Customer Reviews

Ravens in Winter

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"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.

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!

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!

Edgar Allan Poe was a fan of Corvus corax and most definitely so is Bernd Heinrich, although as a good scientist, he doesn't romanticize and anthropomorphize the bird as Poe does. RAVENS IN WINTER is a scientific study of the behavior of Ravens in western Maine that took place over the course of a few winters in the mid 1980's. It is more than that; it's about "solving a riddle". Do Ravens "actively disclose to strangers of their species the valuable and rare food bonanzas that one of them is lucky enough to find? If so, how do they do it, and why?"

I don't know of any other such detailed studies on Ravens, except for other work that Heinrich himself has done. The author takes us through discussions on members of Corvidae (the crow family), Ravens in mythology, their intelligence, courting and display, nesting, calls, and all other matters dealing with the birds behavior. Heinrichs' illustrations of "eared", "fuzzy-headed", and "strutting" displays shows not only his artistic skills but that he is also very patient. The subtle details come only with spending a lot of time in quiet observation.

Heinrich does solve his riddle and Ravens do indeed share their food, or in the language of the study "they actively recruit". As to why, this involves the difference in behavior by juvenile birds as against adult pairs. It's juveniles that call others to the food and Heinrich offers his theory. "They are gregarious, joining other juveniles to roost and feast with, and to find an attractive mate. An unmated Raven finding food invites eligible singles to join him (or her?) at the feast, thereby not only gaining or maintaining access to the food, but possibly also increasing its status and demonstrating fitness as a future provider..." As Heinrich goes on to say it's a system clothed in "intricate detail and subtlety". It's only appropriate then that those words are most fitting in describing the book itself.

As readers of his other books know, Bernd Heinrich is an outstanding observer of nature. He has retained his childlike curiosity, and enjoys poking around under rocks, climbing trees to look around, and conducting simple experiments in the woods to see what will happen.

He has long since grown up into a scientist and a teacher as well. As a result, he knows how to take notes, conduct a literature review, justify his conclusions, and convey information to readers.

In this book, he does all this very well in trying to figure out a puzzle of raven behavior. If you want to walk with him on an intellectual journey, this is a five-star book.

But . . . I wanted a book about ravens. Instead of the journey, I wanted the destination. There is a better book out there on ravens, and as it turns out, Bernd Heinrich wrote that one, too. If, like me, you want to know what we know about these remarkable, intelligent birds, read Heinrich's "Mind of the Raven" instead.

This book provides an introduction into how questions of animal behavior are asked and answered. Heinrich, a professor of zoology and naturalist noticed that crows seemed to call others to join them when they discovered large animal kills in the winter. Such behavior would seem to be against the crows' best interest, since an individual crow could perhaps have more food if it kept it all for itself. This set Heinrich's curiosity afire, which impelled him to embark on a multi-year study of crow behavior so that he could determine why the crows seem so eager to share their bounty. In this book, presented as a daily journal, Heinrich details his project, from the original posing of the question through final publication of the results. He describes how he gathered downer cows, transported them to the study site, and how he observed crow behavior for hours and days on end at feeding sites. He also describes how he trapped and banded crows so that he could record the behavior of individuals over time. In the end, he builds a very solid case for the idea that juvenile crows recruit others to overwhelm resident crows who would otherwise defend their territory (and food) from outsiders. The book is illustrated with a set of black-and-white drawings done by Heinrich. End material includes appendices with numerical and graphical analyses of the study data, an extensive bibliography, and an index.

What takes this book beyond simple ecological description is Heinrich's careful inclusion of his methodology. He is very much a teacher, so he takes great care to explain how he came up with his hypotheses about the recruiting behavior, which in the beginning numbered not one but nine. He discusses scientific methodology, the right way and wrong way to observe natural phenomena, as well as background material about ravens. He also notes how any one piece of data or type of data do not in themselves lead to a conclusion, but that the final result in this type of research must be constructed by examining all the data, and seeing how they all point in the same direction. I found one comment particularly fascinating. Somewhere along the way, I had been told that animals do not have the mental capacity to experience emotions, or that if they do experience emotions at all, such emotions are simple and limited. But Heinrich states "Birds are primarily emotional beings, and their responses to emotional drives are probably much more direct than ours are, since human reactions are tempered by reason." When one considers animal behavior in this light, much becomes clear, yet many more questions arise.

I listened to this book on tape a few years ago, and have found that it is one of those books that has really stuck with me. I plan to purchase it now and save it for my kids to read. It is the best example I've ever experienced of the scientific method put into action.

The author is absolutely committed, throughout his research, to the use of logic and evidence to reach conclusions. If an observed result is not logical, he tries to find the hole in it, and devises another test. If his theories are not verified by observation, he finds the hole in his thinking. He is never bound by either conventional thinking or even by his own theories. All that matters is getting it right.

Most of our exposure to the scientific method looks backwards at supporting facts from seemingly obvious conclusions. This book really takes you through the hard work (physically and mentally) and frustration of reaching the solution.

I highly recommend it.

Mr. Heinrich has hit on a truth: when studying the behavior of animals you must remain mentally flexible, keep an open mind and open senses, and keep your eye on the big picture--all while preventing yourself from either trying to make the organism either too human or too robotic. He has developed an amazing capacity, rare among scientists, to do all these things while balancing them with the need for a scientific approach, and that skill has led him to exciting results. While his approach may seem frustratingly scattershot to those who practice or admire "pure" sciences like mathematics, it is revealed in this book as the only method that can provide rapid (within a human lifetime), ground-breaking results in the complex and chaotic world of behavioral research. Heinrich has revealed ravens as neither humans wearing feathers nor as creatures of knee-jerk instinct, but rather as fascinating and intelligent members of our living planet. I am in as much awe of his ability to penetrate to the reasons behind behaviors as I am of his endurance, strength, persistence, and love of nature. I'm going to have to read his book on bumblebees next--and in fact, every one of his books!

Academic field biologist Bernd Heinrich created a poetic and spiritual account of his exacting field observations regarding the intelligence of ravens. This book is moving and illuminating. It is also a true life mystery novel that keeps you turning pages to see how it all works out. The best part: Bernd Heinrich has written many other books equal to this one.

A very interesting book. I found the hardships the author so enthusiastically suffered for his research even more interesting than the ravens. Doctor Heinrich was not a young man when he began the research in the frozen Maine woods. I believe he was about 45 when he started and close to 50 when he finished this particular phase of study. He was climbing close to the top of 100 foot trees in freezing or below freezing weather, he was shivering in blinds (and in his cabin) for hours in below 0 weather, he hauled hundreds of pounds of meat in snow and sleet countless times. He walked and sometimes ran many, many miles through the snow with and without snowshoes. He was up before dawn many, many times. Pretty amazing.

Of course, his raven research is extremely interesting. I thought I had heard at least one of them sound like a barking dog at my cabin in the Canadian woods. My dog barks in the cabin when I have to leave him when it's too hot to take him in the car. I know now that it's possible the raven copied the bark.

Certainly worth reading even if you aren't a scientist.