Rooftop ravings

Click on photo to get a better view 

It turns out that I have been mistakenly calling these birds crows when in fact, according to the Simpson & Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia they are Australian Ravens. In previous posts I have variously described them as making a noise like a strangled cat in its death throes, and there's often a sort of 'old-man-wittering' thing they do, along with a drawn out process of debate in which the participants um and ah for extended periods. I think whoever can keep it up the longest wins.

Simpson & Day's description of their voice is disturbingly accurate and I kind of wish I hadn't read it: "high, far-carrying, child-like wailing; a series of slow notes 'aaaa…' with strangled, drawn-out finish; also quiet croaking".

When I first arrived here I found these fellows somewhat intimidating..  they have an intensity about them that made me want to slide quietly past without attracting any attention, and I definitely tried not to think about Alfred Hitchcock. (I know he used seagulls, but if he had really wanted to frighten us he would have used ravens). 

However, it turns out they are really more like genial clowns than sinister foes, and are currently running at about second equal with Kookaburras in my birdly affections. (Willie Wagtail is still number one). And at last, now that I have realised they are Australian Ravens I have figured out what they are really saying:

Mate.  Really?  No way. Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrk!