THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RAVENS Ravens and their Crow cousins eat enthusiastically from all food groups. Since these brainy birds are omnivores, eating both animal and plant life, their typical bird fare is bird's eggs, seeds, nuts, fruits, and (yuck) “road kill.” But over the co-evolution of both ravens and humans, ravens also have learned to feast on human food. They started following early human hunters to pick over scraps from their meals, but today’s raven is more likely to be dumpster diving for other kinds of leftovers discarded by humans at the local fast food restaurant–hamburgers french fries, you name it. Ravens have learned that wherever humans are, there is food. Dr. John Marzluff from the University of Washington has been researching ravens and crows for many years and he believes that the willingness of these birds to broaden their food tastes, which is unusual in the animal world, has helped them survive successfully over the years. It’s hard to think we humans have contributed to the success of another species by encouraging them to eat our junk food, but in the author’s neighborhood one of the raven favorites is Cheetos! If you want to learn more about ravens, see my book The Un-Common Raven: One Smart Bird, a non-fiction title that describes the home territories of ravens, their physical characteristics, behavior and habits in obtaining food and shelter, mates, and family life. Relevant research is presented by well known raven researchers John Marzluff and Bernd Heinrich. John Marzluff stated that the book was “An engaging introduction to one of the world’s most fascinating and influential birds.” You can order the book from Amazon: “The Un-Common Raven: one smart bird” (ISBN: 9780615731216)
I live in Sedona, AZ , one of the most beautiful spots on earth. I moved here from Grand Rapids, Michigan after 30 years in corporate and academic marketing. I launched Red Rock Mountain Press and published two books on ravens, as well as a self-help book for first-time authors: The Author's Guide to Marketing. I give workshops on ravens and self-publishing around the state, and children's writing programs. If you haven't visited Sedona, make time to do it. The red rock mountains will amaze you. And so will the ravens!
