Point have become 21st century emblems for Cornwall . We will put more information on this fledgling site in the coming months to provide you with interesting facts, figures and updates on these wonderful birds. In 2011, we are celebrating 10 years of choughs breeding again in Cornwall"

More >>>

A permanant link will be added to the Corvid Journal home page soon.

Springwatch investigates: The corvid cull

2011-06-14T09:27:00.002+02:00

BBC's Nature Show, Springwatch will be covering an investigation of the Corvid Cull. If you're interested in the issue you may want to tune in at 8pm on BBC Two this evening (14 June).

They're welcoming comments on their website, so you have the opportunity to speak out against the cull. The Journal urges everyone who cares about Crows and Magpies to speak out on their behalf today. The link to the website is here LINK

6 Terrifying Ways Crows Are Way Smarter Than You Think

2011-03-02T16:26:00.002+01:00

By David Dietle on cracked.com

Mankind has a long and checkered past with crows and ravens: They have been feared as symbols of death, because they're all black and scary, revered as creators of the world because, well, it was either them or the seagulls, and worshiped as trickster gods, because of their baffling intelligence. Intelligent enough, in fact, for us to start worrying ...

To read more of David's article Click here >> More

No Licence granted for Corvid Cull Says Natual England

2011-02-18T16:37:00.003+01:00

Ivan Lakin, the Wildlife Management Adviser of Natural England has confirmed that neither the Songbird Survival Trust or the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust have a licence to carry out research on corvid predations on songbirds.

"... I can confirm that Natural England has not issued a specific licence to either Songbird Survival Trust nor the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to carry out research on corvid predations on songbirds. I can also confirm that the Government is not embarking on a wide scale cull of corvids as reported in at least one newspaper (see link - http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/01/31/mythbusters-magpies/).

Natural England issues licences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 on behalf of Defra. As you are aware, some species of corvids are listed under some of the General Licences permitting authorised persons to take and kill by means of specified methods for certain purposes, see link - (http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/licences/generallicences.aspx). These licences may only be used for the purposes stated and use must be in accordance with their terms and conditions. There is no general licence that specifically permits the control of corvids for 'scientific, research or educational purposes'.

I hope this answers your enquiry.

Regards,

Ivan Lakin
Wildlife Management Adviser"

Unjustifiable Crow and Magpie Cull in March

2011-01-30T10:35:00.005+01:00

The following extract is from the THE TIMES (January 27, 2011 by Ben Webster Times Online)

Crows and magpies in Britain are to be trapped and killed in the first large-scale trial of culling to protect songbirds and save the disappearing dawn chorus.

Campaigners seeking to reverse the decline in songbirds hope to use the results to argue for much wider culling of predators, including protected species such as sparrowhawks and buzzards.

The £100,000 trial cull, due to start in March, has exposed a deep rift between two rival bird conservation groups, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Songbird Survival.

The RSPB rejects claims that avian predators are responsible for the decline in species such as the tree sparrow, corn bunting and yellowhammer, numbers of which have more than halved since 1970. It insists that the main cause of songbird decline is intensive farming, which has robbed songbirds of their habitat and food sources. It also argues that a widespread cull of crows and magpies could be illegal.

To read more on the article Click here

I can't over emphasis how important your support in preventing this cull is, thousands of intelligent, emotional, extraordinary birds will be trapped and mercilessly killed just as the breeding season begins for absolutely nothing. Plenty of research has already been done and the facts demonstrate that Corvids and Avian predators are not responsible for the decline in smaller songbirds. Yes, Corvids are songbirds too another fact conveniently overlooked by Songbird Protection.

Info from the Against Corvid Traps website sheds light http://tinyurl.com/4hx4wxn

If you're here, reading this because you love Corvids as much as we do and know their true natures then this is a plea from the heart, please, please do everything you can to help prevent this cull.

Petition Against the Crow Cull Please sign

Facebook support group Stop the Crow and Magpie Cull Please join

If you have a Twitter account please spread the word and follow us @CorvidJournal

The ever lovely Brian May is covering the Corvid Cull Story on his Save Me website

We'll keep you posted with updates here on the Journal Website.

