Ravens

NATURE’s Ravens explores how these all-black creatures acquired their dual and contradictory images — as birds of both life and death.

Long recognized as one of the most intelligent birds, the raven also has a less than savory image throughout history as a scavenger that does not discriminate between humans and animals.

Ingenious and versatile, ravens are members of the crow family, which includes jays and magpies. They are found everywhere in the northern hemisphere and adapt to very different terrain, from deserts to mountains — a feat requiring high intelligence.

They learn to find food even in the harshest conditions, such as the dead of winter in Yellowstone National Park. As scavengers, ravens know how and when to take advantage of other animals to help them cadge a meal they couldn’t otherwise reach. In Yellowstone, bison that don’t survive the harsh winter attract coyotes, whose sharp teeth and strong jaws rip open the tough, frozen hides — making the meat accessible to watchful ravens. They also have been seen following wild wolf packs to a kill; some stories even have ravens flying ahead of the wolves to lead them to prey.

Production Credits

Television credits

Narrated by
PATRICIA CLARKSON

Photography
KEVIN FLAY
IAN McCARTHY
SEAN O’DRISCOLL
ADRIAN WARREN
JOHN WATERS

Additional Photography
MARK PAYNE-GILL
BOB LANDIS
MIKE POTTS
RICK PRICE
IAN SALVAGE

Assistant Cameraman
STEVE PACKHAM

Sound
DICKIE BIRD

Researchers
MARK HAMMOND
DANIELA PULVERER

Production Managers
SARAH SAPPER
MICHELLE COSS

Production Co-ordinator
ESTA PORTER

Post Production Manager
DOMINIC WESTON

Bird Trainers
ROSE & LLOYD BUCK

Songs Written and Performed by
MADDY PRIOR

Music
IAN BUTCHER
STEVEN FAUX

Haida Singer
GUUJAAW

Editor
MARTIN ELSBURY

Dubbing Mixer
CHRIS DOMAILLE

Dubbing Editors
ANGELA GROVES
PAUL FISHER

Online Editor
TIM BOLT

Special Thanks
NEIL AND DANIEL BROWN
DAVID COPE
ULRICH LEEB
JOHN MARZLUFF
HARRY McADAM
EITHEL POWELL
JOHN WIER
CITY OF ELY, MINNESOTA
THE WELSH MOUNTAIN ZOO
CHESTER CATHEDRAL
ARC QUARRIES
HM TOWER OF LONDON
FOREST ENTERPRISE
MENDIP GLIDING CLUB, SOMERSET
COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES
GLENGOULANDIE DEER FARM
KONRAD LORENZ RESEARCH STATION
LONGLEAT FORESTRY
TICKENHAM GOLF COURSE
WEALD AND DOWNLAND MUSEUM
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
BORROR LAB OF BIOACOUSTICS
SKIDEGATE & OLD MASSETT
BAND COUNCILS OF THE HAIDA NATION
VINCE COLLISON

All sequences in this program, whether filmed or under controlled conditions, represent authentic behavior

Production Executive
JAYNE CLARK

Associate Producer
VICTORIA COULES

Producer
STEVE NICHOLLS

Executive Producer
MICHAEL ROSENBERG

For NATURE:

Series Editor
JANET HESS

Supervising Producer
JANICE YOUNG

Producers
PATTY JACOBSON
JILL CLARKE

Associate Producer
GIANNA SAVOIE

Researcher
SUSANE LEE

Production Assistant
IRENE TEJARATCHI

Production Secretary
AUSTIN RIPLEY

Manager
EILEEN FRAHER

Production Manager
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN

Editor
CHRIS SEWARD

On-Line Editor
BARRY GLINER

Audio Mix
ED CAMPBELL

Series Producer
BILL MURPHY

Executive In Charge
WILLIAM GRANT

Executive Producer
FRED KAUFMAN

A Co-production of Partridge Films and Thirteen/WNET New York

This program was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York, which is solely responsible for its content.

Web Credits

Producer
DANIEL B. GREENBERG

Associate Producer
TANNER VEA

Designer
MICHAEL DIMAURO

Pagebuilding
BRIAN SANTALONE

Technical Director
BRIAN LEE

About the Writer

Jason Kleinman is an Internet consultant and freelance writer living in New York City. He has written extensively about the natural sciences, politics, and popular culture.

Photos: © EBC

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Dan Goldman, Executive Director, thirteen.org. Bob Adleman, Business Manager.

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