Ravens have always been interesting creatures.
These birds, seemingly ill-mannered and somewhat ugly, have a lot more beneath their frugal
appearance.
As the Old Testament states, in the smoldering remains of wrathful destruction, nothing was
permitted to pass through except ravens.
Surely there must be something extremely amazing about them.
Well, if you are in mood to unravel the secret behind this bird, then here are 10 incredible
facts about ravens.
Number 10.
Ravens Are Extremely Intelligent Ravens are one of the smartest creatures in
the whole avian species.
In fact, they have intelligence, which is similar to humans.
No wonder, they can be taught to count and remember faces.
They can find food within 30-seconds.
They can try any trick in the book to make both ends meet.
They play possum, lie dead or sit still to make a break at the right moment.
They are experts when it comes to thefts.
Scientists have conducted multiple experiments to prove the dexterity of the raven.
Be it matching flash cards or identifying objects, ravens are capable of comprehending
this and even more.
The intelligent raven that drank water by putting pebbles in the pot does not seem to
be a far-fetched tale, after all!
Number 9.
Ravens Can Imitate Human Speech Believe it or not, but ravens can mimic human
voice.
When these birds are domesticated, they can be trained to imitate noises and voices.
They use their vocal expressions to communicate.
Emotions such as tenderness, happiness, anger and surprise can be conveyed with different
sounds.
Wolves (which comes in handy when trying to lure them to carcasses that the ravens can’t
cut open on their own), other birds, garbage trucks, car engines and toilet flushing.
You will find many videos bearing proof of this all over the web.
Number 8.
Ravens Show Empathy for each other Ravens are known to be notoriously mischievous.
But that doesn’t mean they are limited to that trait only.
They are capable of a lot more.
They console their friends if they lose a fight.
They remember friends and loather enemies.
That’s not all!
They are particularly close to their masters and also form emotional bonds with creatures
of other species.
Although a flock of raven is referred as unkindness, ravens are anything but that.
Number 7.
Ravens Are Extremely Playful Wondering who is the biggest player in the
animal kingdom?
It’s got to be the raven.
If you have been to Alaska or Canada, then you will certainly know about this.
They are known to slip and slide on the ice-laden peaks.
They often tease otters, wolves and dogs.
They even make toys out of mundane objects.
Be it a pine or a golf ball, they will tinker around with it until they are able to satisfy
their curiosity.
This is supposedly a rare trait and an indication of higher intelligence.
Number 6.
Ravens Live From Deserts To Coniferous Forests And Coastal Cliffs
They are extremely adaptable.
They are able to survive all sorts of climatic conditions and weather circumstances.
That is why ravens can survive in almost any terrain and any sort of habitat.
From snow deserts in the Tundra to the temperate grasslands, you will find a raven everywhere.
If you are lucky enough, you could even spot one tough critter in the sweltering heat of
the desert.
They can even scale high mountains as well.
But what gives them this sturdy survival instinct?
It’s their dietary habits!
Surprised?
If you remember you junior biology classes well, then you would be able to recall that
the entire crow family are omnivores.
That implies to the ravens also.
They are scavengers with a huge diet that includes fish, meat, seeds, fruit, carrion,
and garbage.
That is the reason they can adjust on any place on this entire planet.
Number 5.
Ravens are the best birds in the crow family The raven is the largest bird of the crow
family.
It is two times as heavier when compared to a common crow.
An ordinary raven weighs around 1.3 kg.
It is around two feet long; with a wingspan of almost 1 m.
Phew!
That’s a big bird for sure.
They live longer than crows.
That’s not all.
We did mention they were smarter?
Well, they are hell lot smarter than their cousins.
But overall, the entire crow family has been in possession of a higher aptitude than the
rest.
Number 4.
Ravens Were Considered A Symbol Of Bad Weather And Storms
Despite having the best personality traits, ravens have received a lot of bad publicity
through the ages.
The Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Semitic and Siberian legends depict the raven as a messenger
of storms or bad weather.
In African, Asian and European legends, the raven forecasts death.
Shakespeare presents ravens as messengers or exponents of evil in his epic creations
of "Julius Caesar", "Macbeth" and "Othello".
In "Titus Andronicus", ravens are described as benefactors feeding abandoned children.
Wait, there’s more!
In the poem "The Raven" composed by Edgar Allan Poe, this bird is linked with lost love
and despair.
Talk about bad press, folks.
It seems the raven has been made a sort of villain or evil creature.
Number 3.
Ravens Have Some Weird Habits They have a particular habit which is called
as anting.
Now this is hell lot stranger than you think!
It involves smashing ants and rubbing them all over their bodies.
Now don’t flip out!
Yes, they do it and it’s a bit weird.
Why do they do this?
Well, the answer is not clear.
No one knows for certain.
But scientists and researchers are not short of theories.
Some suggest that anting was a form of prey preparation that makes ravens immune to the
formic acid.
That could be a possible reason why ravens can eat ants without any ill effects.
Others believe that anting is a learned behavior.
But there are some who refute this claim altogether.
They think its instinct and the birds just can’t help themselves.
Maybe the formic acid acts as a sort of weird bath oil and has a soothing effect on the
skin.
Whatever be the reason, it seems formic acid has a lot to do with them getting apparently
stoned!
Number 2.
Ravens Can Live As Long As 70 Years Ravens can live as long as 40 years in the
wild.
Make that 70 years when they are domesticated and reside in safer and nourishing surroundings.
Whoa!
That’s almost as long as a human being’s life span.
The most probable reason is their versatile diet.
It contributes a lot to their health.
Their superior genes wither away slowly as compared to the rest of the avian species.
Seems they would make wonderful pets.
They are better than parrots.
After all, they are the best than the rest.
Number 1.
They Have A Special Relation With Wolves An intelligent and sturdy creature chooses
similar companions.
This logic holds more water when there is a selfish benefit in the relation.
Now, without a shred of doubt, wolves do possess the strength and ability to hunt by themselves.
But it is not the most effective way for them to hunt.
Thanks to their feathered friends, they get a raw end of the deal.
During a recent study, it was observed that within a minute of wolves hunting down a moose,
ravens make it to the scene of predation.
Estimates have been made by observers that a pair of wolves will lose almost 40 percent
of its meal to ravens.
Man, that’s a lot of food.
But the wolves are helpless and it seems they have made peace with it.
Or we could say that ravens are persistent gatecrashers.
Though ravens and wolves may seem like unlikely bedfellows, it is a mutually beneficial relationship,
nevertheless.