Is it possible to keep a raven at home and is it able to talk?
Raven (Corvus corax) is a large representative of the passerine order.
Body length: 60-70 cm. Males are larger than females.
Wingspan: 120-150 cm
Weight: 800-2000 g
Beak: massive, large, sharp, black.
Tail: Wedge-shaped, especially noticeable when the raven soars above the ground.
Paws: black.
Plumage: elongated at the throat.
Coloring: black, uniform throughout the body - both males and females. Young ravens have matte black plumage. In adult birds, black feathers acquire a beautiful shine: a metallic tint - blue and violet (above) and greenish (below).
Life expectancy: up to 23 years, but most often live less.
The raven is a flocking bird, but having matured, it forms a pair for life and, together with it, outlines and defends its territory.
The bird is well adapted to life: it is omnivorous, capable of eating almost everything it encounters on its way, which explains its high survival rate in any conditions.
Intellectual abilities of corvids
Studies conducted with the participation of ravens have proven the ability of these birds for abstract and analytical thinking, planning multi-stage actions and the ability to remember their sequence. The raven (and all corvids: jay, rook, magpie, jackdaw) are one of the smartest birds on our planet.
Scientists conducted an experiment: they placed a jug in front of the bird, in which water was splashing somewhere at the bottom. When the bird became thirsty and realized that it could not reach the liquid with its beak, it did not turn the vessel over, but decided to throw various objects into it. The raven collected them from everywhere, quickly realizing that this caused the water level to rise to the top of the jug. In the process, he discovered that throwing plastic, rubber and other objects that did not sink, but floated on the surface into the container would not improve the situation, so he began to pull out everything that was in the way from the container. The bird threw all sorts of things into the vessel until it managed to get to the water and drink.
What else can crows do?
► Remember a person’s face and retain his image in memory years later, especially if he has offended the bird in some way. Corvids have the ability to remember and have their own memories. Birds remember not only evil, but also good, and can even thank them in some way.
► The crows may discuss an interesting find among themselves.
► According to the results of one study, for which the life of birds was recorded on a digital camera for several months, it was possible to find out that corvids in pairs or in a flock are able to give each other gifts.
► Crows are able to transmit important information to their offspring - and this way it can pass from one generation to another. For example, they remember a person who poses a danger to them, his place of residence, his house, and then begin... to take revenge - alone or even as a whole flock. Revenge can be expressed in loud croaking, circling over the head of the offender, and committing various “crow” dirty tricks.
► Make tools or improvised means in order to obtain any object or food. So, during the experiment, a crow named Betty easily and without much thought made a hook from a bendable piece of wire, which she used to successfully obtain pieces of meat hidden by cunning research scientists in a narrow plastic pipe. In the wild, to make such tools (it turns out that crows do such tricks regularly), birds use plant stems or tree branches of suitable size. Corvids use homemade hooks to pick out tasty insects hidden under the bark of trees.
► A study conducted on New Caledonian crows showed that they are able to make plans, they have their own expectations. These birds can have different moods. For example, crows were taught that at one end of the table there was always more food placed in a box (which the birds knew how to open, using makeshift hooks if desired) than at the other. The corvids remembered this, and suddenly a container containing meat was placed on the center of the tabletop, but no one knew how much there was. The crows, who had already made a hook in advance, ran faster to open a new box with optimism and in high spirits, unlike those birds who had not yet managed to make themselves a “master key” for this.
► Corvids are able to learn simple commands and respond to them. Crows raised by humans from infancy cope especially successfully with this task.
► These are one of the few representatives of birds capable of performing tricks in the air, reminiscent of aviation maneuvers: controlled roll and half roll.
► The raven's nest is a complex structure that only seems like something familiar. In fact, these smart birds think through everything to the smallest detail. When they build a nest, they first take stronger material (animal bones, hard sticks) at the base, then lay out the flooring (moss, roots and grasses), and put everything soft that they find inside (feathers, scraps of fur or wool, rags). and so on.).
► Raven spos
Learn to recognize yourself in the mirror.
► He can cheat and steal.
► The raven is able to attract attention to itself with the help of gestures - just as a small child usually does.
Ability to speak
Crows have their own language. Croaking is a rich set of complex, but at the same time meaningful signals for birds. Crows even have their own dialects, which vary depending on the region where they live.
