Vocal Ravens And Black Vultures In Flight

This is a view from the top of Great Hill. Looking across in the distant background is Sleeping Giant State Park. The park which got its name because the hills within the park supposedly look like a giant lying on its back when seen from a distance.

While hiking up Great Hill I was listening to Johnny Cash on my mp3. He was singing a song he wrote in 2002 titled: When The Man Comes Around . It seemed fitting that I was listening to a singer known as "The Man In Black" as the birds of black began a performance of their own. I spent the next two hours watching 4 Common Ravens displaying aerial maneuvers and communicating with each other using various vocalizations. Observers have counted them making up to 30 different vocalizations and they also have the ability to mimic a human voice. I think if a raven landed next to me and started talking I would be concerned that the altitude was causing a shortage of oxygen to my brain. There were also 2 Black Vultures and several Turkey Vultures sharing the same air space with the ravens. The tail of the Black Vulture appears short and stout compared to the tail of a Turkey Vulture. You can also see the silvery wingtips which are present on the Black Vulture but not the Turkey Vulture.

The silver wingtips are even more noticeable when you viewing them as they are flying directly over head.

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You can hear some of the vocalizations and watch some of the flight maneuvers of the ravens on this video. Towards the end a Black Vulture also makes an appearance. Ravens are known to be both playful and intelligent. I was reading about the Common Raven on Wikipedia and was fascinated by some of the interesting things that they have been observed doing like sliding down snowbanks for fun and dropping stones on predators that wander too close to their nests. They were very uncommon in Connecticut up until just a few years ago. It's mice to have the opportunity to watch them so close to home.