By private commission by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, the Crazy Horse Memorial has been a work in progress since 1948. The monument plan calls for the finished sculpture to be 641' (195m) wide by 563' (172m) tall which will make it the largest sculpture in the world. Crazy Horse, a Oglala Sioux Indian chief, warrior and military leader, is probably most well known teaming up with Sitting Bull for the Battle of Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand) in 1876. Crazy Horse was able to wipe out Custer and much of his Custer's 7th Calvary leading the natives to their greatest victory. Determined to destroy or tame the Indians, the US Army intensified their efforts and within 5 years had confined or killed the majority of the Sioux. Crazy Horse was confined and killed in 1877 after leaving the reservation without permission. Black Hills, South Dakota, USA
The Common Raven (Corvus corax) belongs to a family of birds known as corvids, which also includes crows, jays, magpies as well as others. With intelligence often compared to chimpanzees and dolphins, the corvids are among the most intelligent birds. Some captive ravens have been known to mimic human language better than parrots. They also like to mimic other sounds and have been known to mimic other birds. They are problem solvers, tool users and pranksters. All of which makes them fun to watch. One early morning while camping, I awoke to what I thought was an open car door chime. After unsuccessfully waiting for the door to close and chime to stop so I could return to sleep, I exited the tent to find that it was a raven making the sound. I'm not sure if I was being pranked, but I was fooled. Salt Point State Park, California.
The Kookaburra aka the Laughing Kookaburra or Laughing Jackass is one of largest of the Kingfishers, weighing in at a pound or more. It's a carnivore which preys on small mammals, snakes, insects and other birds. Their call, believed to be territorial, can sound like maniacal laughter. They are bold birds having been known to steal meat right off the barbecue. They are native to Eastern Australia.
