Caw of the Wild Quotes

“Recent research conducted on a beach in Washington state indicates that the sentinel behavior exhibited by what researchers had assumed was an altruistic member of the flock might very well be scouting by a larcenist noting his comrades’ cache sights for future retrieval. It was previously believed that crows posted guards to watch for predators while members of the flock were feeding. But researchers James and Renee Ha watched for thousands ofhours while crows stole food from each other. Some birds they banded and observed were honest and never stole from each other, preferring instead to find their own food supplies. Other crows’ food sources, however, contained up to 65 percent swiped merchandise. Pushing their conclusions even further, they tried to find DNA links between the birds to test whether crows steal from their own relatives. If the early conclusions from this research are correct, not only can crows recognize close relatives, but they are less likely to steal from them as well.”
― Barb Kirpluk, Caw of the Wild

“Body language was important—both theirs and mine. I watched them closely for any signs that I was getting too close. My goal was to avoid scaring them into flying off. I did not stare at them. I kept a relaxed posture. In addition, I learned by the errors I made. For example, swinging my arm to toss them a nut, even from a safe distance, caused them to flee in fear. Their agitated screams pierced my heart and made me feel I had lost the ground I’d gained. Nevertheless, they forgave me in time as I learned more about them.”
― Barb Kirpluk, Caw of the Wild