Study
Winter foraging at carcasses by three sympatric corvids, with emphasis on recruitment by the raven, Corvus corax
Heinrich, Bernd
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1988
Carcasses were placed in Maine woodland over successive winters and attendance recorded, alongside the loud "yell" calls ravens give at food and the age and residency status of the birds present.
- Studied in
- Corvus corax
- Sample size
- baited carcasses monitored across winters in Maine
Juvenile ravens finding a carcass in a resident adult pair’s territory yell, and crowds of unrelated juveniles arrive within a day or two. Adults holding a territory stay quiet. Recruiting lets young birds overwhelm the pair that would otherwise exclude them.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Recruitment is not food sharing but a way for non-territorial juveniles to gain access to a defended resource.
How NatureHQ reads it
A useful correction to a generous reading. Calling others to food looks like altruism and is better explained as recruiting allies against a landlord — the yelling stops once a bird holds its own territory. It also answers a plain question the page could not: ravens are scavengers of large carcasses above all, which is why they follow wolves, and why "what do ravens eat" has a different answer from the same question about crows.
- One region, over winters, at artificially provided carcasses.
- Age and status were assigned in the field and are approximate for some birds.
- Does not resolve whether yelling carries information beyond location.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Springer journalsPublished in a Springer journal.
This reference was resolved automatically against Crossref on 2026-08-11.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-10.