Re: on necks and crows

[<gejd@concentric.net>]

Anyone interested in bird behavior as it (could conceivably) relates
to theropod behavior,  check out the work of Kevin McGowan on
crows (not Ravens):

http://cuvc.bio.cornell.edu/mcgowan/index.html

I expect lots to variety in behavior among corvidae, considering
it includes Bluejays, magpies, crows, ravens, ...
I also expect lots of variety occurred among theropods.
-Gus Derkits

John V Jackson wrote:

> --Orig. Message:--From: "Mickey P. Rowe" <mrowe@indiana.edu>
> Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 12:32:51 -0500 (EST)
> In-Reply-To: (message from Frank Galef on Thu, 06 May 1999 22:48:50 -0700)
>
> >Are you referring to the work of Bernd Heinrich?  If so, then my
> understanding (gleaned largely from John Alcock's description in the
> 6th edition of _Animal Behavior_) would be closer to disorderly mobs
> than fammily gatherings at least for Ravens.  Specifically, it appears
> that when a Raven finds a carcass before any other Ravens, it will
> keep quiet about it.  If there are more than two Ravens feeding at the
> carcass, they will generally squawk to high heaven.  As I understand
> the situation, this occurs because Ravens are territorial, and if only
> one or two birds have found a carcass it is likely to either be in
> their territory or they're interloping and don't want to attract the
> attention of the territory's owner.  In either case it "belongs" to
> the bird that first found it.
> ...<
>
> Primates have been known to keep quiet about food if they think they can
> keep it a secret (I think I'm thinking particularly of a Gombe chimp -
> sorry, no ref for this one).
>
> I suspect the difference between discovering carrion or even a banana, and a
> cooperational hunt may be significant.  In the first case, the issue is the
> share one gets oneself.  In the second, before the sharing must come the
> all-important securing of the meal in the first place.  Canids for example
> are well known to compete/exercise ranking rights in the one case, and
> cooperate in the other.  I expect people are agreed that chimps can
> demonstrate at least the coop. hunting side.
>
> JJ