An Unkindness of Ravens
By Andrew Johnson
20 May 2008
Ravens are special birds. Anyone either listening to their insistent cawing and croaking or watching them soar, swoop, and dive effortlessly through the skies will never forget it.
The Common Raven is found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and as the largest corvid can achieve a size of 27 inches. Their intelligence is the highest of all birds and is regarded as at least equal to dogs and possibly higher.
Ravens figure into mythology all over the world, going back for thousands of years. The Indians of the Northwest Coast tell about how Raven stole the sun. Norse legends speak of Hugin and Munin, the two ravens who sat on Odin's shoulders, telling him all they have seen in their travels. There is even a story that England will fall if the ravens ever leave the tower of London. And of course, there is Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem.
Having seen them first-hand, I can appreciate their intelligence, playfulness and power especially when trying to capture them with a camera. I have tried sneaking up on them, but they see me coming. I try to take their picture but after pushing the button, I find only an empty frame.
It quickly becomes clear that whether or not you take their picture is their decision. But sometimes you can sneak up on them, maybe catch one out through a window and get a lucky shot. Sometimes they will even deign to allow their picture to be taken.
These pictures are all of ravens I have taken either on hikes or around my house. Wild ravens.
1 response
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Talon said (27 Dec 2008):
I've always been fascinated by birds...which is why I choose to use the name Talon...and ravens are particularly interesting and, as you said, intelligent and strangely elusive.
I always found it sad that a flock of crows is known as a "murder" and a flock of ravens is an "unkindness"...
There is so much folklore about the ravens...all of it interesting, as they are.
I enjoyed your photos and your story.
