Common black raven (bird). Report with photo, video

amazing bird crow. Thanks to the ability to adapt to almost any conditions of existence, it has spread throughout the planet, and its gloomy silhouette in the sky is familiar to every person. For some, a raven is a harbinger of misfortune, but for someone it is a symbol of wisdom and patience. His image is widespread in mythology, fiction, music and cinematography.

For centuries, people have been accustoming the raven as a pet, noting the intelligence unusual for a bird. At some point, their population on the planet declined greatly, but today the common raven is taken under protection by many countries and its numbers have begun to grow again.

Raven Description

The Latin name for the bird is Corvus corax.. The species was first described by naturalist Carl Liney in 1758. To date, ornithologists distinguish up to 11 subspecies of the raven, but the differences between them in terms of phenotype are minimal and are due to the habitat rather than a genetic feature.

Raven refers

• kingdom - animals;
• type - chordates;
• class - birds;
• detachment - passerines;
• family - corvidae;
• genus - crows;
• species - common raven.

The closest relatives of the bird are the American white-necked crow, the piebald and desert brown-headed raven, while outwardly it has the most resemblance to the rook.

Appearance

The raven is the largest representative of the passeriformes. The length of its body reaches 70 cm, and the wingspan is up to 150 cm. The weight of the bird can be 800-1600 g, however, it is not uncommon for ornithologists to describe ravens with a body weight of up to 2 kg. The difference in length and mass depends on the habitat - than colder climate, the larger the individuals living in it. That is, the most major representatives Ravens can be found in northern latitudes or in the mountains.

It is interesting! A distinctive feature of the raven is a massive sharp beak and feathers protruding like a fan on the bird's throat. In flight, a crow can be distinguished from others by the wedge-shaped tail.

Male crows are larger than females. It is almost impossible to distinguish them by color - both the female and the male are black in color with a metallic sheen. The top of the body has a blue or purple hue, and the bottom is green. Juveniles are characterized by black matte plumage. The legs of the bird are powerful, with large curved black claws. If necessary, both they and the wide curved beak will become a weapon for attacking the enemy.

Lifestyle and intelligence

Unlike urban gray crows, the common raven is a resident of the forest expanses and prefers old coniferous forests. He lives in isolated pairs, only by autumn forming small flocks of 10-40 individuals in order to fly to a new place in search of food. At night, the bird sleeps in its nest, and hunts all day. If necessary, one flock can organize an attack on another and recapture the territory within which it will get food.

It is interesting! Birds prefer to nest in the forest, however, for the winter they like to move closer to a person, for example, to city dumps or cemeteries. There they are more likely to find something to eat and survive the cold.

Crow - smart bird. It has the same percentage of brain to body as . Scientists even claim that they have intelligence. To confirm this fact, many experiments were carried out, giving the bird the opportunity to reveal mental abilities. One of the more illustrative tests was based on Aesop's fable "The Crow and the Jar". The birds were placed in a room where there was a pile of pebbles and a narrow vessel with worms that swam in in large numbers water.

The birds could not freely get to the delicacy, and then the intellect came to their aid. The crows began throwing stones at the vessel, thereby raising the water level to reach the worms. The experiment was repeated four times with different birds and they all coped with the task - to get to the food. At the same time, the birds did not just make rash actions, they threw pebbles until they could reach the worms, choosing larger stones, realizing that they were able to displace more water.

The raven language was also studied by scientists. It has been suggested that croaking is not just a chaotic noise, but a real conversation, and far from primitive. It would be too loud to call it a language, but scientists have come to the conclusion that ravens have something like dialects that change depending on the habitat halo. Another fact proving the intelligence of these birds is the memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Just one bird killed by farmers can cause a flock to migrate. Ravens will remember the house or area where the danger arose for a long time and will try their best to avoid appearing near it. Another object of attention was the bird's inhibitory control, or rather the ability to control instinctive impulses for the sake of rational behavior. The crows were offered opaque tubes with holes in which the food was.

When they learned how to accurately find it, the pipes were replaced with transparent ones. Using self-control, the birds had to extract food without trying to get it directly by breaking through a transparent wall. Needless to say, they successfully coped with this test. Such exposure helps the crow to wait for hours for food without exposing itself to unnecessary danger.

How long do crows live

The life expectancy of a crow is affected by its habitat, so it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how long this bird lives. For urban birds and those living in the wild, the number of years lived will be very different.

