Book Review for 7.14.24: Storm Crows

Title: Storm Crows

Author: Erik Christopher Martin

Date: 2023

Publisher: In a Bind

ISBN: 978-1-9612155-01-6

In nature it's not really uncommon for smaller birds to "mob" crows and jays they suspect of having evil designs on their eggs or young, nor for crows, jays, and smaller birds to "mob" hawks. The facts that most birds respect each other's territorial rights, most raptors don't eat other birds (and most of the ones who do don't live long), and most raptors are dangerous only when they can seize prey from above and aren't very strong fighters otherwise, make it unusual but not extraordinary to see little warblers chivying big red-tailed hawks or even ospreys. Owls, who don't see well in bright light, are often punished for preying on other birds by mobs of angry little birds.

The first time Erik Christopher Martin observed this behavior, though, it impressed him enough that he went home to write a book-length fable about some crows who organize a campaign to protect themselves and smaller birds from predators.

The fable is not specifically religious--Martin imagines that crows visualize God as "Corvus"--nor is it very scientific; Martin didn't know that the larger raptor, of a pair, is the female. Most hawks are about the same size as crows, despite having longer wings, bigger talons, and sharp carnivore beaks. The hawks who are half again the size of the crows, in this story, must be imagined as female red-tails or goshawks. 

One piece of anthropomorphism in this story really is supported by science. Crows have been known to use simple tools. In real life they're not known to use hard rocks to break through sandstone, but if the right crow happened to need to break through sandstone, who knows--it might happen. 

But basically this is a fable about teenagers, visualized as birds. Three couples leave a tough gang and fend off the gang's enforcers by building social bonds with adults.  What they believe about Corvus may not be closer to any human religious doctrine than to any other, but faith in Corvus is part of their story. It's a nice story with a mostly happy ending.