Raven and crow: what is the difference in the appearance and behavior of birds. Difference Between Crow and Crow
There are no fundamental differences between a raven and a crow. Both species of birds belong to the same genus of Ravens of the Corvidae family. In addition to the Crow itself and the Black Crow, the Australian crow and the Hawaiian crow, the white-necked crow and the Guam crow and rook are found in the Crow genus. Perhaps the principle by which an animal species was called a crow or a crow depended on the whim of a particular ornithologist, compiler of a reference book or translator.
Crow
Crow. The Latin name is Corvus corax. Raven is the most big bird order of sparrows. It is in the parameters of the body of birds that the sexual dimorphism of animals is manifested. The length of the female is not more than 60 cm, the body length of the male reaches 65 cm. The weight of the male varies between 1000-1560 g, sexually mature females weigh from 800 to 1300 g. The wingspan of an adult animal reaches one and a half meters.
Crow
The color of the feather cover of the raven is uniformly black, with a slight bluish tint. Young birds are deprived of this overflow. The iris and beak are painted black. The beak itself is quite powerful and sharp. The claws are the same - they are able to hold prey equal to half the weight of the bird. The tail is wedge-shaped.
The bird skillfully moves on the ground, and before taking off it is forced to make a couple of jumps. The nature of the flight of a raven is similar to the flight of birds of prey, and not of birds of prey.
Birds live up to 70 years, form a couple for life and are caring parents. Crows are widespread in the northern hemisphere, on the territory of Eurasia and North America, except for the natural zones of the equatorial and subequatorial climate types.
Black Crow
Black Crow. Latin name Corvus corone. Within the species, 4 subspecies have crystallized: common gray crow, eastern gray crow, common black crow and eastern black crow. All subspecies live only on the territory of the Eurasian continent, except for tropical latitudes.
Black Crow The color of the crow's feather is black with a greenish-violet tint. The beak, eyes and paws of the bird are black. The gray crow has a gray body with black wings and a head. The body length of the bird varies from 48 to 56 cm. There are albino crows. Ravens prefer to live alone or with their "half", which they do not change throughout their lives.
Ravens build a couple of nests and change them every few years. The female incubates the eggs on her own. After 18 days, about 5 chicks hatch from them. A month later, little crows are ready to learn to fly. There are cases when the grown-up chicks of the old brood help their parents to feed the chicks of the new brood.
Crows are omnivorous and predatory. They eat everything from grains and worms to eggs and someone else's chick. Birds possess high level intelligence development. Scientists have proven that they have abstract thinking.
Findings site
- The main difference between birds is the mass and length of the body of animals. The raven slightly exceeds the size and weight of black ravens.
- The second indicator is distribution. The area of distribution of the crow exceeds the area of the crow.
More powerful than the black crow, big-headed, with a strong wide beak, the raven is almost twice its size. The weight of an adult male reaches 1.5 kg, while the black crow rarely reaches 700 grams.
The plumage of the raven is blue-black, bright and shiny, it was from this color that the color of the raven's wing appeared.
Various black!
And the color of the crow, although black, is not so intense and bright.
In the aged ravens, long bristling feathers form on the throat, having the appearance of the so-called "beard".
The tail of a black crow is rounded, while that of a raven is wedge-shaped, it is especially easy to see such a detail in a flying bird. By the way, the flight of these birds is also different. The raven can soar in the air for a long time, this feature helps him in finding food, and can perform aerobatics. And the black crow, flying up from a place, mainly uses a flapping flight.
It is very easy to distinguish these birds by their habits. Crows prefer loneliness, and the black crow is a flocking bird and loves the company of its own kind.
Similarities between a raven and a black crow
Both birds are omnivorous, their main food, of course, is carrion, but they do not disdain anything. Fish, worms, seeds, berries, bird eggs and small mammals. Both of them can hunt other birds and small animals, for example, hares, arctic foxes and foxes, only the raven hunts alone, and the black crows drive the prey in a flock.
How long do ravens and crows live?
In the wild, the life time of both the raven and the crow is approximately the same.
Black crow - no more than 10 years, and black crow lives about 10-15. In captivity, the latter live much longer, there are cases when tamed birds lived for more than 70 years. Obviously, this is where the legend about the legendary long life of ravens came from.
