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The plumage of ravens is black, the legs are black, the beak is black and the eyes are black too. There is no blacker bird – "raven black". In view of our white-tailed eagle camera some twenty pairs move around. They have a similar plumage the year around and keep together in pairs. The alert and clever birds know where to search for food, researchers maintain that in addition to the sharp eyesight and good hearing they also have a well developed sense of smell, and finding carrion hidden under snow is no difficulty for them. In the morning they arrive at the feeding site already at twilight, being a sure sign for the eagles  that the surroundings are safe.

 

Whether the weather is sunny, or as today, with broad snowflakes, the day length has set the playful birds frolicking. The male must show his partner due attention, offering her symbolic delicacies from his beak, to which the female responds with a suitable flirt. The sight can sometimes become quite comic and of course the springtime raven calls, these we could go on talking about. The adults are authorities in the group and we don’t see conflicts between ravens. Eagles and foxes know how distinguished their neighbours are, and killed ravens are seldom seen in the forest; but they can make the life of eagles quite uncomfortable to favour their own interests.

In legends and tales ravens consort with witches and other suchlike beings living in primeval forests, but they have never been associated with evil – the raven has been considered as an intelligent bird whose advice it was wise to listen to.

 

 

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