Magpies, Crows, and Ravens

Mischevious Magpie knocks snow off onto the hawk

© Diane B. Reed

In my "Ponderings" column in Walla Walla Lifestyles I've mentioned the antics of our local Magpies, who seem to delight in causing trouble wherever they go. Actually, they're pretty typical Corvids (Crows, Jays, and Ravens are their cousins). The Corvids are also the most intelligent of our feathered friends.Unlike most of the birds in our neighborhood, our Magpies always seem to announce themselves when they arrive, strutting around and looking for something to get into. So when I saw a Magpie land on the tree where a Sharp-shinned Hawk was perched, I guessed that he wouldn't let things well enough alone. Sure enough, he worked his way closer and closer to the hawk. The hawk seemed to ignore him, though I'm sure he knew he was there.  Finally, he was perched on the branch directly above the hawk. He cocked his head back and forth, then, in the wink of an eye, he knocked the snow off the branch onto the hawk. The hawk ruffled his feathers to shrug off the snow and pointedly ignored the troublemaker. The Magpie sat there for awhile and seemed to contemplate if there was anything else he could do to bedevil the hawk. Apparently he couldn't think of anything, so he flew off to look for a livelier game elsewhere. 

The Crow boys looking for adventure                  © Diane B. Reed

Crows are regular visitors to the pond, and also seem to be looking for amusement. Many evenings in the summer we see flocks of them heading off for their roosts.

Ravens mostly fly over the pond without stopping. They are a real source of fascination to me ever since I went to a Natural History workshop led by University of Vermont professor Bernd Heinrich, who wrote The Mind of the Raven and Ravens in Winter. I highly recommend either of his books. His work with Ravens has also been the subject of several documentaries.

Crow ruckus          © Diane B. Reed

Their level of intelligence is remarkable, and along with some Crows they are actually able to make and use tools to secure their food. There are several videos on YouTube showing Crows making and using tools.  Hardly bird-brained!