Yosemite Birds

Common Raven Alights on Sentinel Dome. ©2012, James McGrew<br />
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The intelligence and adaptability has enabled Raven populations to flourish with human presence in the Sierra, making the Common Raven even more common. Ravens scavenge human trash and even manage to get illegally provided handouts. As much as I love these birds, I wonder about their higher abundance in the Sierra. For example, they are smart enough to figure out that they can feed on toads (the "warts" are actually poison glands that make them taste terrible to many predators), which are declining in numbers due to many human caused factors such as UV light, warming, pesticides, disease, and non native species. However even native species can influence an ecosystem when they adapt to humans and use their intelligence like the Common Ravens.

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Common Raven Alights on Sentinel Dome. ©2012, James McGrew

The intelligence and adaptability has enabled Raven populations to flourish with human presence in the Sierra, making the Common Raven even more common. Ravens scavenge human trash and even manage to get illegally provided handouts. As much as I love these birds, I wonder about their higher abundance in the Sierra. For example, they are smart enough to figure out that they can feed on toads (the "warts" are actually poison glands that make them taste terrible to many predators), which are declining in numbers due to many human caused factors such as UV light, warming, pesticides, disease, and non native species. However even native species can influence an ecosystem when they adapt to humans and use their intelligence like the Common Ravens.