The raven is sometimes known as “the wolf-bird.” Ravens, like many other animals, scavenge at wolf kills, but there’s more to it than that. Both wolves and ravens have the ability to form social attachments and they seem to have evolved over many years to form these attachments with each other, to both species’ benefit.
There are a couple of theories as to why wolves and ravens end up at the same carcasses. One is that because ravens can fly, they are better at finding carcasses than wolves are. But they can’t get to the food once they get there, because they can’t open up the carcass. So they’ll make a lot of noise, and then wolves will come and use their sharp teeth and strong jaws to make the food accessible not just to themselves, but also to the ravens.
Ravens have also been observed circling a sick elk or moose and calling out, possibly alerting wolves to an easy kill. The other theory is that ravens respond to the howls of wolves preparing to hunt (and, for that matter, to human hunters shooting guns). They find out where the wolves are going and following. Both theories may be correct.
Wolves and ravens also play. A raven will sneak up behind a wolf and yank its tail and the wolf will play back. Ravens sometimes respond to wolf howls with calls of their own, resulting in a concert of howls and calls.
I can’t wait for this Disney film duo.
Anonymous asked:
what is yhe smallest bird of prey
raptorwing-deactivated20160705 answered:
The title of smallest bird of prey is actually a tie.
The genus Microhierax is a whole group of falconets - teeny tiny falcons. The smallest two of those are the Black-Thighed Falconet and the White-Fronted Falconet. Both are Indomalaysian species with a wingspan of 11.5 inches (27-32cm) and a body length of 6 inches (14-17cm). That’s right - they are only a bit larger than a sparrow! Though their big, powerful little talons and hooked beak certainly sets them apart.
A black-thighed falconet:
White-fronted falconets
Thanks for the question!
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Ospreys are such pretty birds. Gaze upon their majesty:
Their outer toe is reversible, so they can switch from a standard anisodactyl arrangement to a zygodactyl one. Their diet is like 99% fish and 1% “oh my god I accidentally ate a bug.” They can eat other stuff, but they really don’t if they can at all help it. They make huge sloppy eagle-nests and have a penchant for doing so in man-made nest-boxes on top of power lines.
Power lines: They’re like trees, except raccoons and possums and feral cats can’t climb them nearly as easily.
To be honest, they’ll also just build them right up in there with power lines, so the nest-box isn’t a necessary thing. It’s what power companies started putting up to keep the ospreys from killing power to the greater global tri-county area every weekend.
They weigh about five pounds and have a wingspan of about six feet, which isn’t huuuuuuge for an eagle but is pretty damn big. They display high mate-fidelity, and they usually raise two chicks per season.