Boring Facts About Ravens to Fall Asleep To

In this calm and deliberately boring episode, you'll listen to hundreds of quiet facts about ravens, the large black birds found across much of the world, known for their deep croaking call, their glossy feathers, and a cleverness that sets them apart from nearly every other bird. We take a slow and unhurried look at what a raven actually is and how it lives, since it differs in size and shape from the smaller crow, soars and tumbles through the air on broad wings, and shows some of the most complex behavior in the whole animal world. Along the way, we cover the raven's remarkable intelligence, from solving puzzles and using simple tools to remembering faces and seeming to plan ahead, along with what ravens eat, where they live, how they pair for life, and the deep, varied set of calls they use to communicate. We look gently at how to tell a raven from a crow, how ravens hide and guard food, how they seem to play in the air for the sheer joy of it, and how they can even learn to mimic human words. There are many overlooked details, including why ravens follow wolves to find food, how they may hold grudges and warn one another, and why they have gathered in myth and story for thousands of years. Nothing here is dramatic, and nothing needs to be remembered. Tonight, as you listen, you can simply rest inside the thought that even the most ordinary subject contains more quiet details than anyone could ever notice at once.