Ravens in Winter

by Bernd Heinrich

“One of the most interesting discoveries I’ve seen in animal sociobiology in years.” —E.O. WilsonWhy do ravens, generally understood to be solitary creatures, share food between each other during winter? On the surface, there didn’t appear to be any biological or evolutionary imperative behind the raven’s willingness to share. The more Bernd Heinrich observed their habits, the more odd the bird’s behavior became. What started as mere curiosity turned into an impassioned research project, and Ravens In Winter, the first research of its kind, explores the fascinating biological puzzle of the raven’s rather unconventional social habits. “Bernd Heinrich is no ordinary biologist. He’s the sort who combines formidable scientific rigor with a sense of irony and an unslaked, boyish enthusiasm for his subject, and who even at his current professorial age seems to do a lot of tree climbing in the line of research.” —David Quammen, The New York Times

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Science, Animals, Natural History, Biology

393 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Bernd Heinrich was born in Germany (April 19, 1940) and moved to Wilton, Maine as a child. He studied at the University of Maine and UCLA and is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Vermont.

He is the author of many books including Winter World, Ravens in Winter, Mind of the Raven, and Why We Run. Many of his books focus on the natural world just outside the cabin door.

Heinrich has won numerous awards for his writing and is a world class ultra-marathon runner.

He spends much of the year at a rustic cabin that he built himself in the woods near Weld, Maine.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We all have different (very different) ideas of fun.

Tonight the sky is lightly veiled in clouds, and the quarter moon has a halo around it. It does not shed much light as I snowshoe up with my gear. I have to make three more trips, each time carrying about 75lb of frozen meat in a burlap bag slung over my shoulder. All of this is unpaid volunteer work of course. It is fun. What I do will never have any major significance in the scheme of things. So it had better be fun."

Quite.
__________

I have the updated 25th anniversary edition of this book. I added it from the new book page and found I had added the ebook in error. There was no way to switch editions so I had to delete it and re-add it. I understand that to Amazon it doesn't matter what we have, only what we might buy.... Anyway back to ravens.

Bernd Heinrich is a favourite author of mine and I read Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds years ago. Brilliant. Last month I read The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London which was a light read and had very little information about ravens (but quite a lot about the author and his army career). It rekindled my interest in this clever bird, so I got this book.

[Paul Haspel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravens are fascinating birds. The raven plays an important role in the Bible (Noah sent out a raven before he sent out a dove); it appears in many different cultural traditions, from Norse myth to Native American folklore; and it inspired one of the greatest American poems, Edgar Allan Poe's “The Raven” (1845). And if you want a thorough, scholarly look at the bird that ornithologists refer to by its scientific name of Corvus corax, then you may enjoy Bernd Heinrich’s 1989 book Ravens in Winter.

Heinrich, a professor at the University of Vermont, conducted his research for Ravens in Winter by repeatedly trekking to a remote Maine forest. There, he sought to draw scientifically-based conclusions regarding the phenomenon of raven “recruitment,” a practice whereby ravens seem to recruit one another to carcasses found in the wintertime.

Heinrich's dedication to his research is impressive, as he chronicles four years of wintertime observations in subzero temperatures, often from a blind or from an unheated cabin. He is systematic in his observations, and readers who do not share an appreciation for scientific method may find some parts of the book slow going.

But Heinrich's enthusiasm for his research is contagious, as when he describes a December 16 attempt to use recorded raven calls to see whether ravens “recruit” one another to a carcass through calls:

At 11:05 I hear raven calls from the woods. A good time to test the recruiting power of the yells again, so I play my tape for ten seconds. Magic! Within fifteen seconds five ravens swoop low over the cabin! But the birds don’t stay near the bait; they return to the woods, as if to hide. I play the tape three more times in the next two hours when I see no ravens near, and it attracts ravens every time. Sometimes I hear their metallic knocking calls from the woods. Why don’t they go down to feed? What in the devil is going on here now? (p. 100)

As Heinrich continues with his investigations, he develops a hypothesis that the phenomenon of raven “recruitment” has something to do with dominance patterns among male ravens. Dominance rituals and dominance displays, after all, exist among all species, and relate to the need for strong members of each species to find a strong and healthy mate with which to bear offspring and preserve the species.