Curious crows use tools to explore dangerous objects

2011-01-14T13:28:00.001+01:00

The following excerpt is taken from an Article written by BBC Earth News reporter Ella Davies on Friday 14th January 2011.

New Caledonian crows use tools to investigate unfamiliar and potentially dangerous objects, according to scientists.

New research shows crows cautiously investigating new objects using sticks as an extension of their beaks.

New Caledonian crows are known to fashion tools to access food sources such as wood-boring beetle larvae.Scientists suggest this study is the first time birds have been recorded using tools for multiple purposes.

The findings are published in the journal Animal Cognition.

New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) are known for their intelligent and innovative use of "tools", such as twigs, to extract nutritious insects from hard to reach places. Studies have also revealed that the crows will craft tools into more suitable shapes and use more than one in order to reach food.

To understand more about their behaviour, researchers from the University of Oxford, UK, introduced a group of crows to a variety of objects including a rubber snake, a flashing LED bike light and a tin of paint.

To see what happens when a New Caledonian crow meets a toy rubber spider and to read more of Ella's article on BBC Earth News? Click Here >>>

Fying on into 2011

2011-01-01T14:33:00.003+01:00

Just a quick message for now to wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope 2011 will bring you new adventures and many happy Corvid encounters.

There will be much more coming in the Journal soon, with frequent updates over the coming months. Be sure to drop by regularly.

Warm wishes,
Sheryl

____________________________

Rook or Jackdaw Sponsorship from Leicestershire Rook Rescue

What could be a better gift for a Corvid lover this New Year than to give them a gift of a Rook Sponsorship, from Leicestershire Rook Rescue? They would make ideal stocking fillers and will bring 4 times the happiness of a normal present!

You'll have the pleasure of giving something that will help look after a wonderful, intelligent bird, your friend will have the pleasure of receiving your gift and knowing it has been given in their name, the Rescue will be deligeted to have your support (they really need it), and not least, your chosen bird will have a full tummy for a week because you care and all for only £5. Not only that, the Sponsorship document and info update comes backed in absolutely gorgeous corvid artwork (worth framing in itself) and lovely little rook lapel pin too.

To visit their Sponsorship page to see the birds you can sponsor. Click here

Contact Michelle at Leicestershire Rook Rescue for details:
Tel: 07901 934752 Email :leicestershirerookrescue@hotmail.co.uk

More Corvid Goodies from Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue

If you woukd like to give other gifts that will benefit our favourite featherlings, Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue sell a beautiful Sterling Silver Crow/Raven pendant in the their eBay Shop. You might also like their environmentally friendly Crow Cotton Tote Bag. Check them out.

You can also Adopt a crow named Hal. I've met him and believe me, he's a real darling.

Who You Callin' "Bird Brain"?

2010-10-16T11:43:00.000+02:00

The amazing smarts of crows, jays, and other corvids are forcing scientists to rethink when and why intelligence evolved.

Nicky Clayton is no better at sitting still than are the birds she studies. Back in the 1990s, her colleagues at the University of California at Davis would stay at their computers at lunchtime, but she would wander outside and watch as western scrub-jays stole bits of students’ meals and secretively cached the food. During these informal field studies, Clayton, an experimental psychologist, noticed that the birds returned frequently to their stashes and changed their hiding places.

“I thought, ‘This is odd,’” she says. “I assumed birds would cache for a long time—days or months. But this was for minutes.” She theorized that the birds were moving their caches to avoid pilfering. When food was plentiful, they grabbed as much as possible and hid it, then hid it again when they could do so without being observed by potential thieves. To read more of this article from Discover Magazine click here >>

Bird Watching Magazine - October

2010-10-08T21:09:00.001+02:00

There's a feature on Corvids in Myth and Legend in the October issue of Bird Watching Magazine, so Corvid lovers might well like to take a look.

It's great to see our favourite birds featured but sadly the author has largely only selected the myths and legends that empasise the negative fear and superstitions people have assoiciated with them. It would have been nice to have balanced the view with some positive association.

