Eastside Audubon Society presents a talk on the function of crow funeral behaviors in Kirkland

The Eastside Audubon Society will present The Function of Crow Funeral Behaviors by Kaeli Swift, at 7 p.m. on April 20 at the Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirkland.

Crows and ravens are found on nearly every continent where they routinely infiltrate the hearts and minds of the humans who share their space.

The first half of the talk will discuss some of the general aspects about crows that contribute to the affinity (and sometimes hatred) for them, with a particular emphasis on the most frequent questions people have about crows including play, tool use, communal roosting, and family life. Kaeli will also touch on her past and current research on how and why crows behave the way they do around their dead.

Kaeli is studying the function of crow funeral behaviors as a part of her doctoral research at the University of Washington. Kaeli graduated with a BS from Willamette University in 2009, after which she spent several years doing field projects ranging from sexual selection in Satin bowerbirds, to breeding success of the endangered streaked horned-lark in Oregon.

The church is located at 308 4th Ave S in Kirkland.