In his wintertime observations, Heinrich found that typically mating-related dominance displays among ravens, like the fluffing of head feathers and the showing of a raven’s ears, were not related to the wish to mate. “[P]airs showed their ears only to strangers at the bait, and fluffed heads only to each other. The already mated pairs were showing off their dominance to the vagrants because they wanted them to leave, not because they were sexually attracted to them….At my baits…fluffing out of the head in the absence of sexual display was clearly a submissive gesture” (p. 201).

By the end of his investigation, Heinrich feels that he is moving closer to an answer to his research question: “I know I have a ‘program’ to decipher the privileged spectacle before me. I am at an arena where dominance is established and held, and where ultimate reproductive decisions are made. Hundreds of seemingly disparate details have now merged into one simple pattern in my mind” (pp. 300-01).

Anyone who works in academia will appreciate Heinrich’s dedication to and enthusiasm for his research – and anyone who has labored to get a paper accepted for and published in a scholarly journal will relate to Heinrich’s bemused recollection of how “The paper I wrote on my work over the last four winters has just appeared in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. All of that work reduced to fourteen pages of text!” (p. 301). And yes, that’s how it feels sometimes.

I also like the way in which Heinrich combines his meticulously gathered and rigorously science-based research findings with invocations of raven mythology and accounts of social interaction with fellow researchers; all of these features of Ravens in Winter help to keep the book energetic and interesting. Even if you do not share my support of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, you will enjoy Ravens in Winter if you appreciate the unique intelligence of ravens, or if you want an often poetic setting-forth of how very beautiful a bitterly cold winter can be.

[David Rubenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author starts with reports that he has heard, that ravens share their food. And he wonders, "why?" Why, indeed. He formulates dozens of hypotheses that could explain this sharing. And yet, he is not even sure whether or not they truly do share their food.

So the author begins a long, painstaking process of experiments and observations of ravens in the wild. In the wintertime, when it is often below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Even in blizzards! His experiments are carefully conducted, and he slowly gathers enough evidence to start discounting some of his initial hypotheses.

However, it is slow-going, because many of his observations seem to be inconsistent, that is, they contradict each other. It is not until his third winter, when he starts tagging some of the ravens, that he comes upon his "aha!" moment. Then many of the observations start falling into place, and he whittles down the number of plausible explanations to just a couple of acceptable hypotheses.

This is how science is really done! It is like a detective novel, where evidence is gathered, and the list of possible suspects is drained until only one suspect remains plausible.

The author relates so much of his excitement, how much fun he has in doing his work. Personally, I am not so interested in the behavior of ravens--but that is not the point. The point is, how a reader can easily follow along with all the accumulating--and sometimes seemingly contradictory--evidence, and figure out the astonishing answers to scientific questions.

[Kirk Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i've come to the conclusion that one should read at least one bernd heinrich book every year, and should always have an unread heinrich book around just in case.. the calming naturalist and his musings always put me in a good place. this book on the surface has no right to be so intriguing, as it is mainly journal entries regarding his experiments on ravens and involves a great deal of hiding in trees and blinds in the Maine snow waiting for something to happen. that he makes this all wonderful and riveting is just how heinrich always writes.

[Bfisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confession - I was first drawn to this book by the images the title conveyed - the black bird in the white landscape, the living animal in the dead world.

This book is a wonderful description of a scientist's investigation of animal behavior in the wild.

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, I was heartily disappointed by this book.

Whilst Heinrich's enthusiasm and perseverance is second to none, there are only so many times you can read:-

1:08 two ravens flew over quorking
1:20 three ravens flew over trilling
1:44 two and then three ravens landed but didn't seem interested in the meat provided
1:52 one raven pecked at the other in seeming annoyance at being involved in such a repetitive book
1:58 Sophy languidly oozed off the couch and started eating chocolate biscuits and rearranging her wool collection (ok these last two aren't in the book!!)