In China for instance the Magpie is a symbol of happiness. The singing of a magpie foretells happiness and good luck. That's why it is called 'Happy Magpie' by Chinese people. The Manchu minority in Northeast China even regards magpies as sacred birds.

In Norse mythology, the ravens Hugin and Munin travel the world bearing news and information they have collected to Odin. Hugin is "thought" and Munin is "memory". They are sent out at dawn to gather information and return in the evening. They perch on the Odin's shoulders and whisper the news into his ears. It is from these ravens that the kenning 'raven-god' for Odin is derived.

But back to the magazine; bird of the month is the Eurasian Jay so its definitely a Corvid October for Bird Watchers. You can pick up a copy at most of the larger Newsagents in the UK.

Foraging for Fat: Crafty Crows Use Tools to Fish for Nutritious Morsels

2010-09-19T10:22:00.001+02:00

ScienceDaily (Sep. 17, 2010) — Tool use is so rare in the animal kingdom that it was once believed to be a uniquely human trait. While it is now known that some non-human animal species can use tools for foraging, the rarity of this behaviour remains a puzzle. It is generally assumed that tool use played a key role in human evolution, so understanding this behaviour's ecological context, and its evolutionary roots, is of major scientific interest. A project led by researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Exeter examined the ecological significance of tool use in New Caledonian crows, a species renowned for its sophisticated tool-use behaviour.

The scientists found that a substantial amount of the crows' energy intake comes from tool-derived food, highlighting the nutritional significance of their remarkable tool-use skills. A report of the research appears in this week's Science (subscription required to view full original text). To read more free click here >>

Crows Can Use 'Up To Three Tools' In Correct Sequence Without Training

New Caledonian crows can spontaneously use up to three tools in the correct sequence to achieve a goal, something never before observed in non-human animals without explicit training.

Sequential tool use has often been interpreted as evidence for advanced cognitive abilities, such as planning and analogical reasoning, but this has never been explicitly examined.

The researchers set out to investigate what the crows really understood about the tasks and their own actions with tools. A report of their research appears in the journal PLoS One. Read more >> at Science Daily.

RSPB Corvid Pin Badges

2010-09-19T10:06:00.005+02:00

The RSPB do some really lovely bird and general wildlife pin badges but unfortunately not all the British Corvids yet. New in this year's collection is the Magpie which you can pick up for a £1 donation at various Centres throughout the country that stock them, like Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetland Trust in Gloucestershire. Or you can get all the ones below from the RSPB Pin Badge Collector's Group. Most are £1 each, though some of the rarer ones might be a bit more.

They currently have:
Jay @ £1
Magpie @ £1
Chough flying @ £1 (not pictured but a really nice one)
Chough sitting (discontinued but available at a suggested donation of £4)
Rook ( colour mistake only available from the collectors group without backing card ) @ £1

Postage is 75p

Magpie

Red Billed Chough

Jay

Rook

If you want them contact Mark Weston for details:

Mark Weston
Pin Badge Collectors Group Coordinator
RSPB South East Regional Office
Tel: 07802 293417
E-mail: pinbadge.collectorsgroup@rspb.org.uk
www.rspb.org.uk

P.S. Drop a heavy hint that we still need Raven, Carrion Crow and Hooded Crow to complete the set. Maybe they'll add them to next year's collection if there's enough interest. ;)

Pic of the Day - Sunday 29th August 2010

2010-08-29T11:23:00.002+02:00

Crow by ~muratsunger on deviantART

Coming soon... City of Ravens:

2010-08-28T19:44:00.006+02:00

How ravens came to the Tower of London, why they stayed, and what they tell us about nature and humankind, City of Ravens is the soon to be published new book by Boria Sax, author of Crow

