Rook: Competition

This sociable bird is readily found in farming areas, feeding on insects and grubs as well as sown grain and peas. Believing that rooks were pests, farmers for centuries killed them. In fact, James I of Scotland introduced a law in 1424 to eliminate all rooks from his kingdom. However, the rook has managed to survive through it all.

This glossy black bird with a white beak is a part of European folklore. “As the crow flies” originally referred to the steady flight of the rook. An English legend says the Tower of London will fall and the Monarchy will be in danger if less than six rooks live there. In addition, many people believed that the desertion of a rookery to be a bad omen. Local English folklore says that someone in the area will die, and that no heir will be born to the family of the Manor.

A gregarious bird, the rook is very colonial, preferring to live in a large flock (called a Parliament). In belonging to her Parliament, the rook follows certain rules. There is a ‘pecking order’ in which the oldest bird lives at the center of the rookery, where he is sheltered from the wind. When the Parliament is feeding, rook sentries are posted to warn the other rooks when danger threatens. Their loud echoing “caws” can be heard throughout the countryside.

Loyal to her mate and to her rookery, the rook returns to the same nest site every year, with her Parliament. During the fall, her mate finds a high and solitary spot and sings to her. When the female rook responds, he offers food to her. After the male rook feeds her, he bows and calls to the female from a branch. High in the trees, they build an untidy nest of twigs. (Local folklore says if the rook’s nest “be high in the treetops, be a fine summer; if be low, then summer be wet and cold”.)

However, there are times when the rook is fiercely competitive. During nesting time, Mother Rook stands guard for many days over her nesting spot, fighting off other rooks. She quarrels with her friends over the best sticks to build her nest. Later, Mother and Father Rook will compete for food with other rook parents to feed their chicks. Unfortunately, with many birds trying to grab as much food as they can, many rook chicks fail to survive.

The rook teaches proper ways to compete. When she looks for food, she does it for her chicks. In being the most competitive, the rook gets the most food for them. However, do not be so fiercely competitive that you cause others to fail to thrive.
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Raven: Duality

Often mistaken for crow, the raven is not just a big crow. A complex bird in nature and mythology, the raven is noted for her innovative solutions to problems that she encounters. For example, the raven uses stones to crack her nuts. With her diverse language of calls, the raven often engages in wordplay with her friends. Not only that, but she also incorporates the calls of other birds in her “speech”.


When the territories of the crow and the raven overlap, a distinction can be made between the two. Unlike her brother crow, the raven prefers woods to cities. She has a greater tolerance for cold than the crow, and can even withstand the Arctic winter. To identify the raven, look at the bird’s tail. The crow has a fantail, the raven a wedge tail. Also, when the raven is cold, she puffs herself up, looking a bit raggedy with a ruff around her neck.

In the areas where only the crow lives, people have attributed him with the raven’s magical qualities. In the areas where only the raven lives, people added the crow’s attributes to the raven. However, the raven is known for shape shifting, which the crow cannot do. More secretive than the crow, the raven is also associated with the night and dark magic. Since she is bigger and stronger than the crow, the raven’s magic is more profound.

The raven’s main food is carrion. Several ravens will flock around a large carcass and pick the bones clean. Because she fed on corpses hanging from gallows, people took the raven to be an evil omen with supernatural powers. In Europe, they believed her to be so evil that they killed the raven before she could do any more harm.

The Norse revered the raven since Odin, their chief God, had two ravens – Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory) who told him about everything happening on earth. Among early Christians, the raven was a messenger sent by God to feed the saints in the wilderness. Among the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the raven was the Great Trickster. She created human beings, and brought fire to them.

People hold opposing views of the raven. She is either a creator of human beings or a harbinger of death. When she is not feeding on corpses, the raven is a messenger to Christian saints. The raven teaches life’s duality. From the light comes the shadow. With joy comes sadness. The raven helps people to embrace life in all of its complexity.
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Magpie: Communication

The magpie’s large size, distinctive coloring, and long tail make her unmistakable. A clever bird, she can survive in a variety of habitats. As a member of the crow family, this striking bird shares their sharp intelligence.

The name “magpie” comes from the Old English: mag, which means “chatterbox”, and pie, which means “both black and white.” Extremely gregarious, the magpie travels and nests in colonies. Her raucous “chaw-chaw-chaw-chaw” inundates the woods when she fights with other magpies over food and nesting sites.

An omnivorous eater, the magpie will consume anything she finds on the ground. Many people dislike the magpie because she steals grain, seeds, and berries. In addition, she scavenges dead animals and steals other birds’ eggs. Like her brother crow, the magpie digs holes to hide her food.

The magpie demonstrates the mixed blessing of being a noted communicator. Talk is welcomed in most places, while gossip is not. Be careful what you say to others. Be quiet, and listen once in a while.
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Crow: Sanity

Crows drive some people crazy, while amusing others with their antics. Most people are familiar with these medium-size black birds. They see crows everywhere, roosting in trees, eating road kill, swooping down to grab someone’s lunch, or mobbing the unfortunate owl. Whoever they are, everyone has an opinion about crows.

What people do agree on are the crow’s intelligence, adaptability, and versatility. A member of the songbird family, this sooty black bird uses his voice for other things than singing, such as chattering and calling to his friends. One of the most highly evolved of all birds; the crow’s intelligence is on the level with primates and dolphins.

The crow uses his intelligence to good effect. To open mussels, the carrion crow will drop them on docks. Many crows use tools to crack open eggs. Other crows watch people to determine when the best time is to steal their food. Faced with a problem, the crow will think it through, and then work it out. The crow does not continue to try things that obviously do not work.