I slowly lost the will to live during the book, despite the fact that I absolutely bloody LOVE corvids of all description. It felt like an endless list of observations and slaughtered animal carcasses!

Plus which, Heinrich reveals he goes deer hunting. Oh man, you just ruined my estimation of you as a human being.

Not the authoritative text on ravens that I was expecting. Never mind.

[Ash Jogalekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ravens in Winter", by Bernd Heinrich

Bernd Heinrich is one of the most remarkable and underappreciated scientists of his times, a kind of cross between two of my favorite scientists - Konrad Lorenz and Charles Darwin. He came from Germany to this country with very little money and started to pay his way through college by running long distance. He quickly became one of the best long distance runners in the country, and for several years held the 100 miles running record. He wrote a great book about running called "Why We Run" that describes how humans are uniquely suited for long distance running

As a professor in Vermont and Maine, Heinrich is a world-renowned expert on thermoregulation, the process by which animals survive in extreme heat and cold, and he has written several captivating books on the subject. Living in Maine he had an opportunity to watch these adaptations right around him.

"Ravens in Winter" is a wonderful meditation on both running in extreme cold as well the survival of animals in extreme cold. But the centerpiece of the book is Heinrich's revelatory observations on the humble and ubiquitous raven. Heinrich built a cabin for himself in the winter wonderland of Maine and asked a simple question: how do ravens survive in winter when it's so cold and food sources are so scarce? The answer came to him when he saw ravens pecking at a large animal carcass. The animal would probably provide food for at least a hundred ravens, but it would start to rot in a few days, so how do the ravens figure out where it is?

He started keeping notes on the behavior of ravens with the same meticulousness that Darwin kept notes when he was on the Beagle. After observing the birds for many weeks Heinrich came across a startling and hitherto unknown fact: the ravens which are often solitary birds had built an extensive communication network extending over hundreds of miles which brought other ravens to the carcass and allowed them to survive by subsisting on this windfall before it became inedible. Nobody had ever observed such kind of communal behavior before.

Filled with beautiful observations on both running and ravens, "Ravens in Winter" is a wonderful read and a paean to the uncommon, unexpected wisdom hidden in the midst of the most common life forms around us.

[Radiantflux · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fifth book for 2016.

I read this book more than ten years ago, while recovering one winter from a major knee injury. I loved the book. Not only does it focus on ravens, but it also very nicely lays out the nature of scientific process.

I was surprised re-reading it that I had a little trouble finishing it. I love Heinrich as a writer, but this definitely shows as one of his earlier books. It's repetitive. It lacks some of lyricism of his later books. Recommended instead would be his superior Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book. I first became interested in ravens when one 'adopted' us at our home in the Santa Monica Mountains in southern California, very far from the frozen Maine woods, making a clumsy landing outside our house.

He had been a captive bird as there was a remnant of a jess about one leg and he seemed quite tame. Without accounting the story of 'Black Boy's summer with us, he was an engaging, freewheeling companion who never stopped surprising us with his antics and aptitude for play, including tug of war and waking us early by taking his aluminum food dish and dropping it from the roof onto the cement walkway just outside our bedroom window accompanied by several loud 'quaarks'. He finally flew off to join others of his tribe.

For many years the numbers of ravens in our hill area increased dramatically. They all appeared to enjoy the company of other ravens, so they seemed to almost be flock birds rather than solitary. There were several articles in the Los Angeles Times about this.

Then in the late 90's West Nile Virus hit all corvus very hard. For years I only saw a few ravens and hardly any Scrub Jays. In this very hot dry winter I'm beginning to see a slight increase in ravens and jays.

I wish I had the patience and training to practice the scientific method so my observations might mean something.

