Sunday Visit to Greenburgh Nature Center

(Translated from the Chinese version with the help of Claude.)

Today is Sunday, and with nothing particular to do in the afternoon, we visited the Greenburgh Nature Center to casually observe the flora and fauna. I’ve been here several times before, but surprisingly, I learned something new this time that I’d like to record.

Raptors

The most prominent area of the nature center features several large bird cages, housing bald eagles (America’s symbol), owls, and quail (which seems somewhat outmatched compared to its neighbors). From the information signs, I learned that raptors ( birds of prey) are among the few wild animals that can survive in urban environments because cities provide sufficient food sources (like rodents). However, they still face survival threats—being hit by vehicles or suffering from food poisoning (for instance, when small birds consume pesticides and are then eaten by raptors). The raptors here have all been rescued because they cannot live independently for various reasons.

White-Necked Raven JoJo

At a raven’s cage, the sign indicated this raven is from Africa, very intelligent, and can mimic speech. I tried saying “hello” a few times, but it ignored me, so I continued on to the trail.

Unexpectedly, after completing the blue trail, I returned to the same spot and fortunately encountered a bearded caretaker feeding the bird. Looking closely, he was feeding it a dead white mouse. The caretaker was very friendly and introduced himself as David (great name!). He explained that the raven is named JoJo and is female! They typically feed her various foods, but white mice are her favorite¹.

This raven is quite particular about eating mice². She first cuts open the mouse’s belly with her beak, then starts biting from the head, avoiding the internal organs. Then, holding the lower half of the mouse in her mouth with only the tail exposed, she approaches David as if wanting to share. David said that for a year and a half, she always thanked him but he always declined. After this polite exchange, JoJo eventually gived up, walked away, ate the rest of the mouse, and made sounds expressing happiness. She can say “Hello,” but she’s selective and won’t say it casually. She also untied David’s shoelaces, ensuring he would stay and play with her longer in the cage. When David strokes her back, she performs a mating dance.

She is originally from Africa, male North American ravens outside the cage try to flirt with her, but she shows absolutely no interest. David mentioned she was likely illegally transported to North America as a pet, then abandoned by her owner. About ten years ago, when she was approximately four or five years old, she was rescued and brought here. She still shows hostility toward women with long hair, possibly due to childhood trauma.

Sigh. A poignant story. Good luck, JoJo.