HBM038: Do Crows Mourn Their Dead?

Kaeli Swift holds two of the masks used in her crow research. Photo by Jeff Emtman.

Do Crows Mourn Their Dead?

Here Be Monsters Podcast

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Crows have really strange habits around death. When a bird dies, crows gather, squawking loudly and gathering as many other birds as they can find to come and look at the dead body.

Much of what we know about crow funerals comes from the work of John Marzluff, a biologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. He and Kaeli Swift (one of his grad students) are trying to get to the bottom of these strange phenomena using taxidermy crows and masks and Cheetos and raw peanuts.

On this episode of Here Be Monsters, We look at and listen to the strange behaviors of crows and how they might be able to teach humanity about the origins of funerals and emotions.

Each evening, thousands of crows roost in the wetlands of Bothell, Washington

Inside the wetlands

Liuetenant Dungarees (Nora Gunning, left) and The Sturgeon General (Sam Capeloto, right) outside the wetlands of Bothell, Washington

Crow researcher John Marzluff with 3 masks.

From left to right: Vivian, unknown mask, and The Caveman. 

Three masks that are in use for crow behavioral studies at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Crow Researcher Kaeli Swift holding two masks used in crow research projects in and around Seattle, Washington.

Kaeli Swift holds a stuffed crow while wearing a mask, replicating the pose used by her volunteers in a crow behavioral study.
 

Cheetos + Peanuts = Crow Food

The face of Michelle

The taxidermied body of a crow, used in Kaeli Swift's research at the University of Washington.

Jeff Emtman wearing the mask of Michelle.

Bothell, Washington

Bothell, Washington

Bothell, Washington

Bothell, Washington

Many thanks to David Kestenbaum of NPR's Planet Money for his help on a short version of this piece made for radio...keep your ears peeled.

Also, many thanks to Brian Emtman for tipping us off to this story.

Some of the crow sounds in this episode came from Cornell's Macaullay Library. Citation: macaulaylibrary.org/audio/45291http…org/audio/45291

In this episode there are some amazing recordings of funeral practices from around the world, including Laos (LukeIRL), Bali (RTB45), Colombia (renatofarabeuf), and Ghana (Klankbeeld). via Freesound.

Music from Flower Petal Downpour, Serocell, and The Black Spot.

HBM023: The Near Destruction of Rey Jaguar [Extended Cut]

Photo by Jeff Emtman

The Near Destruction of Rey Jaguar (extended cut)

Here Be Monsters Podcast

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For lucha libre wrestlers, masks are everything. They wear them in the ring, they wear them to the grocery store, they wear them any time they appear in public. No one knows what face lies under that mask, so it makes sense that de-masking a Luchadore or Luchadora is highest taboo in the sport.

In this episode, we travel to Seattle’s South Park neighborhood for Lucha Libre In The Park, a free wrestling event put on by Lucha Libre Volcanica. Costumes, yelling kids, exquisite masks, cross-dressing, motorcycles, bad victory speeches--everything you would expect, and one thing that no one saw coming.

Check out the crazy photos from that night right here

This piece’s shortened form (6 minutes) was entered as a submission in KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race. Listen to the original.

And also listen to the other entries!

Music from: Lucky Dragons ||| The Black Spot

Here Be Monsters is now a proud member of the Mule Radio Syndicate, which distributes some other really great podcasts. Check them out at MuleRadio.net.

Hey! Review HBM on iTunes!

HBM022: The Holy Ghost Fixes David's Brain

The Holy Ghost Fixes David's Brain

Here Be Monsters Podcast

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David Blackshire Key has been called a douchebag more times than he can count. It's probably because he used to wear big sunglasses--day and night, indoors and out. He wasn't a movie star, he just had brain cancer.

Writer and radio producer Bridget Burnquist produced this show.

One of his side-effects was a strange sensitivity to light called "photophobia". Even after doctors removed the tumor, his painful sensitivity continued. So he turned to his faith, looking for healing from a supernatural force.

In this show, we reference Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, California.

Music from: Lucky Dragons ||| Swamp Dog ||| Flower Petal Downpour ||| The Black Spot

Hey! Review HBM on iTunes!

HBM020: Without Name

Please note: This is an early episode of Here Be Monsters that aired in 2013. This episode no longer appears on the official HBM feed. However, you can still download it here.

Eugene up and left for California one morning without packing a thing from his apartment in Brooklyn, New York. HBM producer Lina Misitzis and her roommate Adrian got the apartment at a discount. The condition, though, was that they took the place as Eugene left it—full of his left-behind life. For two years they enjoyed Eugene's magazine subscriptions, ate out of his bowls, slept on his old couch and used his designer spices.

Content Note:
This episode discusses sex work, drug use and animal abuse. We beeped the swears though.

In this episode, Lina goes back to her old neighborhood looking for nothing in particular. She's greeted by familiar faces, new tenants, and a series of loose ends that tell a modern ghost story.

Photos of Eugene’s apartment coming soon to the HBM facebook page

Music from: Phantom Fauna ||| The Black Spot ||| Swamp Dog

Please please please, review HBM on iTunes so that we can make their New and Noteworthy section.

Special thanks this week to the Brooklyn Historical Society.

HBM019: The Other One Percent

Pete Brook

Please note: This is an early episode of Here Be Monsters that aired in 2013. This episode no longer appears on the official HBM feed. However, you can still download it here.

In 2006, Pete Brook moved from England to California to study the museum at San Quentin State Prison. Through his research, he learned of America's first-in-the-world rates of incarceration inside of prisons that are largely hidden from view.

In 2008, Pete began Prison Photography, a blog that dissects images of prisons and prisoners.

This week’s show is about Pete Brook’s 2011 journey across America to interview photographers, criminologists, and, most of all, the prisoners of New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

Look at photos from the Sing Sing Workshop by Tim Matsui.

Here Be Monsters is now on Stitcher!

Music: Phantom Fauna

HBM015: Jacob Visits Saturn

Illustration by Jacob Lemanski

Please note: This is a very early episode of Here Be Monsters that aired in 2012. This episode no longer appears on the official HBM feed. However, you can still download it here.

An aspiring sophisticate drinks liquid MDMA during a therapy session and experiences a roller-coaster of self esteem and significance. This episode looks at what it means to live a meaningful life through the eyes of Jacob on a journey took him through our solar system. He's writing a fictionalized children's book about his trip.

Music: The Black Spot ||| Flower Petal Downpour <--NEW!