As we enter October we come to a special time of the year, the month of Halloween. To celebrate we’re going to have a month of spooky birds. Are there spooky birds? You bet your bottom dollar there are spooky birds, and to start us off we’re going with a classic, the Carrion Crow (Corvus corone).
If there’s a more ominous sign of desolation and death than a crow perched in a skeletal tree on a lonely country road, I haven’t heard of it. They’re an omen of death, a harbinger of doom, a handsome boy with glossy plumes… I mean … eviiilllll.
For thousands of years, and across multiple cultures, the old crow has been a sign of doom and gloom. Being decked out in black, having a taste for rotting flesh, and a less than malodourous croak for a voice certainly hasn’t help. Their penchant for eating carrion has given them an association with death, and in many mythic tales they came to be seen as a link between the physical and spiritual worlds. They’re often depicted as guides for the newly dead, showing them the way to the afterlife.
In the Qur’an’s telling of Cain and Abel, it is said a Crow instructed Cain on how to murder and bury his brother. So, if you’re ever at a family reunion and a Crow whispers murder advice to you … probably take it. That’s a talking Crow, you better believe it knows what’s going on.
So, whether you’re a witch in need of a familiar, a hangman in want of a companion or a newly murdered sibling trying to find your way to the afterlife, why not consider a Carrion Crow. They’re smart, helpful, probably not responsible for your death, and awful pretty to boot.
To further celebrate a month a spooky birds, I have put together a little (long-ish) piece on parasitic birds. Wait, what? Parasitic birds? You heard me right, the bird world is rife with parasites, pirates, changelings, cheats and vampires. In other words, perfect Halloween companions. So, why not flap on by and check it out.
4/10/2021
Bird of the Week 