It is interesting! The longer the raven lives, the more knowledge, skills and experience he will receive in his life. This bird does not forget anything and over the years becomes smarter and wiser.

Crows that nest within the city and regularly inhale harmful fumes from industrial areas, as well as eating leftovers in landfills, rarely boast a life expectancy of more than 10 years. However, in the city, the birds have practically no enemies, therefore, under favorable conditions, the raven can live up to 30 years. In nature, the raven lives for about 10-15 years. Rare individuals live up to 40, because every day the bird has to hunt for its own food and be exposed to many dangers, including the attack of other predators. lean autumn and Cold winter can cause the death of an entire flock.

Arabs believe that the raven is an immortal bird. Ancient records claim individuals who have lived 300 years or more, and folk epics it is said that the raven lives nine human lives. Ornithologists treat such rumors with great doubt, however, they are sure that if favorable conditions are created for the bird in captivity, it may well live for 70 years.

What is the difference between a raven and a crow

There is an erroneous opinion among the people that a raven is a male, and a crow is a female of the same species. In fact, a raven and a crow are two different types belonging to the same family of corvids. Such confusion in the Russian language appeared due to the similar pronunciation and spelling of bird names. There is no confusion in other languages. For example, in English, a crow is called "raven", and a crow sounds like "crow". If foreigners confuse these two birds, it is only because of their similar appearance.

It is interesting! Unlike ravens, ravens prefer to settle closer to humans. This makes it easier for them to get food. In the CIS countries, only the gray crow is found, which is not difficult to distinguish by the color of the body.

The black crow, which in fact can be mistaken for a crow, lives mainly in Western Europe and in the eastern part of Eurasia. The length and body weight of the bird is significantly inferior to the crow. Adult males weigh no more than 700 grams, and the body length does not reach 50 cm. There are differences in small things. The crow has no plumage on its crop, and during the flight you can see that the tail of the bird is smoothly rounded, while in the raven it has a clear wedge-shaped ending.

The crow likes to gather in groups, while the crow keeps in pairs or alone. Birds can also be distinguished by ear. The croak of a crow is deep and guttural, sounds like "kaw!" or “arra!”, and the crow makes a nasal sound similar to a short “ka!”. The two species do not get along with each other - often a flock of crows attacks a lone crow.

Range, distribution

Ravens live almost throughout the Northern Hemisphere. AT North America it can be found from Alaska to Mexico, in Europe in any country except France, as well as in Asia and North Africa. The bird prefers to settle on sea coasts, in deserts or even mountains. But most often the crow can be found in dense ancient forests, mainly spruce. In rare exceptions, the bird settles in city parks and squares.

In the northern part of Eurasia, the bird lives almost everywhere, with the exception of Taimyr, Yamala and Gadyn, as well as on islands in the Arctic Ocean. In the south, the nesting border passes through Syria, Iraq and Iran, Pakistan and northern India, China and the Russian Primorye. In Europe, the bird's habitat has changed significantly over the last century. Raven left the Western and Central parts, meeting there rather as an exception. In North America, the bird also appears less and less in the center of the continent, preferring to settle on the border with Canoda, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.

Once the raven was widespread in New England, in the Adirondacks, Alleghens and along the coast of Virginia and New Jersey, as well as in the Great Plains. Due to the mass extermination of wolves and bison, the fallen individuals of which the bird fed, the raven left these parts. Compared to other corvids, the common raven is almost not associated with the anthropogenic landscape. It is rarely seen in big cities, although flocks of crows have been spotted in the parkland of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Riverside, as well as in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar.

In the second half of the 20th century, the crow began to be noticed in the north-west of Russia, for example, in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, in Moscow, Lvov, Chicago, London and Bern. The reason why a raven does not like to settle next to a person is not only due to the extra disturbance that is delivered to the bird, but most likely to the lack of suitable habitats and the presence of competitors.

Raven Diet

The diet of ravens is varied. By nature, they are predators, but carrion plays a key role in nutrition, mainly such large animals as deer and. For a long time, the bird is able to feed on dead fish, rodents and frogs. The raven is perfectly adapted to poor food regions and eats anything it can catch or find. In search of prey, he soars in the air for a long time, which is not typical for corvids. It hunts mainly game, no larger than a hare, for example, various rodents, lizards, snakes, birds.

