Birds & Nerds | Animal Parenting Is Wild: What Crows, Monkeys, & Spiderlings Can Teach Human Parents

Think human parenting is exhausting? Wait until you hear what happens in the animal kingdom. In this special summer episode of Birds & Nerds, host Ramona Schindelheim talks with science journalist Elizabeth Preston, author of "The Creatures' Guide to Caring," about the surprisingly tender—and sometimes deeply unsettling—world of animal parenting.

Some animal parents cooperate, sacrifice, and support each other in ways that feel shockingly familiar to exhausted human moms and dads. But nature also has a darker side: spiderlings that eat their mothers and birds that make brutal survival choices when resources are scarce.

From robins taking a "driveway moment" before feeding their babies to monkeys raising young as a team, Elizabeth reveals what nature can teach us about burnout, community, and why humans may not be built to parent alone.

🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛And then there are the crows. 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

Ramona and Elizabeth also dig into Elizabeth's article in the summer issue of Audubon magazine, "Are Crows Really Our Friends?" It features the story of Sal and Pal, two neighborhood crows who may have formed something that looks a lot like a relationship with humans. They dig deep into the crow-human relationship. Are crows just using us for snacks? Can they recognize us? Hold grudges? Choose favorites?

You may never look at parenting—or the crow in your yard—the same way again.

‼️Listen if you've ever wondered:

* Are humans parenting the wrong way?

* Do animals get burned out too?

* What's the weirdest parenting strategy in nature?

* Can crows actually be friends with people?

* And what can wild creatures teach us about raising our own kids?

🔗 Learn more about Elizabeth Preston and buy her book "The Creatures' Guide to Caring": https://elizabethgpreston.com/

🔗 Read and subscribe to the Audubon magazine: https://www.audubon.org/magazine

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms.

💫 Watch all episodes on the Birds & Nerds YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BirdsAndNerdsPodcast

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/