FILLMORE : Raven’s Finder Says Bye-Bye, Blackbird

A wayward raven that ate up its welcome in Fillmore last week has landed a new meal ticket with a Palmdale-area family.

The ravenous bird camped out in Wendell Kister’s back yard for most of August, feasting on dog food, hotdogs and window screens.

When the provisions ran low, Kister advertised in several newspapers that the raven, whom he named Edgar, had been found. About 20 people soon called to say they could handle the bird, Kister said.

A woman in Malibu said she would let Edgar live inside her house with herother winged pets, including several chickens. A Thousand Oaks man said he thought the bird was his long-lost pet crow. But when he arrived to identify it, he found it was the wrong raven. An Ojai resident said he could teach the bird to talk.

But Kister turned down all the offers and instead gave the bird to his nephew in Acton over the Labor Day weekend.

Kister said he chose his nephew, Randy Kister, 30, because he has owned a raven and knows how to treat them.

The bird first showed up at Kister’s house around Aug. 12, he said. It had its wings clipped to prevent it from flying far, so Kister knew it was tame.

But when it displayed a hearty appetite (as well as a disdain for dogs) Kister knew he would have to get rid of it.

“When I let him out of the box at Randy’s house the other day, he started eating raw hamburger right off the barbecue grill,” Kister said.