Content at home
The raven is considered one of the most intelligent birds and, according to scientists, has intelligence at the level of the great ape. He is easily tamed at a young age and, having chosen one master, remains devoted to him for life. Due to the tendency to imitate, some owners were able to teach the pet to pronounce individual words. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for a raven to create suitable conditions life in the home, therefore, as a pet, this bird is rare.
You rarely see a crow in the house!
A crow is rarely planted in an apartment consciously. This usually happens when the bird is injured and can no longer live without human help.
If the bird is adult and wild, then it takes a lot of work and patience to tame it. But if you succeed, you will get a cunning and resourceful, but very difficult pet. If you do not have the opportunity to keep a selected bird at home, try to give it to amateurs, who can be easily found on forums and social networks, sometimes zoos and young naturalists take injured birds. As you understand, a raven and a crow are different birds, although very similar!
A crow is a bird belonging to the order Passerine, the corvidae family, a genus in O rones (lat. Corvus).
Previously, in Rus', the crow was called "vra". According to linguists, the name of the bird is most likely consonant with the words “soothsayer”, “enemy”, “enemy”.
Crow: description, characteristics and photo. What does a bird look like?
Ravens are the largest representatives of the order of passeriformes. The length of the bird varies between 48-56 cm. The male is larger than the female, the weight of the male is 700-800 grams, the females weigh from 460-550 grams. The length of the wing of the male crow reaches 27-30 cm, in the female individual the wings grow from 25 to 27 cm. Strong wings in most species are distinguished by a pointed shape. The wingspan of a crow is about 1 m.
The appearance of a crow is similar to a rook, but has a more dense physique.
The crow's tail is wedge-shaped, with long tail feathers. The bird's beak is powerful and sharp, conical in shape, in some species it has a characteristic high bend. The legs of the crow are thin and long, with four fingers: 1 is turned back, 3 is forward.
Most species of crows have gray or black plumage, which casts metallic, purple, violet or black in the sun. in green. The base of the feather is usually gray, in rare cases white.
The voice of the crow is high, hoarse, sometimes rough and guttural, reminiscent of laughter. The “crow tongue” is very developed, sounds of different tonalities are used during mating games, to announce a general gathering, abuse, threats, as well as alarms.
How many years do crows live?
The life expectancy of a crow in nature is 15-20 years. In captivity, some crows live up to 35-40 years. The officially documented age of the oldest crow was 59 years old, which is rare.
Where do crows live?
The habitat is quite extensive: the crow bird is found in almost all countries of Europe and Asia, in North America, in North Africa and Australia.
Most crows are sedentary in urban, rural or natural landscapes. Sedentary nomadic species of crows, which live at the northern borders of the range, move to areas with a more benign climate for the winter.
What do crows eat?
Loners by nature, crows are active hunters, sometimes teaming up with their congeners to capture prey or arrange a communal feast. Being scavengers, a flock of crows is able to accompany raptors for a long time, as well as for the sake of their prey or its remains. Crows are omnivorous and eat absolutely everything that, in their opinion, will be edible. The crow's diet includes any insects (,), worms, eggs of other bird species and their chicks, fish, small rodents (and).
Every kind food waste- the usual and favorite food of the crow, so a large accumulation of these birds is often observed in city dumps. The crow feeds on insect larvae that teem in manure.
In the absence of animal food, the crow eats plants and their seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Types of crows, names and photos
The genus includes several types of crows:
- Black Crow(lat. corvus corone)
It has black plumage, as well as black paws, feet and beak. Therefore, the bird is often confused with the rook. However, the plumage of the black crow has a much greener sheen than that of the rook, and sometimes even a purple sheen. body length adult is 48-52 cm.
The range of the species covers the territory of Western and Central Europe, where the black crow lives together with one of its subspecies - the eastern black crow (lat. Corvus corone orientalis), which lives in East Asia. On the territory of Russia, black crows nest in Eastern Siberia and in the Far East.
- Hoodie(lat. Corvus cornix)
According to one of the classifications, the gray crow is a separate species, according to another, it is a subspecies of the black crow. The length of the bird reaches 50 cm with a weight of 460-735 grams. The gray crow differs from the rook in the greater width of the wing and a particularly pronounced inclination of the beak. Body painted in grey colour. The head, chest, wings and tail of the gray crow are black with light metal low tide.
