1Ernesto

Raven With Stolen Lunch B&W

According to the NATURE internet site, “…ravens achieve mastery and possess manipulative powers over other creatures in their domain, often letting others d...
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According to the NATURE internet site, “…ravens achieve mastery and possess manipulative powers over other creatures in their domain, often letting others do work for them. For example, ravens will call wolves and coyotes to prospective meals so they can expose the carcass and make the meat accessible to the birds. In addition, ravens will show their true scavenger colors by waiting for other birds with specialized foraging skills to make a catch and then cunningly seize the defeated prey for themselves.” The aformentioned scavenging of another birds prey by a Raven is exactly what is depicted in my black and white photo. (The pack rat the subject of this free lunch had been killed by a roadrunner.)

I found the following fact most interesting:
A Raven may post itself near an ant bed, allowing the insects to crawl through its feathers, leaving a blanket of formic acid—a natural pesticide that eliminates parasites. After some moments, the bird shakes and picks the ants off, casting the insects aside. ( I will in the future try to get a photo of this phenomenon.)
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