Ravens in Winter [Paperback]

Bernd Heinrich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1991

Why should ravens--which are usually solitary birds--share valuable food in the dead of winter? How clever are these birds? Do they have a language? These are some of the riddles that noted sociobiologist Bernd Heinrich, author of Bumblebee Economics and winner of the John Burroughs Medal, explores in this intriguing book. 16 pages of drawings.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ravens are among the most elusive and yet (or, consequently) fascinating animals of North American I have ever encountered. Heinrich--an incredibly patient and cold-hardy fellow, not to mention, a heck of a writer--studied ravens in the dead of winter in Maine, and made some remarkable discoveries of how these normally solitary birds would actually engage in food sharing. Few of the many works on behavioral ecology I have read so compellingly capture the tedium of field work, the inscrutability of subject animals, and the satisfaction of discovery that provides even greater warmth than a blazing wood fire in the middle of a northern winter. Highly Recommended.

From Publishers Weekly

In 1984 Heinrich, professor of zoology at the University of Vermont, determined to find out why ravens call to each other when they discover food, a rare example of sharing in the wild. For the next four years he spent winter weekends observing these birds at a remote site in Maine, braving fierce weather, lugging enormous amounts of bait to lure ravens to his study area and sleeping in a cabin where temperatures often plunged below zero at night. The story related here, which is constructed from his field notes, moves slowly; we learn a good deal about scientific methods and a lot about patience. Overall, however, the book is suspenseful and exciting. The author follows a series of clues, some going nowhere, and others finally leading to the solution to this puzzle of animal behavior. The climactic moment comes after Heinrich, having trapped and banded more than 40 ravens, is able to discover, first, that only certain juvenile birds make the calls, and then, why they do so. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679732365
• ISBN-13: 978-0679732365
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bernd Heinrich is a biologist and author of numerous books on the natural world. He lives in Richmond, VT, and in a cabin in the forests of western Maine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eight tons of meat, four Maine winters, and crowds of ravens, July 25, 2001

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ravens in Winter (Paperback)

"Ravens in Winter" is about solving a biological puzzle: "Do common ravens, 'Corvus corax,' actively disclose to strangers of their species the valuable and rare food bonanzas that one of them is lucky enough to find?"

In order to solve his self-discovered mystery, Bernd Heinrich spent four winters in the woods of Maine and Vermont, hauling eight tons of dead animals to bait stations in the midst of howling blizzards. All in the name of fun---I mean, science.

This is one of the best, most exuberant books I've ever read on how an academic field biologist actually solves a scientific conundrum. The only other book I can compare it with is Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf." Mowat was dropped alone onto the frozen Canadian tundra, where he studied the ways of wolves. Heinrich spent his winters in a tiny tarpaper shack in the Maine wilderness, galumphing through thigh-deep snow with a hundred pounds of cow entrails slung over his back, in order to study the ways of ravens.

Maine Ravens are almost exclusively carrion eaters, so in order to lure them to his observation posts the author had to feed them. He also had to crawl out of his half-frozen sleeping bag (the tarpaper shack had no amenities such as central heating) at 5:30 in the morning in order to beat the ravens to their frozen breakfast, because they are such notoriously wary birds. One false move or sound from him would send them winging away from his bait, sometimes never to return.

Heinrich makes all this sound like wonderful good fun. He periodically lured his graduate students and friends up into the endless forest and through the blizzard to help him trap and band ravens.

I wish I had been one of his students. Ever since I became acquainted with ravens during a canoe trip through the Northwest Territories, I've been curious about these elusive and complex corvids. Heinrich's working diary more than satisfies that curiosity. The text of this book was derived from his field notes, and he doesn't omit any of his observations, or any of his hypotheses whether they led to dead ends or not---that was part of the fun.

After reading "Ravens in Winter," I wanted to go out and do my own field observations---except that I can't quite see myself crawling like Heinrich from privy to tarpaper shack in the midst of a snowstorm, so as not to disturb the ravens at their breakfast.

Now that crows have returned to Detroit (I never used to see them in the city when I was a kid), maybe ravens will be soon to follow. Then I can observe them from the comfort of my centrally-heated living room.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignited my lust for knowledge about Ravens & other birds., August 18, 1997

By 

Zelda Barnard (South San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ravens in Winter (Paperback)

Some years ago a copy of this book came my way and opened a new door for me which has turned into a flaming interest in the Corvids. Such vivid word pictures, such exciting findings resulting from Heinrich's research. If you love birds, this book is a must!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ravens + Lit. Review + Research + Journal + 1 Guy=Great Book, January 12, 2003

By 

M. Dillon "Just A Reviewer" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ravens in Winter (Paperback)

What a wonderful book! I have never given much thought to ravens...until now. I enjoy my birdfeeders and seeing the chickadees and cardinals come to feed but now I am seeking ravens! Taking a cue from Heinrich, I plan on picking up road kill and tossing it in my yard to see if these interesting creatures will descend in my yard!

Bernd Heinrich takes a research subject and makes it very entertaining. I enjoy nature and found his passion for the out-of-doors to be contagious. He dives in and at times secludes himself from the world of humans and fully gives of himself, (including living in unbelievable cold), all on his quest to find an answer to his question; Do ravens recruit other ravens to food?

The book is laid out as; part journal, part research paper and part review of literature. I found the latter two informative. Although I was tempted to skip over the short forays into the lit reviews, I am pleased that I took the extra time to read and develop a background into the nature of the raven. The journaling that Heinrich offers is both informative and very entertaining. This is where I began to find great humor, and through Heinrich's description of his actions to investigate and study the ravens, my interest grew in learning the outcome to his ultimate question.

Here's a quote that I think sums up this book:

"We then try to justify what we do by trying to make it sound as if it has some "useful" application. But, really, we do it because it is fun. Nature is entertainment-the greatest show on earth. And that is not trivial, because what is life, if it isn't fun? I think that the greatest contribution we could make would be to help make life more interesting." -from Ravens in Winter, page 221

This book is education and most of all...fun. I imagine most people who read this book walk away with a new desire to see ravens and with a new appreciation for them.

I think the mark of an enjoyable author is the desire that arises once the book is completed for more. I am planning on reading other books by Bernd Heinrich and hope you are too! Enjoy!