The gray crow lives in the Eastern and Central Europe, Scandinavian countries, Asia Minor and throughout Russia, from the western part to the Kara Sea.
- australian crow(lat. corvus coronoides)
It is the largest of three related species found in Australia. The body length of the crow is 46-53 cm, and its weight is on average 650 g. The black plumage of the crow casts a blue-violet or blue-green sheen. Distinctive feature of all crows living in Australia is a white iris of the eyes and pronounced neck feathers. The throat of young specimens is covered with such rare feathers that pink skin appears between them.
The Australian Crow lives in Sydney and Canberra.
- south australian crow(lat. Corvus mellori)
It is distinguished by completely black plumage, long wings and a thin, strongly curved beak. A medium-sized species, the length of an adult crow is 48-50 cm. According to some scientists, the bird prefers only plant foods.
The South Australian crow lives in the southeast of Australia, as well as on the King and Kangaroo Islands.
- bronze crow(lat. Corvus crassirostris)
It was originally called the vulture crow. Large representatives of the species have a body length of 60-64 cm. The beak of a bronze crow is quite large and exceeds the length of the head. The color of the crow is completely black, with a single white spot on the back of the head. The tail of the crow of this species is characterized by a stepped arrangement of feathers.
The bronze crow lives in the highlands and high plateaus. East Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, as well as Sudan and Somalia.
- white-necked crow(lat. Corvus cryptoleucus)
A typical representative of the genus, distinguished by the white bases of the feathers on the neck. The body length of an adult is 50 cm. This species of crow is common in the southeastern United States and northern Mexico.
- big-billed crow(lat. Corvus macrorhynchos)
The bird has a very large beak. The size of the crow depends on the habitat: representatives of the northern populations are larger than the southern ones, have a large beak and well-developed feathers on the neck. On average, the length of adult crows is 46-59 cm, and the weight reaches 1.3 kg. The body is covered with dark gray feathers. The wings, tail and head of the big-billed crow are black, with a purple or green tint.
The species includes 15 subspecies living in the continental part of Asia and Far East Russia, as well as inhabiting the islands: the Philippines, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Hokkaido, Yakushima and many others.
- bristly crow(lat. Corvus rhipidurus)
It grows up to 47 cm in length and is very similar to the black crow. However, the bird has a characteristically thickened beak, long wings, shortened tail and very short throat feathers. The type of bristly crows is distinguished by a black glossy color and feathers and paws characteristically shimmering purple-blue. Crow feathers on the back of the head have a white base.
The habitat of this bird species begins in the Middle East, passes through the northern part of the African continent, along the Arabian Peninsula, through Kenya and Sudan to the Sahara desert.
- bangai crow(lat. Corvus unicolor)
The smallest crow of this genus, growing up to only 39 cm in length. The species is characterized by black feathers and a short tail.
The least studied species of crow, found exclusively on the island of Peleng in Indonesia. The species has the status of endangered and, according to scientists, the population today contains from 30 to 200 individuals.
White crows are very rare in nature - the result of a mutation-albinism.
An albino can appear in any species group and will differ from relatives only in white plumage and extreme vulnerability.
How do crows reproduce?
At the age of 2 years, most species of crows are ready to breed. Ravens are monogamous birds and choose mates for the rest of their lives. The mating games of the male and female crows are distinguished by intricate aerial turns, chases and somersaults. Reproduction of the most common species of these birds occurs in early to mid-spring.
On the left is a female crow, on the right is a male crow
The crow builds its nest in forest parks and squares, their laying takes place in the fork of strong tree branches, on power line supports, cranes, and behind drains. Species living in steppe and semi-desert landscapes arrange nests in crevices of rocks and cliffs. Both future parents usually take part in the construction, painstakingly building a nest from twigs and twigs. The crow's nest does not exceed 0.5 meters in diameter and has a height of 20-30 cm. Sod, clay, and often pieces of wire are used for fastening. The bottom of the nest is lined with feathers, down, dry grass, cotton wool and rags.
Depending on the type of bird, the clutch contains 3-6 or 4-8 light green or bluish eggs with dark spots. The female crow inseparably incubates the clutch for 17-20 days. The male crow feeds his companion and takes care of her throughout the entire time of incubation of eggs.
