Two common ravens nested at Wellesley College's Science Center this spring from March until late May. Their chick hatched on April 13, 2014. Here are brief clips of the nest; the female incubating the eggs; and the chick at various stages as it grows, gets stronger, and even plays with the sticks in the nest. Frost Professor of Environmental Science and Professor of Biological Sciences Nicholas Rodenhouse says "Ours is the first opportunity to closely observe this most creative of birds in close contact with people," he says. "Much can potentially be learned about parental behavior, vocalizations, diet, and more."
The ravens chose Wellesley College most likely for its cliff-like buildings in a productive landscape. The Science Center, surrounded by shrubs and trees, sits alongside an open, sometimes damp meadow.
Through a network camera, Wellesley recorded the birds' behavior at the nest 24 hours per day for scientific purposes. Not much is known about ravens in urban environments, and no one has ever before had the opportunity to observe urban ravens at the nest closely. Student researchers will help analyze and interpret the data, with Rodenhouse as their advisor.
29 май 2014