Eats insects, molluscs, worms, sea ​​urchins and scorpions. On occasion, it can destroy someone else's nest, by feeding it with seeds, grain, fruits of plants. Often, the raven becomes the cause of damage to farm crops. Another way of subsistence is to eat it with a clutch of eggs or young chicks. If necessary, the plant feeds on what a person leaves behind. A flock of crows is found in almost every major city dump.

Important! With an excess of food, the raven hides what is left from the meal in a secluded place or shares with the flock.

When hunting, the bird is very patient and is able to watch another animal hunt for hours in order to feast on the remains of its prey or track and steal stocks made. With food abundance, different individuals living nearby can specialize in different types of food.

American biologists observed such a picture in Oregon. Birds nesting in the neighborhood were divided into those who ate plant food, those who hunted ground squirrels and those who collected carrion. Thus, competition was minimized, which allowed the birds to exist safely nearby.

The Gray Crow (Corvus cornix) is one of the most recognizable birds of the Moscow region. This is a very smart bird that becomes attached to the person who raised her.

Description

Hoodie(Crow family) - a fairly large bird with a length of 44 to 51 cm, weighing up to 700 g. The wingspan is about one meter. The plumage of the gray crow is gray or dark gray (except for the black top of the head, shirt-front, tail and wings). The black beak is slightly hooked and has a slightly convex mandible. The legs of the gray crow are black. It is the presence of gray color in the plumage that is one of the important hallmarks gray crows. Young birds are slightly darker than adults. The voice of the gray crow is a hoarse "karr-karrr". Many ornithologists consider this bird a subspecies of the black crow and admit the possibility of crossing between the black and gray crows. “In their way of life, gray and black crows almost do not differ from each other. Both represent sedentary, less often nomadic birds living in pairs or united in a large society. (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

Food

Gray crows are omnivores. “What they don’t eat is they clean the railroad tracks from what falls from the garbage cans and car toilets, they swallow mice, lizards and frogs, the seeds of spruce and field bindweed…”. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch"). The menu is replenished with various small rodents, birds, beetles, worms, eggs of other birds, food waste, carrion, fruits and grains. Crows have learned to get their own food different ways. “For a month, the birds, not sparing their belly, saved the lands of the Barguzinsky Reserve from pests. They did not dig the ground at random, but stuck their beak exactly where, at a depth of 5-10 centimeters, the larvae of the cockchafer tormented the roots of plants. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

The omnivorous nature of the gray crow leads to the fact that it often feeds on landfills, in garbage containers and other similar places. It is not uncommon to see crows making a mess near garbage cans. They carry away with them crusts of bread and bones with the remains of meat in order to get enough in a more convenient place. For example, on rooftops.
The crow is classified as a bird of prey, as it preys on smaller birds (especially chicks), rodents and other animals. In some parks, squirrels suffer from gray crows. “Sometimes there are raids on hares that for some reason found themselves in the clearing during the day. A flock of crows skillfully blocks the oblique path to retreat. Sometimes the crows take on the vile manner of the skua - they terrorize the small gulls that have grabbed the fish until they spit out the silvery body. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

Habitat

In our country, the gray crow is common in the European part and in Siberia. In the east (up to the Yenisei), the color of the plumage of the crow is more gray. This bird is found in forests, wastelands, landfills, in small towns and cities. The bird is not afraid of the abundance of people. The gray crow manages to build nests not only on trees, but also on buildings. For the night, crows gather in huge clusters. They often spend the night in parks or cemeteries. Often they are joined by rooks and jackdaws. One part of Moscow and Moscow region gray crows remains for the winter on their former places, another part migrates to other regions and even to European countries. Total birds is not decreasing, as crows fly to us from the North.

Breeding chicks

With the advent of spring begins mating season. At this time, it is interesting to watch males performing incredibly complex turns, takeoffs and other aerobatics in the air. The Gray Crow nests in pairs. Sometimes nests are located nearby. Crows are very sensitive birds. They are well versed in environmental issues. In polluted areas, the gray crow rarely builds a nest. She only flies there in search of food, and builds a nest in a cleaner place so that the offspring are healthy.

