Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Call for questions: Corvid Thanatology (RAVEN FUNERALS, WTF.) (Patreon)

Published:
2018-08-20 18:20:11
Imported:
2018-08

Content

Y’all. YUH ALL. Today I’m flying to Seattle and to sit down with Dr. Kaeli Swift who studies BIRD DEATH BEHAVIORS. This is going to be dark and weird and maybe one of the most goth lines of inquiry ever. (It’ll probably come out in late October.)

More on her can be found at: https://corvidresearch.blog/ and leave your questions in the comments! 

Donning a veil,

Dadward

Comments

Gary Jungling

Yes, do Crows wear black to their funerals.... Oh, nevermind. Answered my own question.

Dain Goding

Have birds ever been observed using bones of other birds to built their nests?

Becki McClure

Wow...you are coming to my city! #swoon (no bird funeral questions yet...maybe I'll come up with something.)

Jazmin Wells

Okay kinda about bird death, kinda not. WHY is a group of crows called a murder? And do they ever murder each other?

Maria Kumro

What's been the strangest thing you learned so far in your study of this?

Charlotte Milling

What is the evolutionary significance of corvid grieving behavior? If there isn't any, why would it come to be a "thing"?

Jen Evans

Do crows react differently to a natural death (old age) vs an unnatural death (injury/poisoning/etc). If so, how?

Aki

Do crows visit the burial place of other crows? Do they bring offerings to pay their respects?

Bob Clark

How long to crows typically mourn for?

Donatellia Austin

Can you determine the cause of death by just looking at or watching the decomposition of a bird?

Lauren Harter

Any anecdotes about native cultures with myths involving bird funerals OR incorporating bird funereal rituals into their own?

Aeriel Belk

Do crows ever engage in cannibalism? If so, how does that relate to the crow funerals? Does the funeral indicate a special relationship, while other behaviors indicate antagonistic relationships?

Andrew Paulson

Do crows really hold an adhoc court to punish badly-behaving members of the flock? I once saw a group of about a dozen crows gathered in the road in a loose circle. They began slowly walking along the perimeter while a single crow was sort-of in the middle. They flew away when they noticed me watching.

Barbara Blackie

Is there any record of ravens engaging in this behavior? I think they are less social, but still very aware and intelligent.

Ashish Panse

This is probably from the left field... but any idea why crows are a part of human funeral rituals in some cultures? Do they respond to death (of any species) differently than other animals?

Mikey

Do ravens mourn differently based on relationships? (Family, friends, strangers)

Shah

Oh man I cant wait for this one. There was some interesting research on human facial recognition from crows. I would love to hear more about the extent that this has been tested.

Katie Sagarin

This has not much to do with death but I've always wondered if humans were to go extinct could a bird species become the next human-like species, aka develop technologies etc.? Corvids especially seem to be really intelligent and clearly already have some form of culture. P.S. I'm okay with this not being asked as it's not directly related to bird funerals

Jordan O

Why do crows gather in such large numbers at certain times of year? I'm talking thousands

Amelia Blakeman

I've read that to discourage crows from wrecking gardens/plants that you can hang a fake crow upside down - is this crow scarecrow tactic related to their funeral practices? Totally made up? Just makes you look like a crow killer?

Derek Buchanan

How did crows and death/darkness become somewhat synonymous with one another in movies, books, poems, etc.

Greg

Why crows and not other berbs?

Heather Heinrichs

Do different groups of ravens have different funeral rituals? Are the rituals passed down through the raven families?

Heather Heinrichs

Do non-crow/raven corvids (ie. blue jays) have funeral rights?

Eva

Has she seen the episode of Michelle Wolf's "The Break" recently about crows doing weird stuff with their dead relatives? If so...thoughts?

Eva

I think it's the last episode

Diana Murray

Would they mourn a ruined egg?

Shannon Feltus

Number one) last name Swift and Portland has those crazy Swift’s with creepy migration habits. Number 2) Why do crows (aka Halloween Eagles) bring humans gifts?