Corvids can also communicate in sign language with their own kind. So, using gestures, they can show (point) to something (for example, a fruit, a nut) or someone (a sneaking predator, etc.). If the other bird responds, the raven is able to continue the dialogue, gesticulating further. The ability for non-verbal communication has also been observed in chimpanzees, however, unlike corvids, they are not able to develop dialogue in this way.
But with all this, crows have the ability to speak to humans in the language of people. Corvids are also excellent at imitating the voice of someone who is in contact with them.
Raven and man - friends?
Crows love to play and learn new things (especially young ones). For entertainment purposes, these curious birds sometimes steal various objects, steal them from people, so that, once in a safe place, they study and play.
A raven can easily live with a person as a pet. In the Tower of London, for example, these birds are traditionally bred, still believing that if they leave the royal fortress, the monarchy will fall.
The raven is smart, curious, and able to imitate the language of people. However, it is best to tame the bird while it is still small. An adult raven is very difficult to tame. At a young age, the crow is docile and gentle in character, very obedient and easily becomes attached to its owner.
The situation changes when the black feathered pet grows up: it no longer willingly allows people other than its owner to approach it. An adult raven is a jealous bird; it can rush to attack, mistaking an innocent pet, family members, or even a child for a rival.
If the owner does not spend a lot of time with his feathered intellectual friend, then the latter can become a real pest: peck furniture, tear off upholstery, wallpaper and curtains, break a window, break equipment, etc. A raven is capable of directing all its resentment towards its careless owner, who does not pay attention to him, for example, starting to peck.
Every self-respecting raven, after reaching 1 year old, dreams of flying away. Just like in the wild, these birds leave their parents. This is inherent in nature and is necessary for the formation of a couple and independent life. If the little crow grew up with a person, then it will perceive him as its parent. Therefore, in order not to be separated from your bird, take care of flight safety.
If a raven lives at home
Does a crow require special living conditions at home?
Yes, this needs to be taken care of in advance. First of all, you need an aviary and space for flying. A bird must fly, be able to spread its wings. A free, spacious room may also be suitable for these purposes. A cage (even for large parrots) is definitely not a suitable place for such a bird. You can also set up a “perch” for a bird - a set of poles or columns that are designed specifically to attract birds flying past or to accommodate them (this design is more like a play set for birds).
The raven is a bird very well adapted to cold winters. She is able to withstand the cold and still feel relatively normal. However, if you have a feathered friend at home, take care of a warm place even for such a hardy pet.
In the wild, the bird feeds on insects, grain, berries, fruits, small animals like rodents, other nesting birds, their eggs, snakes, lizards, carrion, dead fish, dead frogs, stones, etc. Some crows are also capable of eating sea urchins, scorpions, removing shellfish from shells, destroying the nests of other birds and feasting on their eggs or fledgling chicks.
At home, it is best to feed your black pet meat (meat products) - this is his favorite and most nutritious food. It is also a good idea to give the crow hard-boiled chicken eggs, all kinds of vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, canned grasshoppers, and snails (buy at pet stores). It is very important for birds to get enough calcium in their diet. It is quite possible to satisfy this need by feeding your raven insects, mice and chickens, as well as adding calcium to the diet in the form of a dietary supplement.
The crow can be fed with dog or cat food. Or you can do it differently - and ask what zoo staff feed jays, geese and magpies and follow this menu. Look for food for birds of prey at various pet supply stores; they usually work well for crows as well.
Since all corvids are very smart, the bird will need toys
– the more complex and varied, the more there are, the better.
The raven is far from the most common pet. Few people have a talking, wise, black feathered friend living in their home. Every lucky owner of such an exotic pet must remember that crows react very sensitively to how they are treated, are capable of taking offense at inattentive treatment and lack of attention, and in general you need to “keep your eyes open” with this bird. This is not a loyal dog or a good-natured parrot. The raven, with its hard, massive and strong beak, capable of causing serious wounds and even mutilation, the desire to leave the “parent” after reaching 1 year and the ability to remember not only the good, but also the bad, in order to take revenge on occasion, is a wayward pet and requires a special approach. Although... why can’t you forgive him for his amazingly sharp intellectual abilities? :)
...The bird answered clearly, and although there was little meaning,
I marveled with all my heart at her answer then.
And who wouldn’t be surprised, who would relate to such a dream,
Who would agree to believe that somewhere someday -
Sat above the door - speaking without hesitation, without difficulty -
Raven with the nickname: “Never.”
E.A. By "Raven"
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