April 19, 1940

Heinrich Bernd is the author of Ravens in Winter, (1989.) This naturalist studies his subject with patient and time-consuming attention, and the questions he asks demand the subject be observed in its natural settings. One bird Bernd studied in a cage---because the bird was ill---presented a puzzle: in the wild the raven is famously shy but this confined bird is acting quite comfortable even though it's cage is close to not just people but a cat. Yet the cat is ignored by the bird.  Understanding such behavior is the quest behind a number of books Bernd, has written while holding a professorship at the University of Vermont. His recent books include: The Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival (2003),The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology (2007) and Summer world: a time of bounty (2009).