Friday
May212010
The Rook
May 21, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: Petra 
This is a rook, it belongs to the family of the crows. Where I live we have quite a lot of rooks, crows, and magpies (also a member of the crow-family).
I find this bird, and crows in general, very intriguing. The rook, I think, is the prettiest of all crows; the purple glow over the black feathers, the majestic posture and especially the beak; it’s as if it starts right at the eyes. They use it as a spade in the ground in search of worms. They are quite big, the rook is bigger than a magpie. They live in groups, but I can see them operate in pairs. While one of them is eating, the other is keeping an eye on the surroundings.
I heard crows are very intelligent, they are the dolphins among the birds. I read that they can count up to seven. They tested it by placing food near a tent, then one person got into the tent and the crows waited until the person came out and left, before getting to the food. Then two people went in and came out one after the other and the crows knew how many were in and waited until they were all out, before going after the food. And so on and so on. Up until seven people the crows were able to know if someone was still in the tent, before they lost count and went for the food with still a person in the tent.
The second story telling about the intelligence of crows I saw in a TV-series on the BBC. It told about crows wanting to eat nuts from a tree but not being able to open the shells by themselves. So the crows threw the nuts on the street and waited for cars to run over them and break the shell. That is quite intelligent, I think, but then the most amazing thing happened: the crows must have realized that it was hard to retrieve the broken nuts with the cars racing by and found out that the cars were slowing down at zebra crossings, so the crows were throwing the nuts on the zebra-crossing, in order to have more time to retrieve the food. Now isn’t that amazing!
Here is a video of another example
Then why is it that this bird has such a bad name. People don’t like crows, why? Crows are related to graveyards, magic and appear in horror films. But crows/ravens also appear in a lot of cultural myths, and not always as bad creatures.
I guess people over here don’t like crows, because they are loud, they look fierce and you see them chasing and eating baby-ducks and stealing from the birds nests. Well I know that isn’t a pretty picture, but isn’t that just nature?
Reader Comments (17)
First of all, Petra, the image is fabulous...in the rain, no less, with water beads as though it were a flower! All the tidbits of information here are really astounding. I had no clue, for instance, they are considered to be the dolphins of the bird family. That's really saying something when you add what you did at the end about how we perceive them as being 'bad,' which is the opposite of how we perceive dolphins. Amazing. I watched the incredible video and sat here hardly believing my eyes. It's making me want to go back again to Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel or National Geographic shows to get educated. Reality is often better than fiction...especially in Nature. Thank you for this enlightenment at the beginning of a long weekend. Prettige Pinkstergagen! We're on our way to see Hoorn and Endhuizen. :)
What an extraordinary image of what I've always thought and assumed to be a rather ordinary bird. We - too - have a ton of crows...and no one would think them 'pretty'...or 'smart'. Thank-you for this bit of wisdom and insight into their natural intelligence and world.
Wow, who would have known.
Wonderfully written Petra. Thank you for enlightening us.
I had always thought that magpies would me the most intelligent in the family - I'll look at crows in a different way now!
Thanks for the post :)
Baltimore MD in the state that I make my home is where Edgar Allen Poe is buried. The football team is names after his famous poem. When I was in London, I was told that the monarchy will fall when the crows leave the Tower of London, therefore all the birds there had their wings clipped.
I'd say it's quite a bird.
Okay, I have to tell you, I have a major thing for crows! I actually have crow things all over my house, because anytime you say you "have a thing" for something in my family, you will be receiving said item as gifts forevermore...
What a wonderful image. And yes, I find them fascinating. The other thing that I love about them, besides what you mentioned, is that supposedly they are one of the only birds that live with their extended family. The children and the parents hang out together. I like that.
We have a family of three that comes by every day. One is the lookout, and perches at the top of the highest tree while the other two gobble up sunflower seed. They are huge and beautiful. I think you just made my day...
Related, that is truly a relative word.
Anyone who knows anything or has ever observed any situation that was longer than an instant knows that their is more than a world of difference between ravens and crows.
The differences are both subtle and extremely obvious. Both differences are infact detectable to both the eye (even strictly on sight alone) and the mind (upon re-vision of all thoughts and observations strewn together, and thought about).
the closest cousin that the two birds have in common, is no longer a species. At least not around today as a the same species (genetically) as it were when during the immediate times when it was an actual cousin.
yet some people honestly lie to themselves in every day in every way because they want to believe only they and who they choose to, have the correct knowledge.
however the truth, without corrupting interpretation, is alive and well and known by those who see it, and CHOOSE to accept it. Those who do not do not even take the time or thought into the "coincidence" the morphemes and roots of the term genealogy.
which breaks my heart as the significance there is more then three-fold and all coincidences (in this very specific term and all it's meanings) was NO ACCIDENT AND NOT COINCIDENCE.
the wave that this global and growing denial creates will reach the ones did everything in their knowledge and power so that if nothing else, these truths you would know.
The day when there is a single wave of denial that is in sync (whether in trough or peak) that is collectively released cannot and will not be stopped and when it rolls past our four fathers
their hearts will literally break, they will, against every desire in their body, mount up to return and finish what they had started. Love that feels anything but what it truly is being all the proof they need to know this was not the place to plant it's seed.
true beauty (unlike this world) is not always pleasant to the eye.
Interesting post and a wonderful picture!
I see lots of crows and magpies here in London, along with a few jays which are also a member of the same family and which I think are much the best looking! Another are jackdaws which have startling blue eyes.
They are all highly intelligent birds, and as you say crows are not liked, especially by gardeners.
Great post. And I love that image. Just today The Guardian newspaper had a photo of a crow with a ciggie in its beak. It looked like a mafiosi. :-)
Greetings from London.
A fantastic image, Petra! Love the drops of rain on his feathers - well done. We have lots of crows and magpies in our area - in fact, we have a family of magpies that live around the office grounds. I have a funny story about a magpie - chased me around my yard one morning, with the neighbors watching from across the street. Tried to fly into the house once I made it to the door! Saw a raven one time at Yellowstone Park - it was huge!! Excellent post, Petra. :)
The photo that 'A Cuban in London' refers to was also one of the Telegraph's Animal pictures of the week
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/7749780/Animal-pictures-of-the-week-21-May-2010.html?image=16
The video you shared was awesome, as is YOUR image. I continue to enjoy learning about what all of the collaborators find interesting.
The image is great Petra. I like the rain falling on his feathers. In my mind ravens are magical and mystical birds and the are so big. Magpies on the other hand aren't my favorites :-)
i agree that crows are much maligned....i think they should blame the movies for that one!! your picture makes me smile, he looks a bit fed up of the rain :)
What a beautiful image, Petra! And I like crows too, we have many up in Northern Italy. The video is quite amazing! Thanks for sharing :)
Great post Petra, and you are so right, crows are amazing birds. Highly intelligent indeed, my husband had one as a pet when he was a child. a rescued crow actually. They were big friends!
Your picture is lovely, I like the atmopshere a lot!
Wonderful image and post - In my travels to the arctic I was always fascinated by the Ravens ... truly smart birds!