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.

From Library Journal
Obsessed with ravens, Heinrich, author of One Man's Owl ( LJ 11/1/87) and Bumbleblee Economics (Harvard Univ. Pr., 1979), spent four winters watching these large crow - like birds in the Maine woods from cliffside blinds, treetops , and during blizzards. His early observations reveal how little is known about the communication of these wise birds. The author suggests significant new hypotheses, distilled from over a 1000 hours of field observations, captive animal work, tagging, and driving techniques, to explain this bird's social behavior. This is an engrossing account of wild animal field study, with an appendix of research data for those wishing to probe further. Of interest to both students and nature buffs. Natural Science Book Club selection.- Frank Reiser, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, N.Y.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
On a cold Maine day in October 1984, Bernd Heinrich, a field biologist, saw a flock of ravens sharing their food and apparently calling other ravens to join in. This struck Heinrich as so unexpected (why should solitary animals share?) that he spent seven years trying to find out whether this was what they were really doing, and if it was, why. Heinrich watched ravens from the top of a giant spruce while they foraged, scaled cliffs to take fledglings for banding, set up a giant aviary. He was relentless. What he found rivals a detective story in its complexity, complete with false leads, contradictory clues and finally, hard evidence. "Inspired, fresh and fascinating." --Peter Matthiessen

From the Publisher
9 1.5-hour cassettes

ANNOTATION

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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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.

FROM THE CRITICS

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. (Sept.)

Library Journal