Corvid Corner

Making a Spectacle by Chris Pilkington

corvidae — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:32 +0000

I came across a fantastic limited edition graphic novel about a crow named Jim. It is geared towards children and has a moral story to it. It looks lovely! Anyone know how I can get my hands on a copy?

An Injured Crow

corvidae — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:50:44 +0000

I have many bird visitors daily to my feeders. The past few days a crow has been visiting. This crow is beautiful, younger but this crow is injured. And it makes me so sad to see the bird limp. =(

You can see him/her nursing its leg. =(

The crow didn’t fly away like most do when I get too close. It is injured and worried but I was not hasty in approaching it.

I made some calls to the local wildlife organization to see if they could help. If you find an injured crow (or any bird) or an abandoned nest or hatchling (baby bird), you can call or visit the website of national organization to find your local facilities:

When in doubt, just call your local humane society and ask what to do or who to call. They should be able to help direct you to the appropriate people to contact. If you really can’t figure out anyone to call, write me at crowgyrls at gmail dot com. I will find someone for you to call.

My local wildlife organization told me to see if I can catch the crow and bring it in. They recommended using a towel or a sheet. Crows are nervous by nature (and rightfully so). It may take a bit to catch them, if you can at all. If the crow can fly, they will probably evade you. And crows have an amazing memory and can teach their young to avoid particular people. So, be prepared to be the bad guy for awhile. Perhaps permanently. It is not for the faint of heart, helping transport a crow to an animal hospital or wildlife facility.

I will let you know how this goes…

Black Storm by Larry Toogood

corvidae — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:03 +0000

A fantastic short animated film all about the dynamics between crows and humans. I won’t try to articulate a description, I’ll just copy and paste the original from the maker.

What is Black Storm?

Black Storm is an animated short film set in Malaysia, about a man and a crow who must learn to trust each other and unite their tribes.

This amazing short film brings together what a lot of us already know, that crows are extremely intelligent birds.

They have extraordinary memories. They have good tool-making skills, can read numbers, judge threat levels and communicate in more than 20 different caw sounds.

If you have ever wondered about the cunning thinking of a crow then you are sure to enjoy the story of “Black Storm” – the Island of Katuki is threatened with deforestation and if the crows and humans can’t settle their differences they are doomed to die apart.

DESCRIPTION of the plot…

Driven from their homes, if they can’t learn to live together, they’re doomed to die apart…

The fable takes place on the majestic tropical island of Katuki. But when the food runs out, this island sanctuary becomes a battleground. In this place, the only currency is whatever will keep you from going hungry, and the only allies you can afford are your own people.

Jungle Crow Leader Storm was born into power, and acts like it. He’s a talented mimic, skilled with locks, brave beyond all reason, and has been crossed by only one group: the humans. They stole his flock’s historical home and left them homeless for weeks. Now he intends to get his fair share of that land by any means. However, Storm may yet need their help in ways he never expected…

Village Leader Abraham is the wise grandfather of Katuki. He’s watched his village be forced from their ancestral lands, and now looks on as his people barely scrape by. Plagued by constant attacks on their crops by the savage crows, he knows his advisers are right when they tell him that guns are the only solution. But in the back of his mind, Abraham wonders if there could ever be another way…

“It’s an animated short film that explores tolerance and mutual understanding, underpinned by an ecological concern. With a hint of Avatar about it, this story of a man and a crow is a complex narrative that turns and develops nicely. The team is very experienced. The storyboards are truly excellent; this would make an excellent family animation.“

- New Zealand Film Commission

UPDATE: This short animated film has been launched on Kickstarter.com. You can watch it here.

Crows — An Australian Export?

corvidae — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:06:38 +0000

Krahe Crow in Boots by Rudi Hurzlmeier

I read an intriguing article about crows (and corvidae in general) and how they originated in an Australian part of Gondwana¹², something I did not know. How very interesting! I learn something new every day! This article is worth reading but I won’t re-post it here, I will link it instead. Just visit here to read the original article by Stephen Debus.

Did you also know that Crows were most likely in the United States long before people?³ So, think of that next time you feel they are being pests and invading your land. Perhaps, the more likely story is you are invading theirs. It is a good idea to share and share alike with crows and humans alike. How much corn can they really eat? Plants a few extra stalk for them.

In paleogeography, Gondwana ( /ɡ ɒ n d ˈ w ɑː n ə /), originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents (the other being Laurasia) that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago (Mya).
Wikipedia
In the Company of Crows And Ravens By John M. Marzluff, Tony Angell, Paul R. Ehrlich

A Pinterest in Crows and Ravens

corvidae — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:54:23 +0000

I love Pinterest. =) And I love corvids, so what better than the two together?

You can visit the site here.

Leather Crow Nook Cover

corvidae — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:25:15 +0000

For all you e-readers out there who also love crows… you can get this fantastic leather Kindle/Nook (e-reader) cover…

And no… I don’t get a commission for this or most anything I post. I just like to share corvid related things… =)

The Crow Zone

corvidae — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:03:03 +0000

I came across an interesting crow-related site today, The Crow Zone. According to the person who runs the site, The Crow Zone:

The blog posts here [on The Crow Zone] are stories sent from visitors to this site, who offer up their own version of the crow/human connection

A story about how a crow changed one woman’s life

corvidae — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:17:12 +0000

Crows can make a difference.

Image Copyright -- Ingrid at The Quark (see link below)

Read the story of how a crow changed Ingrid’s life here.

Difference between Ravens and Crows

corvidae — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:40 +0000

A fantastic video explaining (and showing) the difference between ravens and crows…

The people who made this video, Rick and Diana Boufford, have a fantastic website, Raven Diaries, with lots of goodies (information, stories, photos, a much longer video all about ravens…etc!) You should definitely check it out! And they have their own youtube account (Raven Diaries) here.

Wily Raven

corvidae — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:00:59 +0000

What a fun video! This raven is intelligent and figures things out quickly… check it out…