After 25 days, naked crow chicks are born, which are fed by both parents. Cubs fledge a month after birth.
You should not try to pick up a crow chick that accidentally fell out of the nest. Parents raise a terrible noise, calling relatives with cries, and zealously protect the cub. A flock of crows is attacking a dangerous alien, be it an animal or a person.
At the beginning of summer, the offspring of the crow begins to fly out of the nest, and for the first month remains with their parents, who continue to take care of them. In July, the young finally leave their native nest.
Nevertheless, family ties remain, and sometimes the offspring of past years, instead of creating their own family, helps their parents feed and raise their brothers and sisters.
There is a misconception among the people that the raven is a male and the crow is a female of the same species. In fact, the raven is not the "husband" of the crow at all. Raven and crow are two different types. Sexual differences among individuals of almost all species of corvids are only in size: as a rule, males are somewhat larger than females.
Male ravens are among the most big birds in the family, because most of the others are inferior in size to representatives of this species. An adult raven in length sometimes reaches more than 60 centimeters and weighs about 1.5 kg!
But large size is not the only difference between ravens and other corvids. An important feature of the species is the wedge-shaped tail, which gives the crows a resemblance to birds of prey, especially in flight. The wings of a raven in a span reach 120 centimeters. The pointed feathers of the goiter form a kind of "beard". The color of the feathers is monophonic - black, but the plumage of adults becomes shiny and shimmers in sunshine all the colors of the rainbow. Therefore, the flight of a raven in the rays of the sun is a magnificent sight!
Dahl in " explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language ”gives a number of proverbs characterizing the attitude of our ancestors to this bird:“ A raven croaks in a church - to a dead man in the village; croaks in the hut - to the dead man in the yard "; “Through which the yard the raven flew, croaking, there will be a dead man”; “Every crow would croak on his own head”; "The old raven will not croak for nothing"; Like a raven waiting for blood. Catholic Church cursed the bird, considering it a product of dark forces. In fact, the largest representative of the family does not deserve such notoriety. In the legends of many nations, the raven is the personification of wisdom. This is a strong, beautiful and smart bird.
Ravens prefer to live in deserted places, although sometimes they live in small settlements, mostly, countryside. Occasionally, small populations of ravens come across even on the outskirts of large industrial cities, although this, of course, is rather an exception: these birds prefer ecologically clean areas. More often, they settle in the mountains or forests, sometimes they can be found on the coasts, but at the same time, the crows remain small in number, never forming large colonies. However, having found a suitable place to live, the family often stays there for life. In this case, the family can either consist of a single pair with chicks, or turn out to be a group of adults.
Crow nests tend to build higher, in inaccessible places: on the tops of centuries-old trees, cliffs or ledges of rocks. The material for construction is usually thick, durable branches and rods; soft bedding is provided from the inside. In early spring bluish-green spotted eggs appear in the nest one by one, every day or two. In total, they are usually deposited from three to seven pieces. Incubation begins when about half of the eggs have been laid. Sometimes future parents do this in turn, but more often the male is busy getting food for himself and his mate. The chicks are born in about twenty days, and by the summer they are already flying out of the nest, although for a long time need the care of elders and stay close to their parents at least until autumn. Young crows start their own families at the age of two years, having reached puberty.
As for the raven's diet, here it can rightfully be attributed to feathered orderlies: the main "dish" is a variety of carrion. However, the raven is also an avid hunter. Therefore, regular supplements to the diet are mice, small birds, their chicks and eggs, large insects, preferably beetles. And in the case of living near a reservoir, the raven also shows itself to be a good fisherman, deftly catching mollusks and small fish.
As for the content in the house, here, definitely, one should either choose a small chick, or abandon this idea altogether: adult crows cannot be tamed and can bring a lot of trouble to the frivolous "owner", having arranged a real bedlam in the house in a matter of minutes. However, a baby crow brought into the house will also cause a lot of trouble at first. But it's worth it: after all, this is the most intellectually highly developed bird of the domestic fauna.
The little crow will deftly steal shiny things from guests, hunt chickens and ducklings or other small birds, offend neighbors' dogs and cats, tear up furniture and wallpaper, turn books and clothes into useless shreds, beat dishes. At the same time, very soon he will become attached to the person who nurtured him, so that he will never betray, while completely not recognizing the rest of humanity. There are cases when tamed crows tried to help if the owner became ill, and even died of grief on the same day with a loved one.
