American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are a species of bird found in the family Corvidae, a family that also includes magpies, nutcrackers, and jays (Eastman, 1997). According Eastman’s book Birds of Forest, Yard, and Thicket, there are around forty-two Corvus species, and most of them live in the Northern Hemisphere (1997). American Crows in the United States usually do not migrate, but they do migrate in Canada. Not all American Crows migrate, but they are social birds who form wintertime flocks that sometimes reach over 200,000 birds (Burton et al., 2010).
American Crows have a number of features that make them identifiable, and to help keep them from being confused with another member of the Corvus genus, the Common Raven (Marzluff et al., 2013). American Crows can reach a length between 17 to 21 inches, with a wingspan of 39 inches, while the Common Raven is a larger bird that has an average length of 24 inches (Burton et al. 2010; Marzluff et al, 2013). Both the American Crow and the Common Raven have black coloration, but their feathers and beaks differ. Common Ravens have a larger, stronger beak, a wedge-shaped tale, and spikey feathers on their throat. American Crows, on the other hand, have a smaller and less bulky bill, smooth throat feathers, and they have tail feathers that fan out instead of forming a wedge (Marzluff et al, 2013). The two birds have different styles of flying. A Common Raven soars in flight, but C. brachyrhynchos usually keeps flapping its wings instead of gliding (Burton et al. 2010; Marzluff et al, 2013). Finally, American Crows also have a different call than their raven counterparts: their cry is a “caw, caw” that sets its voice apart from the croaking noises ravens make (Marzluff et al, 2013...
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... Crows may be to blame for some, their bad record is not entirely justified. They may eat human crops, but generally it is the left over grain that they eat. Humans also benefit from their appetite for carrion and insects, since crows eat roadkill and farm pests (Burton et al., 2010). American Crows may not be the most beautiful or agreeable of birds, but they are a complex and interesting species.
References
Burton, R. & Kress, S. W., (2010). Bird profiles: American Crow. Audubon North American birdfeeder guide (Rev. ed., p. 150). New York: DK.
Eastman, J. (1997).14-Crow and Jay Family (Corvidae). Birds of forest, yard, and thicket. (pp. 127- 145). Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books. Retrieved from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) [Accessed 3 March 2014]
Marzluff, J., Angell, T. & Elliot, B. (2013, May. - Jun.). Birds: Brains over brawn. Audubon, 115(3), 40-41.
United States Department of the interior Fish And Wildlife Service, . North American Fauna. 2012.
There are both similarities and differences between the Raven of Edger Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and the Raven from Native American mythology.
Klein shows several example videos of birds adapting to their environments to show how these birds adjust to living in our lives. One example is a bird living in Japan and learning how to crack open a nut by dropping it in the street, letting a car run over it, waiting for the light to change, then retrieve their food. They learned this by other crows doing the same thing in Tokyo years before. Klein has learned that crows are now really smart as well as they
In "The Raven", a man, most likely older than the man in "Annabel Lee", mourns the death of his love whom he called "Lenore". Lenore, like Annabel Lee, had died several years earlier. In "The Raven", man hears tapping on his chamber door and sees the curtains slowly swaying. He believes that it can be no other than Lenore. Unfortunately for him though, it is only but a bird. A large, black bird known as the Raven. Although the men in these two stories are similar because they both mourn for their loved ones, they are also different.
The Raven and Rime of the Ancient Mariner are two of the first horror stories ever written. They both involve a bird that has a huge amount of influence on the story. Keith French said, “Birds and other animals are vital parts of poems. One of the most vital birds in any poem is Poe’s Raven, without this bird obviously the events in this poem would have never happened, but it is more than just that. The type of bird, a Raven which symbolises fear or dread, was the perfect fit for the poem.” Each bird does something different in their respective story. Some things they have in common like that they both give a sense of false hope. Other things they do not have in common like how the Albatross is considered a good omen, where the Raven is considered a bad one.