[Jonas]

Good book. Great case study about what it means and how to do behavioral research. Heinrich's love for the outdoors and our fellow creatures gets across as well, adding to the reading experience. To some all the detailed observations probably will seem tedious, or maybe even boring, however I've found them interesting and I think you'll do as well if you let yourself be carried away by Heinrich. I hope to see some ravens next week (in an entirely new light!).

[Suz Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough account of his research project into the behavior of ravens.

[Kristyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating scientific study told in an engaging journal-like style.

[Mythlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and accessible account of "scientific detection" about ravens feeding in winter.

[Austin Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is unique in its approach, long stretches read like almost direct excerpts from the author's observation notes, with dates, times, and data mostly unabridged. While this led to a satisfying sense of "discovery" for me as a reader, I must admit that the first ~150 pages felt plodding with little payoff until the very end of the book. In the words of the author--"The more background you have, the more pregnant each new observation becomes. But the intensity and the information overload is getting to me..." (p.179)

The descriptions of the Maine woods and firsthand details of the author's clever field biology procedures are both excellent. For those with a strong interest in ecology, evolutionary biology, or animal behavior, the payoff is priceless, but I would hesitate to recommend this book to just your average birdwatcher or casual reader of pop-science--not because there's much pre-requisite knowledge required to understand it, only because the investment of time and attention is large.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heinrich richly combines scholarly writing with active participation in the world he observes and writes about. This is a great book, bringing the reader authentic experience and information as well as a mind expanding view of wondrous creatures many of us live near by without understanding well.
I've lived in Alaska for 51 years, now in the largest city, Anchorage, and previously in the woods on the river near Fairbanks. Ravens are daily companions in the fall, winter and spring - in the summer in Anchorage they move out to the mountains and woods, except for about 100 (I noticed last summer there were many fewer Ravens , wondered why, asked a question and was informed by the State that only about 100 stayed in town during the summer, because less food was available. Amazing the answer to my question was so accessible!)

I've introduced my Grandchildren to conversing with Ravens, but have not been rewarded with any Raven/Human long term relationship. The children, however, love to dare to make the cawing call!

Highly recommend!

[Kiirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the conclusions illustrated in this book are over thirty years old now, which in scientific terms is "old news," the genius here is not in the conclusions themselves but in the journey to them. This book reads like a biological detective story, and provides glimpses into the careful, sometimes tedious, sometimes thrilling, and ultimately (in this case) triumphant process of developing a question about the way something in the world works and testing it in painstaking detail until patterns emerge. The fact that Heinrich remains enthralled with his own questions, his research subjects, and the natural world around him helps draw the reader deeply into his world. Also helps that he writes very eloquently no matter his subject, and his descriptions of the birds, the Maine woods, his work, and his struggles are vivid and beautiful.

Plus I learned a few things about ravens. This one was a win.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love ravens. There are not many books on their behavior, let alone books devoted solely to ravens. I tried twice reading this and could not finish it either time. It begins well and then gets mind-numblingly repetitive.



Henrich's other book on ravens, Mind of the Raven is much better.



If you have no other book at hand on ravens and still want to read this, I wish you luck.

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, really really REALLY wanted to like this book!! My 2nd Bernd Heinrich book and sadly, this one was no better than the other one I read. He just focuses way too much on tiny details and not on the bigger picture, and I really wanted to read this book to learn about what types of birds ravens are... not hear about how he sat in a hunting cabin in Maine for hours and watched them fly over a carcass and pass him by. After 100 pages of waiting for it to get better, I gave up. Read like a scientist's field journal with boring monotonous details, instead of a good non-fiction book.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting study in animal behavior; ravens are the coolest! That said, this is an early work for Heinrich, and it read that way. Stylistically, the writing could use quite a bit of editing, and much of the book lacks the lyricism of his later works. By nature, it is repetitive and somewhat boring, but only in the way that observing wildlife always is. I enjoyed reading this, but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents fascinating information about ravens, birds that are so intelligent that I can't imagine not being interested in them. By the last 50 pages, though, I was a little worn down by the meticulous observations, recorded in the ever-lasting detail of a true scientist, and was forced to skim to the end. Nonetheless, I learned a ton, and will watch ravens in the future with a better understanding of what I am seeing.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written.It was very interesting to follow the logic to the solution of the puzzles and mysteries of raven behavior. I also enjoyed being in the warmth of my home while reading about making hours of observations in northern Maine in the frigid winter. I look forward to watching the ravens on SJI after reading this.

