White ravens!

[welshie]

Just spotted this story in a local north east newspaper, at first I thought it was some sort of April fool type joke,

check it out here.

Rare Birds Are Recued From Churchyard (from The Northern Echo)

[Tursiops2]

The final sentence of that article is inaccurate and very misleading: "White ravens usually live South America and parts of South and East Africa. Sightings in the UK are very rare."
In fact it's the white-necked raven Corvus albicollis that lives in Africa, and the Chihuahua or American white-necked raven Corvus cryptoleucus that lives in the southern United States. The Durham birds are probably albino European ravens Corvus corone. Three completely separate species, not one, as the article implies.
Sloppy journalism

[oceanroc]

It may be sloppy journalism but the story itself is enlightening! I would never have guessed White Ravens even exist, let alone nest in the good old U.K.!

Thanks Welshie!

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by oceanroc

It may be sloppy journalism but the story itself is enlightening! I would never have guessed White Ravens even exist, let alone nest in the good old U.K.!

Thanks Welshie!

Me neither. Ravens in a churchyard is spooky enough, but white ones........whooooooo

Jeff

[oceanroc]

Yes you wouldn't have liked to see them alone, at night, during a full moon if you were of a nervous disposition!!

Rachel

[Dogghound]

Great story, amazing looking birds. Would be interesting to see how well they would cope in the wild, there are plenty of native white species around that cope fine.

[Hobjob]

Nothing in the article to really show that they needed rescuing

I thought we were meant to leave healthy wild things alone

[welshie]

About ten years ago black ravens nested on Chester cathedral for about seven years, they built their nest on a gargoyle, it looked very strange to see that massive nest on the back of a stone gargoyle, i think that was the first time ravens have nested in a city center for centurys, later they nested on Liverpool anglican cathedral about four years later, probably the off springs of the chester ravens finding their own territory 15 miles as the crow flies, excuse the pun!

[welshie]

http://members.pcug.org.au/~lindafrd...hite_Raven.jpg

white ravens are ugly birds! pic from google.

[SparklySarah]

Originally Posted by JeffH

Me neither. Ravens in a churchyard is spooky enough, but white ones........whooooooo

Jeff

Originally Posted by oceanroc

Yes you wouldn't have liked to see them alone, at night, during a full moon if you were of a nervous disposition!!

Rachel

Especially as they were seen as The Messengers of the Underworld in the past!! :P