While driving On Rte10 through the town of Hamden what seems to be an ordinary ride can become a scenic view of our nation’s bird. On a tall skinny Birch tree over 40 ft in the air is lives a bald eagle in its natural habitat. In this nest lives a male adult and female adult with an Eaglet. The nest is located in a farming open field along a river bank. This field and river provides the eagles with a source of food. The eagles mostly eat fish, the adult eagle will swoop down to the water and grab a fish all in one motion flying the meal back to the nest to feed its family. The field is posted to prevent people from ruining the habitat, since the natural reproduction of this eagle is very important to its recovery from being endangered. I was able to view this community form the road and was able to watch the nest and occasionally watch the adult eagle fly away most likely looking for food to feed his family. The nest form my view was huge at least 3 feet in diameter perched up about 40 ft high on a birch tree. The surrounding area of the nest was clear of any branches or trees creating a clear access way for the birds to land. Below the nest was a large open field on the bank of an active river.
"Sandhill Crane - National Wildlife Federation." Sandhill Crane - National Wildlife Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
The Raven starts off with the narrator dozing on and off on a cold December night trying to read a book. The narrator mentions a love long lost named Lenore in the beginning of the poem. Soon someone, or something, knocks on the door. The narrator opens it and finds no one, hearing something at the window he opens that, and a raven flies in landing on a piece of furniture. The narrator’s first instinct is to try to communicate with the bird (a sign of being a psychopath?), but the bird only answers “Nevermore” to each and every question asked.
Martin, Scott. Annotations to The Crow by James O’Barr . Last updated 9 July 1998. Accessed 23 April 2003. <http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Balcony/2570/crownote.htm>.
The Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus is found in Africa (Ogada, 2011). Brown (1971) also described this species as one of the commonest or in some places, the commonest vulture in Africa. It occurs throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of heavily forested areas in Central Africa (Ogada, 2011). The Hooded Vulture occupies a variety of habitats including deserts, forests, savanna and urban areas and is a human commensal associated with rubbish dumps and slaughterhouses in urban areas where it can gather in large numbers (Ogada, 2011). Its close relationship with man enabled it to increase in numbers at some point in time since it lacked competition from other vultures in urban environments (Anderson 1999). However, this close association with man resulted in its overexploitation for food and traditional medicines predominantly in West Africa (Anderson 1999, Sodeinde and Soewu 1999). The Hooded Vulture is sedentary, nests and roosts on trees, and can be found in more forested areas than any of the other African vultures (Ogada, 2011). Throughout its range of habitats, it feeds on scraps,
The Whooping Crane is known to be one of the tallest birds in North America. The size of the Whooping Crane makes it unique because it stands as high as an average human which is about 5’4” and has a wingspan of 6’6” to 8ft. These birds have a long Trachea which raps into its sternum so they can honk over marshes and you can hear them up to one and a half miles away. Because Whooping Cranes are so large they require a habitat that will accommodate their size. When the humans settled long ago in the Northern American Prairies, they drained big and small marshes for more dry land for their crops and pastures therefore it destroyed the Whooping Cranes homes which is one of the reasons why it is on the endangered species list. In the previous
25–30 cm, weight 2.5–3.5 oz and 70–100 g, wingspan 13.4–16.9 in and 34–43 cm. The blue jays eggs are yellowish, sometimes brown
As most readers of this series know, the idea of crows is repeated a lot. It took me a few weeks to figure out that it was a major symbol in the story and it’s meaning.
"Avian Reintroduction and Translocation : Home." Domain Default Page. Lincoln Park Zoo, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 9 Nov. 2011. .
Recher, Harry F. (1985). Eucalypt Forests, Woodlands and Birds: An Introduction. In Birds of Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands: Ecology, Conservation, Management. Ed. A. Keast, H. F. Recher, H. Ford, and D. Saunders, pp. 1-10. Chpping Norton, New South Wales: Surrey Beatty and Sons Pty Ltd.