In nature, adult crows make rather monotonous sounds, by which they can be easily distinguished from other birds: "Crook". Young people often pronounce such an unfinished “kar”: “Kaa”. But crow chicks quickly learn human speech, pronouncing words clearly and clearly. Moreover, the level of intelligence allows them to use words and phrases strictly for their intended purpose, turning the bird into a real interlocutor. Raven will be able to communicate his needs himself (“I want to eat”, “I will sleep”, etc.) and respond to simple questions. Problems with tame crows occur only during puberty, when, like any teenager, the chick seeks to leave his father's house and gain independence. However transitional age passes, the raven matures and can stay with the owner all his life: at home, crows can live up to seven decades.
Perhaps, not a single bird of our fauna can be compared with a raven in quick wit. He can solve complex problems that life puts before him. A raven can easily distinguish a hunter from other people, a man from a woman who is less wary of.
You can feed a crow with almost everything that a person eats.
Among the representatives of the terrestrial fauna are the most diverse representatives: some of them are very pretty, others cause disgust or bewilderment; some are timid and even shy, others, on the contrary, scandalous and noisy; some are rare, endangered species, others are common on almost all continents and are known to everyone.
The life and habits of “our smaller brothers” are described in many books and television programs, but very often it is not some rare, almost fantastic exotics that are more unexpected, but our closest neighbors. Here they are - they live side by side, "nearby", and we usually leave them unattended.
Why? Probably because it seems to us that we have already learned almost everything about nature and its inhabitants that surround us. Why, then, even now, few people know that the raven is not at all the “husband of the crow”, but separate view birds, which includes female and male persons? I used to be wrong as well, until I figured out this question for myself in a little more detail.
So, the black raven and the crow are different birds, and belong to the corvid family of the passerine series. Although many of us do not distinguish between these birds, which at first glance are very similar to each other.
The raven is the largest representative of the corvid family of the passerines, its length reaches 70 cm, and its body weight is up to 1.5 kg. This bird is distinguished by its blue-black plumage, thick, somewhat bent cone-shaped beak, long wings and tail. middle length. Now 65 species of ravens are known, which are distributed almost throughout the globe except New Zealand and South America. They live in forests, steppes, mountains and deserts.
In winter, birds stay in flocks, in landfills near cities. Nests are built on trees, rocks, cliffs and tall buildings. The same nesting site is occupied from generation to generation.
The crow is smaller than the crow. In Russia, the gray crow is mainly distributed. She has a black head and tail, and her body is smoky gray. The gray crow lives in Northern Europe, North America, throughout Scandinavia and even beyond the Arctic Circle. On the territory of the former Soviet Union the gray crow is widespread up to the Yenisei, beyond which the possessions of black crows begin.
Crows, our closest neighbors, have adapted well to surviving in urban environments. They are not afraid of street noise, noisy human bustle, polluted habitat. These are omnivorous birds: in the forests they feed on rodents, insects, carrion, in cities they pick up leftover food near human habitation, in landfills and garbage dumps.
It should be noted that we see a raven all year round, however, some are mistaken, believing that these are the same individuals. When scientists first began ringing crows, it turned out that Moscow birds winter near Kiev and Kharkov, near Paris - St. Petersburg, near St. Petersburg - Murmansk, and Arkhangelsk ravens visit Moscow in winter. In the spring, they return to their native lands and renew their old nests.
When the first ones start to warm up in spring Sun rays, on poplars and willows, the crows have chosen to build their nests, work begins to boil under a loud croak that covers all the surrounding sounds. Birds are busy in their houses, completing their construction and laying new branches, laying out the bottom with moss, feathers, dry grass. All these are undeniable signs of spring, from which human hearts rejoice, even though the voices of these birds are sharp and non-melodious.
As already noted, a crow is half the size of a raven, and it lives half as much. There is a popular belief that crows live 300 years, but their real life expectancy is much less. According to scientists, in wild nature these birds live up to 10-15 years. However, at home, with proper care and favorable conditions, the life span can double and even triple.
The black raven is a mighty bird that nests in the trees in the depths of the forests. Crows are kept exclusively in pairs. These birds are distinguished by great devotion and fidelity to their pair. Often they sit close to each other and fly side by side, as if connected by threads of crow love.