In March - April, the construction of a nest on a tree or on a building begins. Construction material- everything that crows can find and bring. These are branches, hay, rags, various pieces of iron and pieces of wire. The clutch consists of 2-6 bluish-green eggs with dark brown spots and strokes. The eggs laid first are more intensely colored than the last eggs. At the very end, the female lays pale blue eggs with almost imperceptible speckles. Family responsibilities are distributed as follows: the female incubates the eggs, and the male supplies her with food. “Through binoculars it is clearly visible that there is a noticeable movement in the nest. The bird rises a little and for a few moments, as it were, half-standing, quickly moving its legs, which makes the wings and the whole body tremble. These strange, at first glance, actions of the bird contribute to the ventilation of the nesting tray. It lasts from a few seconds to half a minute and is repeated so often that the bird, in fact, never sits quietly on the eggs. (S.F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

Chicks appear in about three weeks. It is noted that the crow-"boy" hatches first. As soon as the chicks are born, the female gray crow is connected to the search for food. Birds guard the nest with chicks in turn. Growing chicks need food that is easy to digest and high in calories. The best food is the eggs of other birds. Ravens ruthlessly plunder other people's nests to feed their chicks. They also hunt for chicks of smaller birds. “Sitting on a stick (and who just invented it?) Or on the overhanging roof of a birdhouse, the crow waits for the chick to look out the window. Grasping him by the beak, she drags away the fools one by one. But this is not the pinnacle of robbery: some crows uncork birdhouses like a bottle of beer. At the Zvenigorod biological station of Moscow State University, a burglar, acting like a lever with her beak, dropped the covers from eight birdhouses in one morning. Putting her beak between the lid and the side wall, she widened the gap until the lid gave way.

The habits of the gray crow

Ravens are surprisingly mobile, although they walk slowly due to their close toes. This bird loves to have fun. For example, it plans with pleasure, gaining a height of several tens of meters. Boldly sways on the wires. At our dacha, crows noisily roll down the metal roof, having previously folded their wings. Smart birds are incredibly smart. “If it is not possible to gouge a strong shell with their beak, they soar into the sky and throw the shell on stones or on the highway. Once, crows used the Tashkent airfield as nutcrackers. In the mornings, when the airport was relatively calm, a flock of crows bombed the concrete strip walnuts tied up in neighboring gardens! (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch"). There are many facts confirming the ability of crows. “They famously count to five in their minds. The crows were rounded up ... If five people entered the shelter, the flock did not return until all the hunters lost patience and went home. If, say, nine people climbed into the shelter, and six or seven came out of it, the observer crows lost count and, deciding that everything was in order, gave signals to return. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

The crow has worst enemy- owl. He kills birds at night when they sleep. Crows are vindictive. They remember and can attack the dog that chased them a year ago. Occasionally, birds mistake the fur hats of people for old offenders and peck them furiously.

Gray crow daily routine

The famous Alfred Edmund Brehm described the typical daily routine of crows in this way. " Everyday life Raven is like this. They begin to fly before dawn and often gather on a certain building or big tree. Until noon, they are actively busy looking for food: they walk through the fields and meadows, guard mouse holes, look out for bird nests, rummage through the gardens. ... By noon, crows flock to a dense tree to sleep in its foliage after dinner, and then go for feeding again. Before settling down for the night, they gather in large numbers, apparently with the aim of mutually exchanging impressions of the day. (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”).

hand crow

A crow living in captivity quickly gets used to a person. Especially if you got into the house as a chick. Everyone notes that this is a very smart bird. True, thieving. “Here, for example, how the zoologist Yu. Romov complained about his tame bird. His pupil, who lived in freedom, stole everything she could carry. At the table she behaved in the highest degree indecently - emptied the spoon of the host and guest before they had time to bring it to their mouths. It was worth a little gape, as the spoon itself disappeared. Neither swearing nor cuffs helped. (S. F. Starikovich "The menagerie at the porch").

"Both kinds of crows can be done without much hassle for a long time keep in captivity; they are tamed and learn to speak, if only the teacher has the patience. But still, they are not suitable for the room because of their untidyness and the smell they spread ... ". (A.E. Brem “The Life of Animals, Volume II, “Birds”). A tame crow has been living near a person for years. She gets so used to the house and all family members that she can lead a free lifestyle, but eat and spend the night with people.

The crow has already become so familiar on the city streets that we do not pay any attention to it. These birds, preferring black and gray clothes, in autumn literally occupy the trees of city parks and courtyards, noisily quarreling with each other because of convenient branches. Closer to human habitats, they move when the sources of forest food become so scarce that they are no longer able to feed the hordes of these noisy birds.