According to popular lore, Charles II ordered that the wings of six ravens at the Tower of London be clipped, because of a supposedly ancient legend that “Britain will fall” if they leave. But ravens in the Tower date back only to 1883, when they were brought in as props for tales of Gothic horror told to tourists. The legend originated in summer of 1944, when ravens in London were used as unofficial spotters for enemy bombs and planes. This is the first book to tell the true story of the ravens, which has far more high drama than the tales for tourists do. It contains protagonists like, for example, the raven couple Grip and Mable, who eloped from the Tower together after World War II, leaving it without ravens and prompting fears that the British Empire would end. Other ravens include Jackie, who kept watch at a brewery; McDonald, who was murdered; and Thor, who could not accept his loss of flight. For the approximately 130 years that the ravens have been at the Tower, they have been viewed as symbols of cruelty, avatars of fate, and cuddly national pets, but their legend may also be given an environmental interpretation. The ravens represent the natural heritage, without which any nation will be impoverished. The book concludes with a proposal that the ravens with clipped wings be replaced by a colony of wild ones in a high tower, where they may soar at will. more >>

As soon as the book is published, we'll post a link. Can't wait to get my copy.

The Raven’s Perch Wall Sculpture

2010-08-28T19:28:00.000+02:00

This mystical “shape shifter,” legendary even before Edgar Allan Poe sang its praises, is a fabled messenger between the worlds who will also lend prophetic presence to your home or garden wall. Intricately sculpted from feathers to talons, Toscano's exclusive Raven's Perch Wall Sculpture is cast in quality designer resin and finely hand-painted in charcoal black as a three-dimensional visitor with a mystical air.

Toscano Design are based in the US but are willing to do ship internationally. (Delivered to the UK, £55 approx) To visit their site click here >>

Rory and Finn - Crows Don't Miss a Trick

2010-08-18T21:41:00.002+02:00

Our two disabled crows, Rory and Finn came to live with us from Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue, in May this year. Rory was born with a deformed left claw and when she was found had really poor feather condition. Finn had been shot in the leg, the person that found him was kind enough to save him but sadly didn't take him to the Rescue quickly enough and unfortunately by the time he arrived, 10 days later, the bones in his leg had started to set in the wrong position. He's now unable to put much weight on his right leg at all. Their treatment over, fit and otherwise well, unfortunately with the permanent disabilities they have, neither would survive in the wild now. They needed a permanant home so we offered to build a large aviary for them in our garden and bring them to live with us and happily Sam agreed.

Actually to begin with we were going to have Finn and another crow, Conn but a little bit of magic happened a week before we were due to collect them, Finn and Rory showed all the signs of pair bonding (a very rare thing in captivity with wild crows). There was no way I'd have considered separating them so it was Finn and Rory who came back with us and that was definitely the right decision, they're very much in love and completely inseparable.

Crows are remarkably observant and really don't miss a trick. Once they started to settle in to their new home they soon became aware of the regular pattern of events every day. At first whenever we went out into the garden they'd disappear into their roosting box to hide as soon as they saw us. It wasn't long though before they recognised the sound of the key in the lock and would vanish even before we stepped outside. We even took to referring to them as our 'invisible crows'.

For most of the day we left them to adjust to their new surroundings and let them do whatever they wanted to, if they wanted to hide that was fine. They quickly learned though, that I shooed them out of their roosting box for just a little while twice a day to check on them and within a couple of weeks learned it was just far less hassle to come out when I called.

To get them used to the fact I meant them no harm, when the weather was good during the summer, I'd spend about an hour in the aviary with them, pretending to ignore them while I read my book. We did well, fear quite quickly reduced to suspicion, suspicion to mild uncertainty and now as long as I stay put at my end of the aviary they relax and stop doing the skinny crow on red alert thing and loosen their feathers in a characteristically more relaxed fashion. I think it's a much better look.

Don't get me wrong they certainly don't trust me yet, they keep a careful eye on my every move but the fact that they don't go rushing for cover every time we go outside now is lovely. Except that is, when evening comes and they know when it's time for me to clean their aviary. They've figured out that around 6:30pm she'll be doing that cleaning thing, best to hide until its' done. When I step outside at that time of day it's hop, hop, hop across the perches and away up into the roosting box until the aviary has been cleaned, dishes washed and refilled with fresh food and water.