[Christina Sanantonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Jonathan Slaght · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that made me realize I could study birds for a living.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravens in Winter

"There is still no substitute for direct observations, especially when you don't know what the relevant variables are."

Ravens in Winter sat on my bookshelf for a long time before I seriously attempted it. According to a receipt tucked into the back from Gulliver's Books in Fairbanks, Alaska, I bought it on February 11th, 1999; so, seeing that today is April 13th, 2023, it took over 24 years! This is exceptionally odd, seeing that I have studied birds for a living, Corvids for the last 10 or so years, and am back in Alaska working on ravens.

Once, long ago, I remember meeting someone who was really into meditation. They showed my friends and I how to do it (aside: our first session was right after watching The Matrix at the theaters, which kind of baked my noodle). Anyway, I asked why he was studying birds (yep, birds) instead of Eastern religions. He said studying his passion would ruin it; he'd rather keep his work and other passions separate. Perhaps, I never read this book for the same reason, and instead got caught up in reading primary and secondary literature about Corvids in scientific journals? Regardless, I'm glad I finally read it!

This was a fitting time to read this wonderful book. I am using an academic sabbatical to expand my work in Corvids to ravens, much like Heinrich was at the beginning of his book. In Ravens in Winter, Heinrich slowly described his raven discoveries at his cabin in the Maine woods. The unravelling of his findings is interspersed with great ideas about science and especially slow science - i.e. letting the natural history of an animal unfold and using experiments to guide this unfolding over time. Prior to tenure, I was caught up in publishing things that could pad my CV and lost touch with why I because a biologist. I chose this profession because I like slow science and natural history, and now endeavor to resteer my professional boat back in that direction.

I especially liked Heinrich's chapter about What is Acceptable Evidence? For a long time as a scientist I dismissed anecdotes almost completely, and Heinrich shares some of the same ideas in this chapter. However, I also think there's something to gain from stories people tell about ravens and crows. I am not thoroughly convinced that something found in the scientific paper is always more reliable than an anecdote from a trusted source, especially if one hears that anecdote over and over again from people who arguably haven't been speaking with each other. Moving forward, I am interested in using anecdote and traditional knowledge to propel my more structured research.

This quote by Heinrich sums up my impression of Ravens in Winter and the kind of research described therein,
"We then try to justify what we do by trying to make it sound as if it has some useful application. But, really, we do it because it is fun. Nature is entertainment-The greatest show on Earth. And that is not trivial, because of what is life, if it isn't fun? I think that the greatest contribution we could could make would be to help make life more interesting."

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might seem obvious but the book actualized for me the process and objective of the scientific method, which distinguishes between professional biologists and the passive though intimate appreciation of nature by naturalists and nature writers. Biologists do not go to the woods to immerse in the woodland environment. Rather, they are driven to near obsession to decode the behavior of specific organisms, and conduct the process of formulating hypotheses, observations, and field experiments to explain behavior that seems irregular under currently accepted paradigms. This biologist in particular has no qualms harvesting deer, sheep, rabbit carcasses from farms and roadkill and heaving them miles as bait for ravens to demonstrate group feeding behavior. He vaults up before daybreak in subfreezing temperatures in a dilapidated cabin fixated with joy on the possibility that his newest test would finally puzzle out the ravens' apparent cooperative behavior. Notice that the author was occupied with all this during his spare time, throughout a sabbatical and Christmas Eve too. In comparison, hikers, bird-watchers and nature writers are psychologically refurbished by a contemplative romp through the woods without experiencing an obsessive drive to understand behavior. Thus this book helps clarify for me the attributes that form successful ecologists/biologists.

