Owls Aren't Wise and Bats Aren't Blind (23 page)

The reproductive lives and nesting habits of the two species differ considerably, which isn’t surprising in view of their divergent social habits. As befits their gregarious nature, crows tend to raise their young in an extended-family atmosphere, not unlike that of a wolf pack on a very small scale. That is, younger, unmated family members help the older, mated pair to build a nest and feed the young.

Crows construct a large nest of sticks and twigs, lined with soft materials such as grass and feathers. Given a choice, they usually select a site in an evergreen tree, mostly high up but occasionally lower. The eggs, normally four to six, are greenish with dark brown spots.

The young crows leave the nest after about three weeks. Thereafter, for a considerable time, they beseech their extended family to feed them, importuning them with reedy, pathetic-sounding little caws that resemble what one might imagine are the last, feeble utterances of a dying crow. Although their parents and other family members respond to these pleading calls to some degree, they gradually force the youngsters to fend for themselves, and their calls grow more adult in nature.

Ravens may mate when they’re as young as three years old. On the other hand, some may not mate until they’re as much as seven years of age. This behavior makes more sense when longevity is taken into account; ravens can live for as much as fifty years, although few in the wild survive to such an advanced age.

Ravens, unlike crows, have generally been considered to mate for life and to be completely monogamous. Like other animals that supposedly mate for life, however, the survivor will promptly mate again if its partner dies. Furthermore, subordinate males have been observed copulating with the female when the dominant male leaves the nest site. Evidently marital fidelity can’t be taken for granted in either man or beast.

As might be anticipated from their more or less solitary nature, a raven pair builds its nest and raises its brood without the sort of help from an extended family that crows enjoy. Their preferred nesting site is a shelf beneath an overhang on the side of a cliff. Where suitable cliffs are absent, as they often are, ravens make do by placing their nest high up in a tall conifer.

The nest is made of sticks and is quite an impressive structure, roughly two and a half feet in diameter. The nesting hollow inside is about a foot wide and lined with a variety of soft materials, such as fur, shredded bark, and feathers. The eggs, numbering from four to seven, are a little smaller than a hen’s egg. Their background color is greenish blue, but they’re spotted and blotched to varying degrees with dark brown.

The nestling period is about forty days, which is unusually long. As soon as they leave the nest, the young ravens embark on a period of learning for the next month and a half to two months. During this span they follow their parents about, acquiring the knowledge of hunting and foraging necessary to survive. Then they begin to disperse, setting out to lead their own lives.

Birdwatching is reputed to be America’s fastest-growing activity, and millions of North Americans, from the most dedicated birder with a life list to the casual observer of a backyard feeder, enjoy the pleasures of seeing a variety of birds. We particularly
ooh
and
aah
over brightly plumed birds, birds that sing sweetly, or raptors with fierce eyes, talons, and beaks.

Somewhere along the way, however, with the exception of dedicated birders, we tend to dismiss birds that are black and have raucous voices. Perhaps they seem dull and uninteresting, or perhaps they’re so common that they fail to arouse our curiosity. The failure—and the loss—is on our part, not theirs. Crows and ravens are highly complex creatures in a number of ways, such as their social interactions and their vocal communications. They are also, in all likelihood, among the most intelligent of birds. The more we learn of these birds, the more complex and fascinating we find them.

14

The “Cat” that Isn’t and Doesn’t— and Its Relatives: The Amazing Weasel Family

MYTHS

The “fisher cat” is a sort of cat that fishes.

Fishers aren’t harmed by porcupine quills.

Fishers are large animals.

Fishers kill porcupines by flipping them on their backs and attacking their unprotected bellies.

Weasels are evil and kill for the sheer pleasure of killing.

Weasels suck the blood of their prey.

Martens feed mainly on squirrels.

Our North American marten is the pine marten.

Otters rarely go far from water.

Otters kill many valuable fish.

Skunks can’t spray scent if picked up by the tail.

Skunks are quick to spray if disturbed.

Baby skunks can’t spray scent.

Female (or male) skunks have no scent.