In the early days, when everything was done, I used to have to call them out for their evening check after that. Now when they hear me reeling the hose back in they take that as their cue to come out by themselves. They figured out the call comes just after that so we may as well come out now. I chat to them for a few minutes, show them where I've left their special evening treats and say goodnight. Spying on them from the landing window though, I watch them go straight to the treat bowl and listen to them chatter away in quiet conversation with each other. Oh how I'd love to know just what they're saying. Probably something like, "That stupid human, we know she's watching us", "True, she may be stupid but she does provide good eating".

Crows - What are they up to now?

2010-08-15T13:42:00.002+02:00

The following excerpt is from A Crow's Year on the US Website crows.net Although the description of behaviour is taken from observations of The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) it would be interesting to look out for similar behaviour by our own The Carrion Crow (Corvus corone).

LATE AUGUST - EARLY SEPTEMBER

This is the time of year when you might hear unusual crow vocalizations, clicking or rattling sounds rather like the distress/challenge noise of a gray squirrel, soft coos, and possibly even long strings of complicated sound patterns. These very frequently are made by the young of the year crows, and possibly serve a similar purpose in the language learning process as "baby talk" does in humans. We have observed young crows walking along a rooftop by themselves and producing long rambling strings of sound for no apparent purpose.

The basic crow families of perhaps 3 to 7 or 8 birds are still remaining together and the young may be more bold and visible in hunting for their own food.

For more on a Crow's year, visit their site. more >>

Diet of the Red-billed Chough

2010-08-05T15:19:00.001+02:00

The Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax is a corvid which has an extensive world distribution. It occurs throughout much of southern Europe, with scattered populations mainly in mountainous areas of the Iberian Peninsula and the northern Mediterranean area; it also breeds in Brittany and on the west coast of Britain.

The Chough declined in Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and recent studies in the Iberian Peninsula have shown the distribution to be much more patchy than was previously thought...
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Oiseaux-birds.com

2010-08-01T09:59:00.000+02:00

Oiseaux-birds.com is a lovely website created by Nicole who lives in the Landes, in the South-west of France. I would urge you to vist her site, information is elegantly presented with some beautiful photographs.

I've linked directly to the Corvid related pages in the menu at the top of the Journal. Please follow the links for Jay, Raven, Magpie and Extended Family above to see the information cards she's created on her website.

What should I do if I find an injured bird?

2010-06-15T17:43:00.000+02:00

Making the right decisions and acting promptly, without delay can make the difference between life and death, a chance to fly free in the wild again or a lifetime in captivity as a legally unreleasable bird.

Corvid Aid provide a really useful information sheet on what to do if you find an injured or orphaned bird. Please follow the link below and read the guide Vanessa's written. For further advice, visit her site for contact details or get in touch with your local Wildlife Rescue. More >>

A list of confirmed Corvid Friendly Wildlife Rescues is provided on the Corvid Friendly Wildlife Rescue Location Map. There are many more, yet to be listed, so we'd be really grateful if you could let us know of any others we could add.

Ravens invade eastward from wilds of 'Celtic fringe'

2010-04-06T00:09:00.007+02:00

A new study shows one of the most remarkable British wildlife phenomena of the last 20 years, the advance of the common raven (Corvus corax).

For most of the 20th century Britain's largest crow, the great black bird of morbid legend, was confined to the "Celtic fringe" of Britain. Persecution by Victorian gamekeepers had extinguished it in the English lowlands and driven it to the hills and moors of the West Country, Wales, the Lake District and Scotland. With the gamekeepers mostly gone, it is returning.

During the last 20 years the birds have begun to spread eastwards from the Welsh borders into the Midlands, and by 1995 they were in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire. By 2005 they had spread as far south as East and West Sussex. Last summer, for the first time in more than a century, a pair nested on the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, and successfully raised two young. more >>

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor - The Independent

Can you tell the difference between a raven and a crow in flight?

