A friend once noticed a piece of black cloth caught on the branch of a tall tree, waving in the wind. Upon closer scrutiny, he discovered the cloth was actually a raven dangling contentedly by its beak. I filed this tale under strange, and the raven as an oddity, only to learn later that this is a known behavior researchers call hanging.

 

While you might not find a raven hanging out with your laundry, keep an eye on the treetops for shiny black socks!