Shannon Feltus

Oh!! Do birds that “mate for life” really long for a dead partner and stay in the same place all sad? Do they die of broken hearts? Asking for a Great Blue Heron I’m concerned about.

Jessica Bomgardner

Not a question but there was an inexplicable dead bird outside my door this morning. Coincidence? I think not.

Reuben Clamzo

Is the story that there's a group of crows who seem to worship this one little girl by bringing her gifts? I think she used to feed them and now the whole flock gives her offering gs.

Jerry Davis

Do they have any specific behaviors around places where a number of them have been killed (like around electric wind turbines, etc.)?

Olaf Doschke

Don't know if I can think of a good question about what? Raven funarals? It'll be something I'll listen to for sure. You just remind me I once adopted the word "crocitation" to keep it from going extinct. So if you please just make a citation of crocitation in this podcast, problem solved. Thank you! Let me put this into a question: How different are Ravens crocitations, can you distinguish different species by their differing crocitations? Anyway, greetings to Seattle, I was there 2007 and 2008 and I liked the Museum of Music and Pike Place Market, and a "ride with the ducks" tour, but the Space Needle is not much better than the Heinrich Hertz Tower in Hamburg and Starbucks are just like anywhere else.

That's Weird

No question, just so excited for you to be in Seattle and for this amazing ology! Can't wait to hear the interview.

Ted Vician

I recently read _Ka: Dar Oakley in the ruin of Ymr_ by John Crowley, a literary/fantasy novel that features a crow as the protagonist. 1) Has Dr. Swift read it? 2) What did she think?

Ted Vician

Another question: Are Odin's ravens Huginn and Muninn (thought and memory, respectively) symbolic manifestations of people's observations of raven behaviors, especially associated with death?

Neal Williams

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary...our beloved poet, Edgar Allan Poe wondered why the Raven whispered 'Nevermore' ?

Justin Westerfield

How is a corvid grieving different from say chimpanzee grieving?

Natasha Bharj

Tips for making friends with a murder?

Evilh

People have trained crows to use vending machines soooo... do you think they would use a crow cremation machine if we taught them?

Suki Hawley

I once found a dead juvenile crow outside of my house. I don't seem to remember any other crows being around when I found it and buried it. Was it an outcast? Or do you think it's family were watching from the trees, judging and hating me for taking it away?

Suki Hawley

Also, has a dead bird ever saved your ass? I was once saved from being locked out of my car because of a dead hawk.

iolanthe

Are magpies similar?

Kristen Burgess-Udall

Since corvids are one of the smartest bird families, have they been know to mourn their young in similar fashion to the recent orca mama?

Bob

We had a raven funeral here ~200 birds in a tree above the dead one. They were all calling in some sort of synced song, now loud, now soft, which went on for more than an hour. Then it was over and they flew off. It was very eerie

Lani Bouwer

I am a gardener and have many Ravens that live where I work. There was an injured raven that I tried to leave water and birdfeed nearby for. She (?) was understandably skittish but her family became very vocal and were loudly cawwing. Some stole the food that was meant for her. My guess was they were protecting her and/or telling the others. Any thoughts? Do they take care of injured family? Or do they shun? Sadly she did not make it. We put her body under a tree in the forest nearby, but not under the one where they usually spend time (it was previously by the house), what is the best way to deal with this for their mourning in the future? Ps- sometimes I try to mimick them and we have a fun back and forth (or so I like to think), and once, as this was happening and I was enjoying the amazingness of ravens and the beauty of nature, she tried to shit on my head, and I was like touche raven, touche.

Lani Bouwer

Ravens make so many different sounds, and I am curious on the meaning of their different ways of communicating, especially the clicking sound they make.

Joyclyn Vincent

Are ravens the same as crows? And how can I (as the owner of two cats) help them understand I am friend, not foe?

Maren Mossman

What is the difference between a raven, a crow, and a magpie? Do they grieve the same way? We once had a magpie die after we forgot a couple leftover pieces of candy after a picnic in our backyard and there were 5 or 6 others gathered around it cawing like crazy after it died.

