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"Pica Pearlescence"

A watercolor painting of a black-billed magpie I just completed for the Changeling Artist Collective's Operation Gaia, an online art auction to benefit the National Audubon Society.  The auction will be taking place at the art collective's Facebook page on January 20th at 8pm EST.

The astonishing beauty of magpies is often overlooked. I wanted to emphasize the iridescent in the tail and wings of these lovely birds. I used pearlescent pigments throughout the painting, which the scan does not provide justice.  To see this painting from different angles, here is a video: https://youtu.be/ZKWpkYmngvI

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I want to feature more art on this blog, and I will kick it off with these delightful photos of art reflecting real life. The above photo, taken by the talented @adammillerstudio shows two corvids (@qawstume, mask made by @nambroth, and @rah-bop) tag-teaming a snowy owl (made by @crystumes); one distracting the target and the other pulling the tail (one of my favorite corvid behaviors talked about here). The lower photo is by miketabak (on Flickr), showing the exact behaviors in real life!  Thanks to @rah-bop for originally posting these on her Twitter!  I had to share them for all the other corvid fans here :)

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It's that time of year again, baby corvids are out and about, irritating their parents and being a general, adorable nuisance.  Here is a juvenile Clark's nutcracker who believes the adult (above) should be feeding it right this minute.

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What now?

This is a trip blog for two bird nerds traveling between Churchton, Maryland and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Our cast includes Dr. Jenn, a behavioral ecologist, Dr. Abby, a veterinarian, and Meg, a gyr x saker falcon (because both doctors are also licensed falconers). These intrepid explorers plan on finding as many birds as they can on their road trip…and telling you about it!

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Being a baby bird is tough.  You have to grow all sorts of feathers, your whole body is changing, it gets hot outside, and you have to wait so long for mom and dad to deliver food to your face ;)

Don't be alarmed, the baby is just fine, but baby birds sure do look like they are dying when they are sunning and resting.  It cracks me up every time and makes me think of human toddlers who fall asleep in precarious positions and places.

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How awesome is this? :D

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Australian Magpies Are Not Corvids

Australian Magpies Are Not Corvids

I’m often linked to adorable videos of Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen).  Videos of these charismatic clowns include them hanging upside down from laundry, playing with dogs, dive-bombing unsuspecting pedestrians and bicyclists, or generally chatting with the local pets.  Usually a friend links me to them, knowing I love birds in general, especially play behaviors, but more often I’m linked…

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A wonderful Ars Technica article by Cathleen O'Grady that I was interviewed for/consulted on, came out today.  It also features my photos! Enjoy!

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My husband and I spotted a juvenile red-tailed hawk on a rabbit at the edge of a parking lot. A black-billed magpie was in a tree nearby and it REALLY wanted some of that rabbit. As the red-tail casually ate (it already had quite a crop, so at this point it was mostly picking things off bones and skin) the magpie made all sorts of adorable sounds and was frustratedly wiping its bill on branches (feaking) and hopping around the tree.

Another, bolder, magpie arrived, landing right near the red-tail, the more nervous magpie following later. The bold magpie slowly made its way behind the red-tail and I thought we'd get some grade-A tail pulling, but the red-tail was wise to it and turned around, flapping its wings (maybe the magpie had "pulled" that tactic earlier?). Soon enough a couple ravens noticed the kill as well, but my husband and I were too close (in the car) for their comfort, so they landed on a lamp post above the action and also made frustrated calls and behaviors. GUYS THERE WERE TASTY BUNNY MEATS TO BE HAD.

The juvie red-tail, with its giant crop, apparently satisfied with its meal, roused, pooped, and flew to a nearby fence post to sit majestically and poofily, to digest its meal. The magpies both swarmed the vacated bunny carcass, picking at the left over tidbits, while the ravens continued to do their "go away humans, we want bunny meats, but you are scary" behaviors, so we moved along.

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Oh wow!  Thanks everyone!! :D

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My friend Jane Kim's mural was streamed live earlier today. She was accompanied by the CLO's executive director John Fitzpatrick, and both were interviewed by senior science editor Hugh Powell. They took questions from the online audience as well! I highly encourage you to watch this if you love birds, science, and art!

Alas, the corvid has not been painted yet, but she will be doing on of my favorites, the Yellow-billed Magpie! For more of Jane’s work, visit her website, Inkdwell Studio!

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Hello! I was hoping you may be able to give me some tips on how to get on the good side of my local crows. I absolutely adore corvids, and it would be fun to see them more often. Is there something I could do, or foods that would be safe to leave out? If you think this would be a bad idea, I'll leave them be and continue to enjoy the occasional sighting. Thanks!

I’m all for people having local crow buddies and building positive relationships with them.The best way to get on their good side is through their stomach.  Unsalted peanuts in-shell work wonders (i.e. crow crack).  The best thing you can do is put out peanuts consistently and don’t look directly at the birds when you do so (at least initially).  Be conspicuous about you being the one to drop the food, but do not throw the food toward the crows or look at them initially, but do make sure they are in the area.  Then, go back inside.  It may take them no time at all to come to your food, or it may take them a while before they trust it.  Crows are very neophobic and suspicious.  (I suspect if you live in an area with high traffic or restaurants nearby, they will take less time to come to your offering than if you live in a quiet, low-traffic suburban area.)Over time they will get more comfortable with you and start to expect food from you, and from there, you can build a bond of trust.  The big thing is not startling them once you put the food out.  Eventually you can look at them, be outside when they come down, and in some cases, they might just perch nearby while you are hanging out in your yard.  Other foods that are great for them are things like dog and cat food (high protein) and even cooked eggs and egg shells (especially during the spring).  Cheetos and cheezits also tend to be a favorite, though I can’t say much about their health value.A word of caution: You may alter social dynamics.  Neighbor crows may get wind of what you are doing and challenge the family that normally occupies your yard.  If you provide too much food, your home may become a communal site, and the number of crows can get out of control.  Use your best judgement and I recommend just feeding a particular amount on a schedule and maybe supplementing them as you see them, to build your relationship.  Another thing to keep in mind is the dynamics with your neighbors.  Most people are fine with occasional feedings, but sometimes neighbors get upset if too many crows hang around for too long.  Be mindful of your neighbors, and better yet, as you build your relationship with the crows think about educating your neighbors and getting them interested in your new buddies too.Hope this helps!

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It was such a pleasure meeting you and Janet too!  Love the museum there and it was fun to nerd out.  Thanks for the shout out :D

Speaking of visitors, Mary Margaret brought her friend Jennifer Campbell-Smith to visit our collections for a few days! Jenn just received her PhD from Binghamton University studying American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). We all loved showing off the corvid skins and skeletons, and Jenn knew so much about the skulls! It was really wonderful to hear how passionate she is about these birds, and I can’t wait to talk with her more about birds, science, and her research!

If you’re interested in learning more about corvids, check out Jenn’s blog, aptly named The Corvid Blog.  Jenn has some wonderful, in-depth pieces on crow biology, behavior, and culture.

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My colleague Kevin was interviewed for this VICE Motherboard piece.  Enjoy!

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Neat!

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A friend’s albino raven, Pearl, an unreleasable education bird, was shot and killed recently.  My friend is seeking monetary help to try to find and prosecute the shooter.  If you want to know more, please click here for an article about the incident.

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Saw all four raven fledglings today.  They were being adorable, exploring their environment, begging for food, and taking naps all within the watchful eyes of their two dedicated parents.