Ever since discovering the cool Yellowstone Ravens last year, I've been trying to enpixelate one of our jungle crows.These birds are big, aggressive, audacious scavengers that shape the way rubbish collection is organised in Japan; it is only put out on the morning of the collection, and covered with netting, or put in crow-proof crates.
It understandable that their relationship with humans is not that great, and I think this might be why they are hard to photograph. They fly away as soon as they see that you are interested in them.
Anyway, this is the best pic so far. I would have liked to have included the tail and more of the red bridge in the photo, but I wasn't quick enough... it flew away before I could frame a better shot.
--
Posted By jules to jules' pics at 5/10/2010 04:40:00 PM
7 comments:
Sure its not a Carrion Crow? I haven't seen the Japanse subsepcies of either,but the bill doesn't look large enough for Jungle (Large-billed) Crow.
That's an interesting suggestion. I did think that I had seen crows of two different shapes, but was assuming I'd been mistaken, and it was just an illusion caused by their distance. Will continue hunt!
I'd just assumed that all our crows were the same sort, but now you mention it, you are right that this one's beak is much smaller than some others I have seen.
According to Wikipedia, on the subject of jungle crows:
"The overall size (46-59 cm in length) and body proportions vary regionally. In the far northeast in Japan, the Kuriles and the Sakhalin peninsula, it is somewhat larger than the Carrion Crow, while the form from India in the southwest of its range is appreciably smaller than the Carrion crow. "
Another website says the two sorts are are easily confused, but sit differently to "caw". It also says the carrion crow likes the countryside and the jungle crow the city.
...so perhaps we need to go hunting in the urban jungle!
Size is problematic unless you have the species side-by-side. Voice is great for IDIng corvids but needs practice. The beak/head profile should be enough. Carrion Crows I think would be almost anywhere. Large-billed Crow probably get about too but shoreline/harbours should be good. Young Rooks might also be confuse-able.
'Enpixilate a crow'. That's a great new phrase. I will try to use that for people. 'Excuse me, but would you mind if I enpixilate your lovely face?'
Maybe you stake out a pedestrian crossing...
http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/brain/index.html
Chris S.
Post a Comment