Ravens are more than just the gothiest birds around. They’re also highly intelligent, social creatures who get up to all sorts of weird and wonderful things. It was hard to pin down just five of our favorite facts about the raven. But check these out—and leave your own fun fact about this kooky corvid in the comments if you have ‘em!
Your neighborhood ravens recognize you.
Think back to yesterday’s lunch. Do you ‘see’ that BLT in your mind’s eye? Can you visualize the drink you had with it? That’s called episodic memory, a key trait in human intelligence. Turns out ravens have it, too, which means if you’re nice to your neighborhood ravens, they’ll recognize you, be your friend, and give you gifts. They’ll also remember when you’re mean, so be nice to them. Or else.
Ravens trade and barter.
Here’s another good reason to be nice to the ravens: they’ll bring you gifts and barter shinies in exchange for tasty treats. In a series of experiments conducted by researchers at Lund University, they found that ravens could be trained to trade specific tokens for food, and that they even knew to save tokens for later bartering.
Ravens (and other corvids) have “funerals.”
These highly intelligent birds have been observed gathering around their fallen comrades, although it’s not necessarily to mourn. The theory is that corvids gather around their dead to see if there is any threat to where the death occurred, so they know to stay away from the place in the future.
Ravens are better than parrots at imitation.
They can mimic cars, toilets flushing, and human speech. In the wild, ravens have been known to imitate fox sounds and wolf howls to attract the latter to carcasses that they’re not able to open up themselves. You know, to get to the, uh, good bits. The raven then helps itself to the leftovers once the wolves are done eating.
You’ll never guess what they do with ants.
Ravens and other birds like jackdaws and jays like to lie on anthills and roll around so that the ants swarm on them. Then they chew up the ants and rub them on their feathers. This bizarre behavior is called “anting,” and scientists have yet to find a concrete explanation on why they do it. One theory is that the ants secrete a chemical that soothes itchy bird skin, especially when they’re molting.
If you love ravens you’ll love this:
Huginn & Muninn Raven Head Ring
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Huginn and MuninnFly every dayOver all the world;I worry for HuginnThat he might not return,But I worry more for Muninn - Odin, in the Eddic poem GrímnismálHuginn and Muninn were two mythical ravens that were sent out by Odin to fly… SEE MORE
Nordic Viking Runic Raven's Skull Ring
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In Norse mythology, ravens fly around the world bringing knowledge of what they have seen to the god Odin, bestowing upon him wisdom. May these rings depicting the skull of ravens, carved with ancient runes bring you the wisdom you desire. This beautifully sculpted… SEE MORE
Glow in the Dark Runic Raven Amulet Necklace
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The Helm of AweI wore before the sons of menIn defense of my treasure;Amongst all, I alone was strong,I thought to myself,For I found no power a match for my own.In Nordic legends, the Helm of Awe is an ancient… SEE MORE
Nordic Raven Necklace
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In Viking culture, ravens were associated with Odin and with battle. As the eyes and ears of Odin, they were also associated with knowledge. Their appearance before a battle was considered a good omen. A raven meant that the god of… SEE MORE