Subject: Banded Raven in Hoh Rain Forest
Date: Feb 15 11:36:43 2004
From: Bruce Moorhead - bruceb at olypen.com


Totally agree with "waxwing"--for while it may seem intuitively right at the
time to feed a seemingly friendly wild animal in a national park campground,
such animals are not in fact tame and it's neither healthy nor wholesome
(for them or the ecosystem) to feed them.

----- Original Message -----
From: "waxwing" <waxwing at olypen.com>
To: <tangren.family at verizon.net>; <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 6:07 PM
Subject: RE: Banded Raven in Hoh Rain Forest


> Tweeters,
>
> The banded ravens (and other corvids) in the Hoh campground and vicinity
> were from a study by Dr. John Marzluff from the University of Washington.
> See the following for more information:
>
> http://www.cfr.washington.edu/people/Faculty/Marzluff/research.htm
>
> http://www.sei.org/murrelet.html
>
> Ironically, one of the interesting things this study showed was that the
> higher density of corvids in areas around campgrounds (caused by people
> feeding the ravens, crows and jays either intentionally or
unintentionally -
> through their trash) was having a negative effect on the nesting success
of
> marbled murrelets and other birds in the old-growth forest. It seems with
> the elevated numbers of corvids came increased predation on the other
birds
> of the area.
>
> Why is it that people think they have to feed wild animals? This is
banned
> in the National Parks for good reason.
>
> Roger Hoffman
> Port Angeles WA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu
> [mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Tangren family
> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 7:35 AM
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: Banded Raven in Hoh Rain Forest
>
> In March 2001 I gave my daughter and her school roommates from
> Pennsylvania a mini-tour of Washington State. One of the stops,
> of course, was the Hoh Rain Forest. Amongst the highlights of
> he quiet drizzle through the soft greens of the towering ecosystem
> was a raven who came up and introduced itself to us in the parking
> lot. It was also equipped with color bands, and a radio transmitter.
> We were told it was part of a corvid behavioral study. We offered
> it the one thing we had in the car, a banana, which we peeled
> first. I believe these girls, non-birders, will always know the
> raven as the bird flying off through the mist and deep forest with
> with this tropical fruit, a whole peeled banana, in its beak,
> possibly to share with its mate.
>
> --Jerry <tangren.family at verizon.net>
>
>