Maren Mossman

Also, since you are going to Seattle, I wonder if your guest could quickly talk about the crow studies done at the UW and about the gorilla masks student researchers are rumored to have to wear when collecting data.

Daniel McKenna Joesten

Do crows ever rise from the dead a year later to avenge the murder of their crow girlfriend at the hands of a cruel drug lord? Sorry. :) But seriously...do ravens get a bad rap as death omens because of their fondness for carrion? Follow up: do ravens want to eat my carcass? I am pretty sure the ravens on campus (UCSC) are watching and waiting for me to keel over. Still love them though. Rad birds.

Emma Arkell

OH this is so exciting! I love corvids. I was recently in Okinawa and was delighted to find out that instead of seagulls or other sea birds, Okinawan beaches are overrun with giant jungle crows. I see that someone else has referenced the UW studies on corvids that demonstrated that they can recognize people's faces and even pass information down to their offspring about certain people (?!), so I'd be interested in knowing more about how these birds communicate concepts like that to each other. Like, do they use vocalizations? Wing movements? Elaborate dances?

Becca Bee

What happens when a little one falls out of the nest? Are they considered just ... gone, or do they realize it's too early for them to have left on purpose? I've seen a couple baby chicks dead in the driveway of my old apartment, where they seem to have tumbled from a tree. I wondered if anyone cared or gave them a little funeral.

Mike Melchior

This isn't quite funeral related, but what in the crap is with, "Anting?" I mean, really.....

Danielle O'Sullivan

I had a similar experience two years ago with saving a baby raven from the street that fell and broke one of its wings in front of our house. For weeks it hid in my garden until it recovered and flew away. I found that the parents were always around on the power lines watching from above, at first cawwing loudly, but eventually calming down as time went on. Ever since, we're visited by three ravens and I always wonder if they are the same ones that I helped out. Do you think these birds are the same ones? Do they have the ability to remember that I helped saved their little one and continue to come to visit to let me know that they are ok?

Josh Hemsath

What happens to bird/raven corpses? Are they buried by other ravens/birds? Eaten by scavengers?

Zumino

Given that birds are dinosaurs that didn't go extinct, are there any behaviors seen in funerals might leave traces that could be identified in the fossil record for ancient birds, or possibly even therapods?

Matthew

The two greatest threats to bird life today are feral cats and tall buildings. :'( Can you ask him to discuss the extent of these threats and anything that can be done about it? Thanks

Sarah Anne Queen - writer

I e heard birds mate for life, not sure if it’s all birds or only some. My question, if it’s for crows too, is if there’s a difference in the way they mourn for their mate?

Ace Lane

Is there any actual ornithological basis behind the phrase "swan song," what I understand to refer to one's final epic action before death?

Lani Bouwer

Danielle, I have heard they have good facial recognition, and remember people in association with good or bad experiences. So maybe they are coming to say thanks! I guess we will find out from the expert!

Chelsey

Hello! New patron here. My buddy Shannon Feltus introduced this nerd to your podcast a while back and it’s been a wonderful. Thank you. So I just heard you mention something about crow funerals in the opening of this weeks episode and I was super excited. Not about dead crows, but I LOVE the corvidae family (especially those crows). This may be too late for a question, but I’ll get on with it anyway. I live in Portland and have a flock of chickens. For years I’ve been feeding my 4 “crow-friends” to help keep hawks and other bird predators from eating my chicken buddies. This feeding has created a friendship with them (one crow even has a special cackle(?) when I come outside... and yes I have videos of it). Last year I heard my crow-friends freaking out (this is a sign that a predator is around and I need to get my chickens in). I ran out and a big ass hawk had snatched up one of my crows. I was heart broken and it turns out my crows were also sad. For two weeks their caws were different and they didn’t come to my yard. That long ass story brings me to my non-crow-funeral question: My crows have thrown a pine cone and seashell at me. Does this mean we are actually friends or are they just trying to knock me in the head so I know they need more peanuts? And would you like to see my weird crow video? And how do I get crows to bring me more treasure? ;)