Black crows are very hardy birds, they have sharp eyesight, excellent hearing and a keen sense of smell. These qualities make them excellent rodent and small game hunters. And the fact that they can withstand both heat and cold equally well makes it possible for them to settle in the north, in the tropics, deserts, on plateaus at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters above sea level and in other places.
Ravens in the myths and legends of the peoples of the world
Crows and crows are recognized as the most highly developed among other birds. They are distinguished by rare intelligence and dexterity. In some countries, these birds are protected by law.
However, despite all the advantages of these birds, their image in folklore associated with dark forces. In particular, the black raven is often mentioned in folk legends and fairy tales, where it is necessary to resurrect a murdered young man with the help of dead and living water, which this bird most often brings.
The fact that the raven willingly feeds on carrion has given reason for many centuries to consider it a messenger of death associated with bloodshed, violence and war. At times Kievan Rus flocks of these birds were perceived as harbingers of the Tatar raid.
And until now, people say: "If a raven croaks over the house where the patient lies, this is a bad omen." And historians are aware of this fact. When Alexander the Great entered Babylon, a great flock of ravens accompanied his army. And only after Alexander died, it became clear to everyone why the ravens appeared at that particular time and in such large numbers.
It should be noted that the ancient Greeks greatly revered the raven. They considered it a sacred bird accompanying Apollo, the patron saint of the augurs. According to the latter, this bird has supernatural power and can predict the future.
The Scandinavians dedicated the raven to the god Odin. It was believed that Odin has two ravens, which he sends every morning to collect information about what's new happened in the world. In the evening they return and whisper to him what they have learned. And according to legend, the raven was once white, but for its talkativeness it was painted black.
In Tibet, the raven is considered a symbol of mediation between heaven and earth. It has long been revered there, bringing sacrifices.
In Russian folklore, the raven is considered a bird of things: "The old raven does not croak past." In the East and in the West, there are many different beliefs that this bird has the gift of magic, prophecy, as well as the ability to predict weather changes and death.
In the old days, superstitious people listened every morning to how many times a crow croaked. Depending on whether this number is even or not, the weather was predicted. According to folk beliefs about sorcerers and witches among the Slavs, ravens were their faithful helpers.
Is a raven better than a parrot?
It has been noticed that the raven can imitate human speech, therefore it is perceived as a messenger who can speak the language of people. And since the color of his plumage is black, and the voice itself is considered dissonant, it is associated exclusively with bad news, although true.
Crows are considered very smart birds: They quickly learn to understand a person and easily obey her orders. If they fall into captivity young, then, repeating incoherent words, they quickly memorize them.
Some may object that many birds are known, in particular magpies, starlings, parrots perfectly imitate human speech. However, the imitation of a human voice in terms of the clarity of pronunciation of words in crows is very high and even better than that of parrots.
And the crows that now live in the yards on Yaroslavov Val also know how to speak and entertain people with their dialogues! Lexicon crows have a very large one - up to 30-40 words. Raised by man from chicks, crows become extremely loyal to them. There are many testimonies of people who kept these birds in their homes to confirm this. Having become accustomed to their owners, they may even try to protect them by showing aggression towards strangers or animals.
Of course, you should not specifically catch a crow for home keeping, but if fate gives you a chick with a broken wing or a small crow that fell out of the nest, then grow it with love. The bird will grow up over the summer big, beautiful, strong and will be a very devoted raven to you.
There will be no problems with food for him, since crows are unpretentious and omnivorous. Of course, the representatives of the corvidae family should be fed as varied as possible: pieces of meat, fish, poultry, bread, cheese, steamed grain, and the like. However, it is worth adhering to certain rules and requirements:
Chicken eggs in the diet should be added once every 1-2 days;
- chicks should be given chopped meat;
- Do not feed the birds with spicy, salty and fried foods.
Regarding the conditions of detention, the cage should be spacious, because crows love freedom, so they will not survive in a parrot cage. Better yet, do without a cage at all, using an aviary, which is much more spacious. Or after the bird gets used to it a little, leave the cage open, providing him with free movement.
So, if you do everything right, take care and love your winged guest, then the reward for you and your family will be the mischievous radiance of black and blue beads of his eyes and the devotion of a bird that will never leave you.