The crow is a large bird of dense build with a wide and blunt beak. It is often confused with the jackdaw due to the similarity in appearance and with the bird called "raven" due to the similarity of names. By appearance it is easy to distinguish a crow from relatives - her body gray color, but the head, wings and tail are black, with a metallic sheen. Crows are not picky about food. They can eat both animal and vegetable food. In cities, they mainly feed on garbage.

The character of the crow is impudent and impudent. When these birds destroy other people's nests in search of food, they are not afraid of anyone, even a person. Moreover, crows are perfectly able to assess the degree of danger - if a person has a stick in his hands, the crow will not even think of flying away. But, seeing a gun, she will instantly disappear from view, and will not appear in these places for several days.

Special mention should be made of the mental abilities of the crow. In the famous fable by I.A. Krylov “The Crow and the Fox”, the crow appears before us as a stupid and narrow-minded bird. But in real life this is far from true. Crows are smart and resourceful birds. You can often see how a crow busily soaks too dry pieces of food found on city streets in a puddle. A fact is known when a crow, watching people walk along a pedestrian crossing, without thinking twice, importantly went after them, like a real pedestrian.

Just like humans, crows love fun and games. A case is described when a crow with great pleasure rolled down a slippery lid, as if from a hill, and she did this several times, clearly making conscious actions. They love crows and collective games. For example, one of the crows takes a small object in its beak and, having risen into the sky, releases it from its beak. The second must catch this object with her beak. Now it's her turn to throw. The game continues until the object falls to the ground. Another favorite pastime of crows is teasing dogs and cats. They do it purely for fun.

Crows are very skillful in obtaining food. One day, a family of crows discovered a source of food in a bowl of a yard dog. But how to get to the tidbit? Here the crows showed miracles of organized activity - one of them crept up to the dog from behind and pecked painfully at its leg. The dog was distracted from lunch for a few seconds and turned to the offender. At this time, the second crow flew up to the bowl like a bullet, grabbed the bone and was like that. As a result, the dog was left without lunch, and the crows feasted noisily in the nearby bushes.

With the onset of spring, flocks of crows move from the city to the forest, closer to nature, where they are expected to take care of their future offspring. Despite their scandalousness and grumpiness, crows are good family men and caring parents. Having created married couple they will never part again. During the nesting period, like many other birds, crows build their own nest. They use branches of various sizes, earth and clay for construction. And for the final “finishing” of the dwelling, grass, down, feathers and any other suitable material are used. While the female is hatching the chicks, the male provides her with food, while he himself protects the nest from external enemies. In case of danger, he will fiercely defend the nest from any aggressor, even surpassing it in strength and size.

After the chicks grow up and get stronger, they, according to bird laws, leave their parents and join numerous flocks of crows. As part of these flocks, they will carelessly get their livelihood in the forest all summer, and in the fall they will move closer to city buildings in order to wait out harsh winter times together with people.

It's not easy being a White Crow. Still at school little man unequivocally make it clear: you are not from our flock. By and large, it doesn’t matter why this happens: someone had a difficult childhood, someone expresses their thoughts in a strange way and has been playing chess since the age of three, someone is morally older than their peers, and someone was simply born red and disproportionate. The only important thing is that the White Crow always has a chance to turn into a real Rare Bird, and instead of ridicule and suspicion, arouse admiration and a little envy.

White Crow vs Rare Bird

The White Crow differs sharply from the others. She found no place in existing public institutions, and she feels herself in accordance with the situation: superfluous, abandoned, misunderstood.

Rare Bird compares favorably with others. There was no place for it in existing public institutions, and Rare Bird created on its own either a new place or a new institution. She feels good and quite comfortable.

The White Crow has opposed itself to society, or society has opposed itself to it. From time to time they can approach, but only when absolutely necessary and for a long time. Society never - never! - will not accept the White Crow.

A rare Bird, even in her youth, got rid of bouts of misanthropy and realized that comparing human individuals according to the “better or worse” principle is a thankless thing and can only captivate the White Crow. Rare Bird is liked by society. She is not like others, and this dissimilarity attracts and fascinates.

The White Crow is most often called an outcast, a strange and suspicious bird. Sometimes crazy, more often crazy.