The crow may drive people with insane with his activities. But unlike people, he does not keep doing the same thing over, expecting different results. The crow does not indulge in that type of behavior. Learn how to be sane from the crow.
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Chough: Learn to Impress

The most elegant member of the crow family, the chough has a bright red bill and feet, which provides a striking contrast to his glossy black plumage. According to Cornish lore, the chough’s character is as white as his plumage is black. From early times, the chough has been associated with Cornwall (U.K.). In fact, the Welsh called the chough “Bran Gernyw” (Crow of Cornwall).

Unlike the crow and the rook, the chough does not nest in large groups. Instead, he nests near his friends, on rugged mountain slopes, rocky valleys, or sea cliffs. This friendly bird has a buoyant flight that attracts attention. He uses updrafts and wind currents to swoop and dive past rock faces. Performing aerobatic displays, the chough dives with his wings drawn in or turns on his back in midair.

The chough has rituals for many things. When an interloper comes to a feeding site, the chough will stand upright with his bill pointed down and feathers smooth, indicating that he is ready to fight. When the chough wants to court, he struts towards the female with his tail turned upward, feathers ruffled, wings and head down. When pairing, the two birds will preen each other.

The chough is the national emblem for Cornwall. To the Cornish, the chough is the guardian of the Spirit of King Arthur, who will one day return to free his people. In Cornwall, King Arthur’s spirit entered the chough after his death, with the bird’s red beak and feet signifying the blood of Arthur’s battles. However, the chough disappeared from Cornwall in the 1950s. Much to everyone surprise, the chough came back to Cornwall in 2000, when three wild choughs nested in West Cornwall.

The chough teaches being impressive. This black bird, with his red beak and legs, is famous for his acrobatic flight. In his tumbling display flights, the chough makes a truly impressive sight as an astonishingly accomplished and graceful flyer. Learn to impress as the chough does.
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Blue Jay: Contradictions

Widespread over eastern North America, the blue jay is a familiar bird of parks and backyards. Unlike other perching birds, the blue jay is both aggressive and curious. An intelligent bird, he collects brightly colored objects and carry them around. The blue jay will examine the object, play with it, and then when he is bored, discards it. His antics amuse all those who watch him. The other side of the blue jay is his aggressiveness. He will mob all predators that come to threaten any of his group – cats, owls, and hawks. Many people can also attest to being dive bombed by a blue jay during nesting season.

What draws people’s attention to the blue jay is his bright color and raucous call. Bright blue on top with a blue crested head, he is white underneath. In winter, he stands out in his bright blueness. As an expert imitator, the blue jay possesses a wide variety of calls, including sounding like a hawk. However, what everyone usually hears is “jay-jay-jay” rasping through the bushes.

What is surprising about noisy blue jay is his secrecy about his family. Mother Blue Jay will pick a nesting site in thick bushes. To prevent someone from finding the nest, both Mother and Father Blue Jay will take circuitous routes to their nest. Moreover, around the nest, they whisper quietly to each other.

Blue jay is full of contradictions. Just when you think you know him, the blue jay surprises you with another mystery. He is quiet and raucous, aggressive but sensitive. Learn how to live with contradictions from the blue jay.
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Crow Family: Saving Resources

The crow family (Corvidae) includes a large group of birds besides crows and their brother ravens. Also belonging to the crow family are the choughs, jays, magpies, and nutcrackers. What do all these birds have in common? They are curious, intelligent, noisy, outrageous, and social.

Throughout the ages, people have either loved or hated Corvids, but they have never ignored them. People gave distinctive names for groups of these birds: a murder of crows, an unkindness of ravens, a tiding of magpies, a chattering of choughs, and a scold of jays. Having a property with a Parliament of rooks living there is considered to be good fortune. Raven lore ranges from North American beliefs of Raven as the Trickster to the Norse raven companions of Odin. Furthermore, many people believe as long as ravens (or rooks) live at the Tower of London, the Crown of England shall be safe. Beliefs involving other members are: magpies steal, crows foretell death, and jays bring bad luck.

What are these birds that grab people’s attention? The most familiar group is crows and ravens, who are also the most widespread of the Corvids. These sooty black birds are noted for their quick-wittedness. Crows and ravens use their intelligence to good use in finding food.

In their glossy all-black plumage, the choughs resemble crows. You find them living on cliffs or in mountains of Eurasia. Unlike the black-beaked crow, the chough has either a yellow or scarlet bill.

Meanwhile, jays are considered to be the most primitive of the Corvids. As the oldest of Corvids, They originated in Eurasia and spread throughout the New World. Jays are noted for their colorfulness, with many having blue or green plumage.

Magpies and treepies are highly social birds. These black and white birds are well known for their chatter. One part of the magpie’s name comes from mag, which is Old English for “chatterer”. Regarded as thieves, magpies like bright shiny things, which they take and hide.

Nutcrackers, which live in pine forests, are remarkable for the extent of their dependence on cached stores of seeds. Permanent residents of forests, they do not migrate but live through hard winters on their saved food. Called nutcrackers, they eat mainly hazel nuts and pine seeds.

Members of the crow family save for the future. They store food to help them through hard times. Before beginning to eat, Corvids will take the trouble to hide a large quantity of food. They carry the food in their throats until they find a hole to hide the food in. Corvids memorize where they hid their food and return to their stores when they need to.

We can learn from the crow family how to refrain from consuming everything in sight. Learn the discipline to save some for the future when lean times arrive. If we have discipline and fortitude like the crow family, our hidden stores will be there for us during hard times.
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