BLACK, ROWDY, AND RAMBUNCTIOUS

Corvids: nature’s little fluffy fratboys.
I was under the mistaken impression that crows and ravens preferred carrion. Or at least thoroughly destroyed sources of protein, like roadkill (i.e. pigeons, bunnies, chihuahuas).
I misjudged them entirely.
They like beer. And risky behaviour.

I already knew they liked pizza, as I previously mentioned.

But the beer thing is a new one.

ME WANT!

[SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxRXYdFD99s&feature=related.]

Happy bird aims directly at the can of beer. This blogger is not particularly fond of suds, but "Feathers" there seems like such a likable fellow that I'm tempted to buy a few brewskis and go looking for little black drinking buddies.

If you see an indistinct and rowdy clump at the far end of an alley, that will be me and my new friends.
I'll be the one smoking a pipe.


As far as tempting fate is concerned, fratboys take chances that no one in their right mind would. Possibly due to inbreeding. But corvids (crows and ravens), though enjoying the same frisson, actually know what they're doing.
Like fratboys, they can be opportunistic thieves.

MINE!

[SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0w9q125TSI&feature=related.]

The first forty nine seconds are absolutely delightful. The rest is remarkable.


Capping the youtube evidence that corvids are a helluvalot more intelligent than fratboys is this little piece.

KICK IT!

[SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqLU-o7N7Kw&feature=related.]



There is a corvid (possibly Corvus corax - the 'Common Raven') that lives near the Transamerica Pyramid. I've heard cawing on weekend afternoons when I'm in the area smoking a post-lunch pipe. It's quiet enough there that few other sounds are even noticeable.
And if there's one corvid, there's probably another one close by.
Cawing is a communicative behaviour.


I'm not likely to put out any opened cans of beer to tempt the creatures, as that might draw in fratboys or crazy street people instead.
But a few meatballs, that should work......



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