Crows Are Always Jerks to Ravens, Research Confirms

emerald-of-the-eight:

Across North America, common ravens are regularly harassed by gangs of crows, according to a new study published Wednesday in The Auk: Ornithological Advances. In 97 percent of reported interactions between crows and ravens, scientists report, crows were the aggressors.

This grudge match goes way back. In North America, ravens are both competitors and predators of the crow. Given the chance, brazen, jet-black ravens will happily make a meal out of a crow’s clutch of eggs. And one on one, a crow doesn’t stand a chance against a raven, which can reach up to three times a crow’s size and weight.

But what crows lack in size, they make up for in numbers. Ganging up “gives crows the upper hand,” says Ben Freeman, postdoctoral fellow at University of British Columbia and lead author of the study.

@illwynd

Crows Are Always Jerks to Ravens, Research Confirms