A rare Bird is called both strange, and abnormal, and crazy. Sometimes. More often, she hears flattering epithets addressed to her. It is called unique, extraordinary, original, incredible, and sometimes even brilliant.

The White Crow is shy about her oddities. Either she tries to mimic the rest of the article and feels extremely uncomfortable in someone else's clothes, or she closes herself and quietly hates the whole world.

Rare Bird prides himself on his oddities. She does not hide her opinion and does not try to meet the standards. Sometimes she even flaunts these oddities and defiantly exaggerates, but only occasionally: otherwise the Rare Bird will turn into a provocateur and outrageous.

The White Crow believes that she is a white crow.

Rare Bird believes in being a rare bird.

Evolution of the White Crow

Unleash your "I"

Get rid of that nervous tension, which accompanied you all your life, from childhood to this moment. Stop suffering from sidelong glances and parental sighs. What worries you, what makes you pull your head into your shoulders and merge with the crowd: laugh with everyone at a mediocre joke, smile tensely at a noisy party (which you really didn’t want to go to!), pretend that you are in a flock, with everyone, like all. Allow yourself the luxury of being yourself. To be misunderstood, rejected by someone, ridiculed by someone. It will pass. Only after the constant tension disappears and attempts to squeeze into some norms of behavior stop, they will begin to respect and accept you with all the oddities. Not earlier.

Find your way of expressing yourself

Every person is prone to creativity, and even the White Crows even more so. And not at all because their unusualness is so attractive to the muses. It’s just that their lonely childhood gave them time and the opportunity to properly understand themselves, as a result, the White Crows are more immersed in their own inner world. Find your own path in creativity, even if it seems that you have not got talents. Creativity is not only painting and poetry.

Learn how to make snub-nosed plastic dolls, draw sketches evening dresses Oscar style, write a novel about the reincarnation of John Lennon. And it is better - do both that, and another, and the third. Do not imitate, do not copy someone else's successful style. Draw and write as if your inner voice is speaking for you. Self-expression works wonders: White Ravens are transformed before our eyes, they have a bright plumage and a confident tread. In addition, the more hobbies and abilities people have, the more attractive they look in the eyes of others.

Find a use for your oddities

It happens that the White Crow differs from others not only in character traits, but also in violation of the generally accepted standards of “normal, healthy person". Find a use for these oddities, put them at the heart of your own style.

Klaus Joel has been unable to write correctly since childhood, he is physically incapable of creating coherent texts. He speaks the text into a dictaphone, then his assistant transcribes the recording. The result is a light, unlike anything book, reminiscent of a leisurely conversation.

Brautigan seemed to have no idea what literature should be. He wrote neither poetry nor stories, but something formless and, at first glance, meaningless. Critics invented a new genre in honor of him.

Janis Joplin became a rock star, despite her hoarse, broken voice.

Renata Litvinova, with her intonations, seemed to have nothing to do either in the cinema or in the theater. At the beginning creative way they were all considered outcasts, absolutely superfluous and incomprehensible people. In the end, it was the oddities that became the “calling card”.

Get Recognized

Now stones and accusations will be thrown at me, depending on someone else's opinion ... White Ravens defiantly turn away from the world, suffer, but not a single step from principles. Unrecognized geniuses are the White Crows. Recognized - Rare Birds. It is not at all necessary to apply for the Booker and a vacant place in the Louvre, it will be enough if others begin to hear and listen to you. In addition, no matter what they say, only a socially realized person can become truly independent of the opinions of others. Make a career, open a shelter for homeless animals, show your sketches of evening dresses to an aspiring designer, put up dolls for sale and send the manuscript to publishers.

Do not hide your "whiteness" - emphasize!

The Rare Bird is the White Crow, who accepted her oddities and declared them to be virtues. Why be cunning, most often these oddities are even exaggerated, and there is nothing unnatural in this either. The Rare Bird is the White Crow “squared”, respecting and even secretly admiring its wondrous essence. The only thing to avoid is the other extreme - unhealthy selfishness. "I'm not like everyone else" does not mean "I'm the best."

The secret of John Kehoe and Captain Vrungel

A few years ago, the famous psychologist John Kehoe (the same one who, on the verge of poverty, developed his own “psychology of wealth” and three years later became a millionaire), participated in research creativity. Numerous psychologists have conducted hundreds of tests among creative people and those who have creative thinking not developed. They sought to find some key factor that distinguishes one from the other.

