Ravens in Winter

Bernd Heinrich

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781476794570
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Zoology
• Index: Biological Sciences

"One of the most interesting discoveries I've seen in animal sociobiology in years." — E.O. Wilson Why do ravens, generally understood to be solitary creatures, share food between each other during winter? On the surface, there didn't appear to be any biological or evolutionary imperative behind the raven's willingness to share. The more Bernd Heinrich observed their habits, the more odd the bird's behavior became. What started as mere curiosity turned into an impassioned research project, and Ravens In Winter, the first research of its kind, explores the fascinating biological puzzle of the raven's rather unconventional social habits. "Bernd Heinrich is no ordinary biologist. He's the sort who combines formidable scientific rigor with a sense of irony and an unslaked, boyish enthusiasm for his subject, and who even at his current professorial age seems to do a lot of tree climbing in the line of research." —David Quammen, The New York Times

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INDEX

(Page numbers in italics refer to data compiled in graphs.)

acrobatic flight, 186, 218

in courting, 203–5, 206–7

as play behavior, 204, 206–7

Adamant, Vt., nest near, 232–38, 242–45

Adams, Billy, 290

adult pairs:

baits defended by, 151–52, 223–24, 230, 254–60, 264–266, 277, 278, 279, 281, 311

behavior of, 210, 297

feather postures of, 210, 310–11

juveniles chased from bait by, 211, 212–13, 214, 215–216, 223–24, 230–31, 255–257, 277, 278, 310, 311

permanent bonds of, 153

quorks as territorial advertisement calls of, 224–25, 230, 231, 249, 254–56, 257 259, 264, 265, 277, 279, 281, 283, 284, 285, 289, 318

tender exchanges of, 212, 237, 244, 250

territory or domain of, 151–152, 153–55, 165, 186

adults:

communal roosts joined by, 165

fear of baits in juveniles vs., 215–16, 310

feathers of juveniles vs., 126

juveniles’ fear of, 223–24

juveniles’ submissiveness with, 217

mouth color of, 144

size inadequate as distinguishing characteristic of, 333

unmated, feather postures of, 213

unmated, low status of, 217–18

aerial acrobatics, see acrobatic flight

aerial chases, see chases, aerial African brown-necked ravens (Corvus ruficollis), 17

African honeyguides, 63

age distribution, 220, 295

aggressiveness, 121–22

in aerial chases, 170, 171

among crows, 122

recruitment and, 225–26

see also confrontations; fighting

Ahab, King, 23

Aleutian Islands, 21

Allen, Durward L., 55–56

altruism:

reciprocal, 105, 110, 213, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Note on the New Edition
• Preface
• An Introduction
• Ravens at a Moose
• Ravens as Hunters and Scavengers
• Calling in Carcass-Openers?
• A Selfish Herd?
• A Corvid Comparison
• What Is Acceptable Evidence?
• Early Winter Confusion
• Are Ravens Hawks or Doves?
• Raven Intelligence
• Short Work of Two Sheep
• A Cow
• The Loner
• Tame Birds from the Nest
• Another Hypothesis
• Territorial Adults and Wandering Juveniles
• Communal Roosts
• Do They Come from a Roost?
• To Catch and Mark a Raven, or Two, or More
• Courting and Displays
• Individuals
• Spring Surprises
• At the Nest
• Raven Calls
• The Residents Keep It All
• Why Be Brave?
• Tradeoffs and Complexities
• The Cage Raisings
• The Last Roundups
• Photographs
• Summary
• Appendix
• About the Author
• Notes
• Index
• Copyright