Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsGood introduction to the marvelous raven
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2015
Good intro to some natural raven behavior along with glimpses of very simple experiments with them, plus the Austrian scenery is beautiful. I thought it worth watching as an introduction to ravens but it doesn't begin to capture their personalities or intelligence. I've lived with crows, rehabilitated them for return to the wild, and also observed both crows and ravens in the wild and both species are AWARE, think, consider, have an incredible presence, individual personalities, etc. I had a large crow for some 10 years (not captive, my best pal) whom I taught to speak (meaningfully), and I wish I could tell you the ingenious ways he devised to communicate when he couldn't express himself in words. He'd point at things, for one thing. Smarter than chimpanzees (with whom I'd previously worked, doing sign language research). He was very affectionate, I'd raised him from a chick (happened to be there when an owl knocked him out of his nest).
The production has great respect for ravens, and I heartily agree that they (along with crows) are the most wonderful of creatures, some so wise/prescient it borders on the mystical, as expressed in the film. But it barely scratches the surface. I don't know about ravens, but crows are very devoted to kin and typically stay with their parents and help raise siblings for years, 5-7 as I remember, before they mate and rear their own young (and often remain with their parents and siblings for life, in an extended family group). I haven't read more about it yet but I'm betting the young ravens in the film were most likely visiting and then returning to their families. The film didn't go into much detail about their social organization and seemed to suggest they were permanent residents of the valley.
This is an odd documentary, in that perhaps it tries to cover too many bases, e.g. showing something of the lifestyles of the local residents and lots of details about the climate. I would've liked more info on ravens in general and the research being done on them. But the film is worth watching for the shots of ravens performing acrobatics simply for the sheer joy of flying alone- especially when done in tandem, almost touching, with mates. These shots perhaps best capture their spirit- astonishing. The only other bird I've personally seen do this (besides crows) are society finches. Recommended!
