This extraordinary book takes us into the complex world of ravens. Over the course of four seasons in the Rocky Mountains, we follow the adventures of Colin, a young raven who arrives unexpectedly - with no memory of his past - to join the Raven's End flock at Yamnuska, east of Banff. He learns about the beautiful and dangerous landscape that is their home and participates in the daily ritual of morning 'Flaps', when the flock exchanges news about food sources, weather, births, and deaths. Colin's new flockmates include Greta, the wise elder; nestmates and parents Molly and Zack, who are raising hungry (and hilarious) nestlings; spunky adolescents Sarah and Brendan; and two scoundrels named Dolus and Garth.As the seasons pass, Colin encounters a wide range of animals - ground squirrels, bears, ducks, lynx, pikas. He learns what it takes to survive: how to fight cold, evade hunters' guns, fly in blizzards, and scavenge from wolf kills (the flock's primary source of food in winter).
Ravens live to fly, and every day after supper the members of the flock all join in the evening 'Flight', honing their skills with daredevil spins and dives, and reveling in the sheer joy of performing their graceful aerial ballet - feats at which Colin excels. He is also a bird of exceptional bravery and intelligence - and one who has the gift of second sight. But can these help him learn the truth about his origins? Written in graceful prose that whirls the reader aloft, "Raven's End" offers an unforgettable story of adventure that soars over the Rockies and beyond, to the mountains of the imagination.
- ISBN10 1578050944
- ISBN13 9781578050949
- Publish Date 6 May 2003
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 25 January 2010
- Publish Country US
- Imprint University of California Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 360
- Language English