2010-03-17T15:03:00.001+01:00

A useful guide from the US website NatureMapping Animal Facts

Tail Feathers: Ravens have wedge-shaped tails and crows have fan-shaped tails. When you see the bird flying overhead, you can often get a good look at the shape of the tail. (Drawing by Jenifer Rees. Courtesy of WDFW.)
Ravens differ from crows in appearance by their larger bill, tail shape, flight pattern and by their large size. Ravens are as big as Red-tailed Hawks, and crows are about the size of pigeons.

The raven is all black, has a 3.5-4 ft wingspan and is around 24-27 inches from head to tail. The crow is also black, has a 2.5 ft wingspan and is about 17 inches long. The raven weighs around 40 oz while the crow is 20 oz - half the weight of a raven.

The raven has highly glossed plumage showing iridescent greens, blues, and purples. Sometimes the feathers have an oily or wet sheen. Crows also have feathers with iridescent purple and blue, but with less sheen than the raven. more >>

The Jury is in on Magpies and Sparrowhawks

2010-03-08T16:33:00.005+01:00

Today sees the publication of two interesting and important studies of the impacts of predator species on their prey's populations. I'll discuss them both here in this blog.

This post is about the analysis carried out by the BTO (with the University of St Andrews and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust) on the huge datasets of the Common Birds Census and the Breeding Bird Survey.

Magpie - not the cause of farmland bird declines. The study looked to see whether predators such as sparrowhawk, magpie, kestrel and buzzard have any discernible impacts on the populations of potential prey such as songbirds. If this study is the jury deliberating on the question of whether predators are guilty for songbird declines then the verdict is not guilty!

Mark Avery's is the RSPB's Conservation Director. To read more of this article please use this link to visit Mark's blog

Ravens cleared over collapse of waders

2010-02-17T17:23:00.008+01:00

The evil mythology that surrounds the raven is now being debunked. For centuries it has been demonised as a symbol of death and foreboding, driven to the lonely edges of the land by persecuting humans who grew to fear its ebony form among them. Yet the evil mythology that surrounds the raven is now being debunked by science and the reputation of the cronking gloom bird of the popular imagination restored.

New research has effectively dismissed one of the persistent complaints levelled by critics of one of northern hemisphere's most successful bird species in the wake of its extraordinary return to nearly all parts of Britain in the last 20 years - the claim that it is responsible for the collapse of some wading bird populations.

To read more, please visit Jonathan Brown's article for The Independent on Sunday. More >>

Where can I go to see huge roosts of rooks and crows?

2010-01-25T01:04:00.001+01:00

Crow flocks gather nationwide during the winter months. Look near open farmland and grassland, especially pastures where invertebrate populations are highest. Generally, numbers will peak around Christmas time with the birds returning to their breeding areas around February. more >>

To watch an except from Alan Tichmarsh's visit to a Winter Rookery in the Nature of Britain, click here

Imprinted Corvid Communication

2010-01-15T01:27:00.004+01:00

Corvid Aid is a small, independently run wildlife sanctuary specialising in the rescue and rehabilitation of the eight species of British corvid: the carrion crow, the hooded crow, the rook, raven, jackdaw, chough, magpie and the jay.

The centre is based in West Yorkshire, England and is run by Vanessa Blackburn and her partner Jason Barstow. With over 15 years of valued rescue experience and close contact with corvids over many years, Vanessa has agree to share with us a little glimpse into the world through a Corvids eyes.

How does an imprinted Corvid see its human carer?

Imprinted corvids seem to see their owner as their “mate” they also display chick like behaviour, females display this infant like behaviour to their partners at breeding time also.

They will display the full pre-copulation posture on occasions when their keeper is around (males and females will do this although the males posture is more fluffed up in appearance). They usually do this if you’ve been elsewhere and they’re pleased to see you!

What are the signs of a contented Corvid?

They often draw their nictitating membrane across the eye as a sign of contentment when the keeper is around, especially when they are being tickled/scratched or their feathers are being smoothed.

How do they show affection?

They will do what we call “baby wings” (like an infant begging for food) when the keeper is around, they also use the same open mouthed begging calls. The bird can do this at any age.

