Candace Savage

For their size (which is how you measure this: the ratio of grey matter to body size overall) the brain of a raven is as large as that of a chimpanzee; and in fact, many people who have studied and lived alongside wild ravens for decades reckon they are more intelligent than chimpanzees. As for relationships, crows in particular are turning out to be intensely social animals, their extended families and networks resembling to a surprising degree those of elephants and, dare I say it, humans.
   Worldwide there are forty-five species of the genus Corvus, which includes crows, ravens, jackdaws and rooks (not magpies or jays, who are their close cousins) and this book is a celebration of everything corvid. It’s a combination of nature observation and science, interspersed throughout with artwork, anecdotes and stories from all around the globe. The illustrations include mediaeval illuminated manuscripts and woodcuts, nineteenth-century engravings, Japanese prints, Arthur Rackham watercolours, some wonderful photographs and even a map of the constellations (there’s a Corvus in the night sky).
   One science-related quibble (page 40): “Evolution is a ruthless master; innovations that don’t pay off are left behind in the fossil beds…” is a complete misunderstanding of the history of life; but that’s a single flaw in what is an otherwise exquisitely produced book—from the quality of the pictures to the fonts used for headings, it’s a work of art in its own right. It brings these birds to life too, so well they almost flap up off the pages at you. Up close they’re stunning—sleek and glossy, faintly iridescent—but it’s those beady eyes, of course, in particular. You see it immediately: these birds aren’t just bright, there’s clearly someone in there weighing you up.
   And my three favourite facts? One: that crows, rusty-hinge caws and all, are technically-speaking songbirds. Two: that a pair of ravens, roosting lovingly together side by side, often sit holding one another’s feet just the way humans hold hands. And number Three I knew already, my own grandmother having told me this when I was little: that one old English collective noun for rooks is a storytelling of rooks.… (more)