Quintessential swooping

Today’s vocabulary words are:

The world of literature has not been kind to some animals. The family of birds which includes crows, ravens, and magpies are often used as bad omens, or symbols of death.

The reason is that they are carrion birds, that feed on dead flesh. This might seem gross, but it is part of the natural food chain, and is quintessentially animal.

So next time a magpie swoops overhead and tries to attack you to defend its young, just be thankful that you are at the top of the food chain, not the bottom.