Does anybody know anything about ravens?

[zanana]

I'm not getting much information about them, even online. Suddenly, my neighborhood has been inundated with ravens. At around dusk, there are literally hundreds of them in the treetops across the street from me. Almost scary. I'm wondering if it's breeding season for them. (In NH). Does anybody know why they do this?

[H2O Man]

1. Ravens:

(1) tend to gather in late-winter in the northeast to compete with gulls for garbage sources, i.e. food supplies. (2) Not quite the mating season. (3) Do not be concerned, unless either Alfred Hitchcock or Edgar Allen Poe is seen in a local cafe'.

[chookie]

2. They're flocking

They're doing it all over the place. It's pretty spooky! They will pass on once they clean up your neighborhood.

Ravens are perhaps the smartest bird out there (up there or surpassing parrots, depending who you talk to). The IQ in one tree in your neighborhood is probably higher than George W's.

[glarius]

3. Evermore.............

:)

[zanana]

4. Thanks for the info!

So, now I know that the ravens are flocking because my neighborhood is full of garbage. Not as romantic as I had hoped, but it makes sense.

[seemslikeadream]

5. Are you sure they are ravens?

Ravens are more solitary birds. Crows can look really big and often hang out in large numbers, especially around my house!

[HawkerHurricane]

8. Do you know how to tell the difference

Between Ravens and Crows?

Look at the tips of the wings. Ravens have 4 of the long feathers at the wingtips (called pinions), crows have 5.

So the difference is a matter of a pinion.

[seemslikeadream]

11. I'd like to see zanana counting them!

:crazy:

just my pinion

[Bossy Monkey]

14. Ohhhhhhhhh! That hurt!

Apparently the collective noun for ravens (analogous to a murder of crows or a pride of lions) is a conspiracy of ravens. Not relevant to your reply, but not worth a separate post either. http://community-2.webtv.net/solis-boo/Collectives/

[AliceWonderland]

27. Ooh, I love collective animal names

I hadn't heard conspiracy of ravens, but I love it. I've heard storytelling of ravens (is that great or what?) or unkindness of ravens.

[Astarho]

16. Ravens are bigger

Here in AZ I've seen some that are the size of a small cat. I've also seen some hawks that are smaller then the ravens.

[LWolf]

6. No, not in NH!

We have Ravens year round here in the Mojave Desert. Their population increases when the human population increases, since they thrive on trash like gulls do. Latch the lids on your trash cans firmly! I have a pair on the light poll behind my house right now.

I see them in larger groups occasionally; usually flying overhead, not roosting together.

Ravens are smart, gregarious, opportunists.

[Muesli]

10. mmm,

"Ravens are smart, gregarious, opportunists."

Sounds exactly like another succesful biped.

[zanana]

23. Well, My NH ravens

are bigger than my NH cats! I haven't counted the pinions, though. Can't wait for daylight so I can do that.

[LWolf]

32. Ravens are as big as some falcons,

and almost as big as our local redtailed hawks. They harass the hawks. I think they get away with it because they are more acrobatic in flight

[radwriter0555]

7. You can get rid of them by blasting the tree with a high pressure hose...

it works for pigeons too.

They'll move on.

[HEyHEY]

9. It's a crappy un-inspired name for sports teams.

That's about all I know

[Bertha Venation]

19. The name of the Balitmore "Ravens" WAS inspired....

inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, a Baltimorean. :shrug:

[camero]

20. I like to stop at the Poe gravesite..

On the way to Fells Point that is. hehe. :)

[zanana]

25. Where is the Poe gravesite?

Just for the hell of it.

[camero]

26. God it's been so long

can't remember the name of the neighborhood but it's near the old Washington monument off of Lombard St. Near the arena.

On edit: googled it. It's on Fayette St off of Charles St.

[Bertha Venation]

33. everything you ever wanted to know about Poe & his grave

The Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore

and specifically, regarding his grave

[catzies]

12. Ravens symbolize

magic. In native american lore, the raven is a metaphor for magic, and the number associated with ravens is 16. I am not a bible-thumper, but I have read the text, and in Genesis, after the great flood, Noah released the raven from the ark to fly around the world, and as it did so, its flapping wings dried the water from the surface of the earth. The raven is also a courier, bringing the magic of "the great mystery" with it. Whether or not one chooses to believe in things like this, they are real. It is simply a matter of whether or not one can recognize what is going on.

[catzies]

13. I forgot

to mention a "proof." The color associated with magic is purple, and the color of one of the "crappy, un-inspired sports teams" - the Baltimore Ravens - is also purple. I don't recall the Baltimore Ravens associating themselves with any type of magic, so the proof works via cross-reference.

[Catshrink]

17. The Tower of London always has 6 ravens

it's some kind of superstition:



"It is not known when the ravens first came to the Tower of London, but their presence there is surrounded by myth and legend. Unusually for birds of ill omen, the future of both Country and Kingdom relies upon their continued residence, for according to legend, at least six ravens must remain lest both Tower and Monarchy fall.

The first Royal Observatory was housed in the north eastern turret of the White Tower. Legend has it that John Flamsteed (1646 - 1719), the 'astronomical observator' complained to King Charles II that the birds were interfering with his observations. The King therefore ordered their destruction only to be told that if the ravens left the Tower, the White Tower would fall and a great disaster befall the Kingdom. Sensibly the King changed his mind and decreed that at least six ravens should be kept at the Tower at all times to prevent disaster.

There are seven ravens at the Tower today ( the required six plus one spare!)... The ravens consume 6oz. of raw meat and bird formula biscuits soaked in blood each day. They are very partial to an egg each once a week plus the occasional rabbit which is given to them whole as the fur is good for them! They also enjoy scraps from the mess kitchen at the Tower - they particularly like fried bread!

To prevent the birds flying away one of their wings is clipped by the Raven Master. This does not hurt the raven nor does it harm them in any way. By unbalancing their flight it ensures that they don't stray too far from the Tower."

http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/TowerRavens.htm

[TheMightyFavog]

22. IIRC..

They also hold rank in the British Army.

[zanana]

24. I've seen the Tower of London ravens!

Spookiest place I've ever been. I'd love to see it again. The ravens must be fed as well as you say, because they're huge.

[Catshrink]

28. I saw them too!

I thought the place was pretty cool. I'm a Brit history buff and when the yeoman dude showed the window of the room where Ann Boleyn was held, I swooned. It was too awesome!

[jpak]

15. There's an excellent book "Ravens in Winter" by Bernd Heinrich

on these critters.

It details the habits of ravens in an ecological study conducted in Maine (very close to my ancestral home).

check it out.

BTW - your birds are probably crows

:)

[Bertha Venation]

18. No, but my nephew told me a great crow joke:

Q: Why does one never see any dead crows in the road?

A: Because their buddies are all sitting up on the wires, yelling "CAW! CAW! CAW!"

[AlienGirl]

21. They're caw-cusing! nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. Maybe they've flown in from New York...

There was a thread yesterday about some NY town that holds a shoot-a-crow-for-fun festival around this time of year...

[NightTrain]

30. Try this link

http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/ravens.html

[Lorien]

31. Ravens and crows

are very intelligent and social birds. They have discovered that well lighted citys are great for all night mixers-honestly! I saw a program on PBS about it several years ago (wish I could remember the title).