[Bill Michalek · Rating 4 out of 5]

To truly engage in the scientific process requires one to continually ask, "What am I getting wrong?" and "What am I missing?" Humility must remain front and center.

Ravens in Winter beautifully reveals not just the scientific process, but the scientific THOUGHT process.

Heinrich looks at the ravens around him and wonders, “What the hell is going on here?” and attacks the problem with science, throwing out hypotheses, testing them (usually by hauling huge, frozen animal carcasses through the snow in East Bumblefuck, Maine to see what the ravens will do with them) and always asking, “What am I missing? What’s wrong with my questions?”

And just like the scientific process, this book is occasionally repetitive and tedious. I loved this book, but there were times I didn’t LIKE it.

But the conclusions that Heinrich spells out at the end make it all worth it. It’s as if he spent the book crafting small pieces of a massive canvas that the reader couldn’t fully see, and then, at the end, he put it all together - bringing the complete picture into focus like a revelation.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If 'the mind of the raven' was too specific, to in-depth, this is a broader, more fun romp into animal behavior science and ravens.

Read this ca. 2003/2004. Liked it enough I then bought Heinrich's 'The Mind of the Raven.' (i like/am interested in ravens anyway, though.). In some ways 'the mind of the raven' is a sequel to this one, but this is much more narrative, more a story about how he learned about ravens in winter and less a description of the in-depth study like 'mind of the raven'. I forgot why he became curious to begin with, but he spends a bunch of time in the winter woods of Maine trying to learn about ravens, over the span of years, and he is inspired enough he then captures/raises ravens and starts studying ravens more closely a la 'mind of the raven'.

I don't remember too much, but there was humor and drama, for example coyotes are eating the food left out for the ravens, so the solution is for him to pee everywhere, marking his territory to keep them away.

[Claudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un mito! Un biologo/etologo che racconta come ha "capito" un particolarissimo comportamento dei corvi, unico o quasi nel regno animale, ovvero il "reclutamento" di altri corvi quando viene trovato del cibo. Ma soprattutto affascinante e poetico il racconto del "modo" in cui ha effettuato queste ricerche. Certe descrizioni dell'alba nelle montagne e nei boschi vicini alla sua capanna, vissute arrampicato su un albero nel silenzio mentre il cielo attraversa tutta la gamma di colori dal blu notte fino all'azzurro cobalto... oppure le camminate notturne, sotto la neve, per portare prima dell'alba diverse fonti alimentari (decine e decine di chilogrammi di carne!) in vari punti dei boschi. Una fotografia affascinante della ricerca etologica sul campo, che appartiene a ragione ai classici della letteratura sui corvidi.

[Kathleen Hulser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful chronicle of research on ravens. Heinrich confirms his hypothesis that ravens recruit others to food, and narrows down who does this and how. The book carefully details how he frames his questions, refines them and eliminates explanations. However, it is more than a treatise on method in natural history, the watcher tells us about crazy weather, hearty helpful Maine neighbors, his freezing feet, and his stiff legs from being crammed in a blind. Moments such as an arduous climb to the top of a white pine over 100 ft tall reveal how varied and strenuous the research was. And it is also a saga of living in a cabin in frigid Maine weather, staggering through deep snow with 100 pound loads of bait on your shoulders, snatching instant coffee before rushing to get installed in a blind before dawn when the ravens arrive. In sum, much more than a bird buff book.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had this book in the library so I picked it up to read after reading Rosanne Parry's A Wolf Called Wander to see what Heinrich said about wolves and ravens (this being published earlier than his later, and more well-known Mind of a Raven). He doesn't specifically mention ravens leading wolves to prey, but he explores the notion of a symbiotic relationship between ravens and other carnivores, including wolves. The fascinating part for me is how he approaches such problems scientifically using observation and application of facts to test theories. This book also has some superb drawings of his, and of course his writing, which I first found via Natural History magazine. As he says, in so many ways throughout the book, "Something very weird and exciting is going on here."