Do they have anything to say for themselves?

Imprinted corvids often try to copy their keepers speech, often successfully.

How do they show displeasure?

If an imprinted corvid wishes to be left alone by its keeper e.g. if you were trying to catch the bird up or the bird is tired and wants to be left alone it will display its displeasure by fluffing all the feathers up and pointing the beak to the ground, there is often “beak snapping” involved too and sometimes a low growl. Corvids usually give plenty of warning before an actual attack.

An imprinted corvid may attack a keeper if it is pushed to far and the warnings are not heeded, corvids use their beak to stab, nip and bite and also use the feet to attack in exactly the same was as a bird of prey.

It is also worth noting that imprinted corvids, almost always male magpies, jackdaws and crows will attack any individual (human) who is seen as a threat to their relationship with their “mate”. We often hear stories of this happening usually with male imprinted magpies. They act much the same way in the wild with others of their kind, crows and magpies are very territorial, although it is interesting that imprinted jackdaws display this aggression as they are highly social in the wild.

Raising an alarm

Corvids in captivity imprinted or not often use their alarm call, this is along with a flicking tail (which they use if they are uncertain/worried), we often see this behaviour, especially if we’re carrying something black such as a bin liner or even a handbag! It has been well documented that they do this in the wild because they think that one of their own has been captured, anything that even loosely resembles another corvid gets this response!

Corvids are afraid of new things, this includes people and even wearing a different coloured top can send them in to blind panic.

Getting attention

Imprinted corvids will “shout” for attention, in much the same way as a parrot will scream. This can go on all day until they get what they want!

Bonding and attachment

Imprinted Corvids (especially crows) bond very closely to one person, if they are suddenly left alone for long periods they will display self destructive behaviours such as pacing, jumping up and down on the spot and very commonly feather pulling. Sometimes to the point where they cause bleeding and badly damage the flesh.

A corvid that has been “abandoned” by its owner often will not settle with another keeper and they get extremely depressed. This probably occurs because they mate for life.

Vanessa Blackburn – CorvidAid

Clever rooks have sense of gravity

2009-10-07T22:03:00.006+02:00

Rooks appear to have a better understanding of how gravity works than do chimps and babies under 6 months old.

A common way of finding out whether animals and babies understand complex concepts is to show them images of impossible events. The rationale is that viewers spend longer looking at those which defy their expectations, presumably as they try to work out what's going on.

Chris Bird of the University of Cambridge and Nathan Emery of Queen Mary, University of London, showed rooks computer-generated images, half of which were impossible according to the laws of gravity, such as an egg floating in mid-air above a table. Almost without exception, the rooks spent more time looking at the "impossible" images than the possible ones. They also took more second glances.

The responses were the same when the "familiar" egg shape was replaced by a cork, proving the birds' insight applied equally to any object, familiar or not. The researchers say the result is consistent with rooks being able to solve complex problems from knowledge of cause and effect, rather than by trial and error. more >>

By Andy Coghlan - The New Scientist
Original photo by John Haslam

Ecology and Behaviour Observations of the Rook

2008-08-19T00:35:00.004+02:00

The Rook Corvus frugilegus as it Approaches the Breeding Season is Expected to Spend More Time Around the Nest and Less Time Foraging.

The study was conducted to see if the Rooks behaviour changes as the breeding season approaches. The ecology of the Rook was researched to decipher which aspects of its behaviour could be used in the field to test the hypothesis. Rooks utilise different food resources throughout the year dependent on factors such as its breeding season. Rooks are a monogamous species, where both the female and male contribute to the success of the offspring. They are social birds often found foraging and nesting together with Jackdaws. The results showed there were significant differences in behaviour as the breeding season approached. Moreover, there were observed but untested data which also support the hypothesis. Following the study further interesting behaviours were observed which can lead to further studies. More >>

Presented by Vincenzo De Jacovo as a Project in part fulfilment of requirements for the degree of BSc (Hons) Ecology and Biogeography of the University of Brighton 2008