Catching up to another cyclist I was puzzled by the overlarge, bulky backpack he wore. It was shaped a bit like an old radio or Wurlitzer juke box, and evidently lightweight from the way it bounced around. I got up next to the guy and peered through the mesh fabric it was made of and was stunned to find a small raven peering back at me, standing on a branch inside a birdcage.
“Hey! Is that a crow or a raven?!”
“Both! It’s a hybrid of African Brown Necked Raven and Crow.”
“Nifty. Where you going with it?”
“To work.”
At that point I had to turn off, but I did learn he had bought it from a breeder in the American south.