After spending several months and hundreds of thousands of dollars, psychologists finally found him. The only difference between creative and non-creative people was that the former considered themselves creative people, while the latter were convinced of the opposite.

All! Kehoe was amazed. We all know that Captain Vrungel discovered this truth: “Whatever you call a boat, that’s how it will float.”

Consider yourself a rare bird, call eccentricity refinement, and your suspicious difference from others - an advantageous difference. I bet that in a couple of weeks you will notice something unusual in your appearance, and in your behavior - the habits of a Rare Bird ...

Raven is a mysterious and odious bird. Black from claws to the tip of its beak, the raven left a bright mark in ancient culture many nationalities. From time immemorial, people have observed the famous scavenger on the battlefields, due to which the bird was identified with military prowess, bloodshed and death.

The ancient Greeks and Romans considered the raven a symbol of good luck, in Tibet of the 9th century the raven acts as an intermediary between God and man, and among the ancient Germanic tribes it was customary not to bury fallen warriors so that their flesh would go to the raven and wolf - the messengers of the gods. Among the Spaniards, the triple cry of a raven meant the imminent approach of death. In Christianity, the raven is considered an "unclean" bird, a fiend of hell and is opposed to the holy spirit, embodied in a dove.

Raven: description

The raven is one of the largest passerines, the size of an adult is from 60 to 70 cm, and the weight reaches 800 - 1600 g. The bird belongs to the corvidae family and the genus of crows, which forms several species. The common raven is considered to be typical, widespread in almost all regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

The male raven is somewhat larger than the female, and there are no other differences between the sexes. The raven in the photo is easily recognizable by its monophonic black plumage, reminiscent of the color of a rook or a black crow. Young specimens have matte black plumage, devoid of metallic sheen, feathers of adult birds are cast blue or purple above, and green below.

In flight, the crow is distinguished by particularly long and narrow wings, the span of which can reach one and a half meters, and by a wedge-shaped tail. The soaring raven flaps its wings much less frequently than its closest relatives.

The distinguishing features of the raven are a characteristic "beard" formed by elongated feathers on the throat and a high-set, powerful and sharp beak with a slightly curved upper part.

Where does the raven live

The common raven is found in Europe, Asia and North America, and in most of its range all year round spends within the feeding area. In cold winters, with a lack of food, some birds gather in small flocks and wander until spring.

Ravens can inhabit a wide variety of landscapes, from forests and deserts, to highlands and rocky seashores. Settlements Raven avoids and not because it shuns a person, but because of high competition with other corvids: gray crows, rooks, magpies.

Features of the diet

The raven is extremely illegible in the choice of food. These birds are omnivorous and will eat anything they can find or catch. The remains of large mammals occupy the bulk of the crow's diet and help to survive in the harsh climate. The raven will not refuse a dead frog, rodent or fish, and in the absence of carrion, it hunts a variety of animals: from medium-sized ungulates to snakes, lizards, birds and insects.

A modest plant-based diet includes berries, cereals, and a variety of other plants, including cacti.

In the process of obtaining food, the raven shows intellectual abilities that are rare for corvids. Birds often accompany running flocks and wolf packs, feeding on the garbage and remnants of the meal of predators.

Without bothering to hunt, the raven can watch for a long time how the arctic fox destroys the bird's nest and hides some of the eggs in reserve, and after a while arrives for a ready dinner.

The raven's beak is not adapted enough to tear a thick skin, so the birds wait patiently when large predators share the booty.

reproduction

The raven is a monogamous bird, and the created pair annually occupies the same nesting area, ranging from 1 to 5 km2.

AT middle lane the breeding season for ravens begins in February, when there is still snow. Mating games consist in joint complex flights and mutual cleaning of feathers. Nests are built on trees, rock ledges, as well as on lighthouses, bell towers, and power line poles. The female lays 1 to 8 bluish-green spotted eggs and incubates the clutch for 20 to 25 days. Newborn chicks are covered with thick brown fluff and for the first 2 weeks the mother warms the offspring, and then continues feeding with the male. Chicks begin to fly at the age of 1 - 1.5 months, and the family breaks up only next year.

In conditions wildlife Ravens live no more than 15 years, and in captivity their life expectancy can stretch for 40 and even 75 years.