November 2026 "The Black Winged Angels" by PerriEllys Marable

Known for their intelligence and social behavior, the Raven’s history runs deep. All around the world, Ravens are known as the tricksters because they use their greed and wits to test out one's vulnerability. Ravens have developed strong bonds with humans throughout the years for many reasons. This is because “they possess high intelligence, strong facial - recognition skills, and a deep evolutionary history of living along-side people for food and survival.” The Ravens remarkable memory to a human face allows them to know who they can trust and who poses a threat. When Ravens recognize a human face that has been identified as a threat, the Raven will loudly sound the alarm to all of the other birds in its vicinity as they then cooperate together to drive the threat away by harassing or attacking the target.

Although Ravens can come off as very friendly and intelligent when building connections with humans, it is highly illegal to own one as a pet. Ravens are protected under the MBTA which keeps them free from getting captured, sold, or traded, including their   feathers, eggs, and even their nests. Ravens are not domesticated pets, as they require much more than a regular pet bird would need. Ravens need a vast amount of space and can live up to more than forty years when in captivity. This is more than the avenge owned pet. Through personal experiences with people attempting to own Ravens, because of their high intelligence, being trapped in small spaces could cause high stress levels, which can lead the Raven to become aggressive or harmful to itself. If caught, this could lead to a person being charged thousands of dollars in federal fines, and possible prison time.

Although Ravens can be seen as a gift to many cultures, they are also seen as bad omens “because of their historical association with death.” Because of the Ravens dark appearence and intelligence, people believe that these human-like abilities come from darkness. With their harsh calls and gloomy aura, they separate themselves from other species, giving themselves their own unique identity. Native Americans see the Raven as a “clever trickster or creator who brought light into the world,” while Norse Lore believed that traveling with Ravens would help them gather wisdom, and British legend teaches that Ravens “must live at the Tower of London to protect the British from falling.” So, even though people tend to give Ravens a bad reputation, these birds are seen more as a gift from God to people than evil spirits brought from below.