Tony Angell–co-author (with John Marzluff) and illustrator of “Gifts Of The Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds To Behave Like Humans,” a fascinating book that’s both scholarly and anecdotal in making the convincing case for crows being enormously intelligent and emotional…and similar to humans–
discusses some of the more notable findings and anecdotes that lace the book. Including the magpies in Sweden who rang the doorbell seeking more treats from the woman who sometimes fed them, and regularly “whitewashed” the car of her husband, who wasn’t nice to them. And the crows in various locales that provided the titular gifts. Angell also addressed aspects of the birds’ language, their sophisticated capability to use tools, their tendency to mourn the loss of other birds (and hold funeral-like processions), and their tendency to be playful, including talking about YouTube clips of the crow in Russia repeatedly sledding down a snowy roof. Tony Angell also responds to some listener phone calls.
Listen Online Now:
COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Parrots”(www.EddieIzzard.com)
MUSIC: Steve Martin’s “The Crow,” Shemekia Copeland’s version of “Black Crow,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The “Heckle and Jeckle” cartoon show intro
