Bird Call

E-Z I.D. Friday--Common Raven

Ok. The Common Raven.  It's the last big black bird for a while. I promise. : )

But before we change the subject, I want to respond to this comment from a favorite reader:

"Thanks for pointing out the physical difference between the raven and the crow. I assume there are other differences since the raven's reputation is generally positive while that of the crow is generally negative. And isn't it the raven who can learn to mimic human speech?"

I agree the raven’s reputation is better. (Probably the gravitas). :)  Plus raven's tend to keep to themselves. Crows don't. So they may take the rap even for raven mischief. : )

Both birds can mimic human speech. Poe just made ravens famous for it. Plus everyone knows crows are more frivolous. Maybe crows don't have as much to say. :)

[And now just in case it’s driving you crazy that you can’t remember that first stanza you memorized in grade school, here’s The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Free.] :)

Anyone who actually is interested in ravens should check out this PBS site:(Ravens
Discover the Brainpower of the Bird in Black). It’s very cool.

E-Z I.D. Friday--back by popular demand :)

Stuff of legends. Companion of kings. Omen of death and evil. God of ancient civilizations.  Harbinger of war.  Hero or villain of myth and literature. This bird has some serious baggage.

Not what you’d expect at the local garbage dump. (They’re regulars.)

As a portent they may seem unkempt, irascible, and every bit annoying as crows (Oscar the Grouch of birds?), but if you see one circle your chimney three times, you’d be wise to settle your affairs.  :)

But can they really foretell your future? Does one tapping on the window really augur death? Can one really find you true love? Do they really know the secrets of the dead? Are they really ghosts of murdered people?

These are serious questions that date back hundreds even thousands of years, so I shouldn’t presume to answer them.

But I will.

HECK NO! They are just birds for crying out loud. : )

Distinguishing Marks: Scruffy appearance, especially the neck. Wedge-shaped tail. Hawk-sized-large. Talks back.

Boring Fact: These birds seem to have an unlimited number of calls. And they’re vocal about everything: warning, greeting, alarm, even mourning. They squawk, whistle, click, growl, and knock. But the most impressive thing about all the sounds they make?

Not one of them is pleasing. : )

  What the heck is it? Hover to see.

Bird-nerd-word of the day: Rookery

Rookery is used to describe a place where birds get together to nest and fledge their young. It is most commonly used for crows and ravens which sometimes build nests close together in the tops of trees. The name comes from, not surprisingly, the Rook which is a common European cousin to crows.

Now you know all about crows. So I don’t need to tell you what young birds just leaving the rookery are called. Do I?

No. After all, it’s not like you’re some Bird-Call rookie. :)

Fish Crow

Fish Crows look just like American Crows. That's a fact. Fish Crow. American Crow. There’s not a dime’s worth of difference in them anyway so who cares?  Right?

Well. There are 51.3 million American bird watchers who care that’s who. (Scary isn’t it?)

They’re not all as nutty as I am--but some are worse. So we’d darn well better get this right. :)

OK. We’ve established they look alike. You’d probably have to shoot one each to tell them apart by looks, and it would still be hard. (Not to mention illegal.)

The easiest way of course, is to bird here on Bird-Call. All you have to do is hover over the photo. How easy is that? But I’m sure you're aware, that works poorly in the field. :)

So...you’re limited more or less to sound. Most famously Fish Crows have a two syllable call, and there are as many mnemonics for it as there are birders. Imagine (if you can) 51.3 million Caw-ahs, Ah-caws, Uh-cuhs (and so on). 

 And I think I know why...from experience. It’s a fun sound to imitate. (Plus it drives people crazy. Try it!)

(Here's a real Fish Crow call [certificate of authenticity available on request] :)  Fish Crow

But in the end, if you really want to add this bird to your life list and aren’t sure which one it is, here’s an old, surefire birder’s tip. You simply walk up to it and ask it straight out, “Are you an American Crow?”

If it says, “Unh-uh” you’ll know. :)