Corvus corax
common raven

Common ravens are one of the most widespread, naturally occurring birds worldwide. They are found in northern Europe, the British Isles, Greenland (mainly coastal areas), Iceland, northern Scandinavia, east through central Asia to the Pacific Ocean and south to the Himalayas and northwestern India, Iranian region and near east, northwestern Africa and the Canary Islands, and North and Central America as far south as Nicaragua. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens prefer open landscapes, such as treeless tundra, seacoasts, open riverbanks, rocky cliffs, mountain forests, plains, deserts, and scrubby woodlands. However, these ravens can be found in most types of habitats except for rainforests. Common ravens in North America tend to be found in wild areas, whereas their cousins, common crows tend to be found in areas more affected by human habitation. In some parts of their range they have become quite habituated to humans and can be found in urban areas. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens generally roost on cliff ledges or in large trees but have also established nests on power-lines, in urban areas, and on billboards, to name only a few. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are large, black birds with a wedge-shaped tail. They have a well-developed ruff of feathers on the throat, which are called 'hackles' and are used often social communication. These are the largest passerines. Adults reach up to 69 cm in length and from 689 to 1625 grams in weight. They are generally distinguished from other Corvus species by their large size, more wedge-shaped tail, robust bill, a tendency to soar and glide, and their frequent, harsh, croaking calls. The sexes are generally alike, although females may be smaller. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

A wild raven was recorded living for 13 years and 4 months. Captive birds may live much longer, one captive individual was recorded to have lived 80 years and captives at the Tower of London in England live for 44 years or more. Probably most common ravens die during their first few years of life. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are known for their intelligence and complex social dynamics. They seem capable of learning innovative solutions to newly encountered problems. Common ravens often forage in larger groups in areas where resources are concentrated, and non-breeding individuals may occupy communal roosts, but most commonly ravens occur alone or in pairs. Breeding pairs establish nesting territories, which vary in size with the density of resources in the area. Migration has not been recorded in common ravens, but populations at the edges of their range may make shorter seasonal movements to avoid extreme weather. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens walk on the ground or fly. They may also glide and soar, which they do more often than American crows. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are very vocal animals, with a diverse suite of calls and non-vocal sounds for different purposes and social contexts. From 15 to 33 categories of vocalizations have been described in this species. There are alarm calls, comfort sounds, chase calls, and calls designed for advertising territories. Common ravens may be able to mimic sounds of other animals but this has not been unambiguously documented. It is also possible that they are simply capable of a huge diversity of sounds and innovation enough to create calls that sound like those of others. Young birds engage in vocal play, in which they seemingly go through their entire repertoire of sounds, pitches, and volumes for minutes or hours at a time. Non vocal sounds include wing whistles and bill snapping. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens also communicate with physical displays of either threat or appeasement to subordinate and dominant ravens. Territorial pairs chase intruders for several kilometers and may engage in aerial fights. Tactile cues via allopreening are also used. Common ravens perceive their environment through vision, some chemical cues, tactile, and auditory stimuli. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are mainly scavengers. They eat a wide array of animal foods, including arthropods, amphibians, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and carrion. They are attracted to carrion and eat also the insects that feed on carrion (chiefly on maggots and beetles). They are also known to eat the afterbirth of ewes and other large mammals. Vegetable foods include grains, acorns, fruits, and buds. Stomach analyses show that the diet is made up primarily of mammalian flesh, followed by insects and birds. Common ravens take their food from the ground and will store foods of all kinds, including nuts, bones, eggs, and meat. Young ravens begin to experiment with caching edible and non-edible objects soon after leaving the nest. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are rarely observed being preyed on, even as eggs or young in the nest. Predators on nestlings may include large hawks and eagles, other ravens, owls, and martens. Golden eagles, great horned owls, and coyotes have been observed attacking nests and fledglings. Adults are usually successful at defending their young and will vigorously chase predators away. Adults are wary of approaching novel kinds of carrion and new situations and will often only approach after the presence of blue jays and American crows makes it clear that no danger is near. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens consume carrion, thereby helping in nutrient cycling. They are also important predators of arthropods, mammals, and birds in the ecosystems in which they live.

Common ravens sometimes eat crops such as grains, nuts, and fruits, and have been accused of killing or maiming small livestock. They may also negatively affect conservation efforts aimed at desert tortoises, sandhill cranes, and California condors. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens eat carrion, which helps by removing dead animals that may harbor diseases.

Common ravens have been persecuted by humans for allegedly preying on lambs and crops. They are often shot, poisoned, or captured in traps. Ravens have been killed on a local scale in order to protect other endangered species programs, such as the programs to protect desert tortoises and sandhill cranes, where ravens were implicated in predation on those animals. In some parts of their range, common ravens have been extirpated but some populations are becoming re-established. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)

Common ravens are very important in native cultures throughout their range. Raven is a common and important mythic creature in western Native American traditions. (Boarman and Heinrich, 1999)