Ravens are omnivorous birds that eat a wide variety of foods. They are opportunistic foragers and scavengers, which means they will eat almost anything they can get their beaks on. Ravens have diverse diets that can include insects, small mammals, amphibians, grains, berries, fruit, eggs, and carrion. They are intelligent birds with complex social structures that allow them to hunt cooperatively and remember locations of food sources. Ravens are found across the Northern Hemisphere in many different habitats from mountains to deserts to Arctic tundras.
Insects
One of the most common parts of a raven’s diet is insects. Ravens will eat a wide variety of insects including beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, wasps, and bees. They use their strong bills to break through the hard exoskeletons of beetles and can pluck crawling insects right off the ground or vegetation. Caterpillars provide a soft, protein-rich food source for ravens. They may follow swarming ants or wasps to feed on them. Ravens are also known to hunt down wasp nests and feeding on the larvae inside.
Beetles
Beetles form an important part of a raven’s insect diet. Ground beetles and scarab beetles are common prey items. The thick shells of beetles require work for a raven to crack open, but provide protein and nutrients once accessed.
Grasshoppers
Ravens can be observed in grasslands and fields hunting grasshoppers and crickets. They will swiftly snap up jumping and flying grasshoppers. Ravens are intelligent in their hunting methods, able to anticipate the movement of grasshoppers to catch them.
Caterpillars
The high fat content of caterpillars make them worthwhile for ravens to hunt. Birds can spot and pluck crawling caterpillars from trees and bushes. Ravens may follow swarming caterpillars like armyworms or cutworms to take advantage of the abundant food source.
Ants
Ravens will eat ants when the opportunity arises. They use their bills to break into ant mounds and lap up or crush the ants inside. Ant swarms that take flight can attract hunting ravens. The quantity of ants available in swarms makes it efficient for ravens to feed.
Wasps
The larvae of wasps provide high fat nourishment for ravens. Ravens have been observed destroying wasp nests to access the nutritious larva inside. They will also prey on adult wasps, snapping them up in midair or hunting down grounded swarming wasps.
Bees
Ravens raid beehives for both the larvae and honey inside. Their thick bills and feathers protect them from many stings as they break into hives. Ravens will also prey on bees away from the hive as an opportunistic food source.
Small mammals
Ravens are skilled predators that can hunt, kill and eat small mammals like rodents, rabbits and pikas. Their sharp claws and curved bill make ravens adept at tearing meat. Small mammals provide a good source of protein, fat and calories for ravens.
Voles
Voles are common in many raven habitats and are often preyed upon. Ravens grab voles with their strong claws and bills overpower them. Voles can be hard for other predators to catch, but ravens use intelligence and aerial attacks to snatch them.
Mice
Mice are another small mammal ravens readily feed on. Groups of ravens have been observed communicating and cooperating to hunt mice in fields. Their aerial view gives them an advantage in spotting and swooping down on mice.
Squirrels
Squirrels are often considered prey for ravens, especially young ones like kits. Ravens are intelligent and patient hunters that can spy on squirrels and snatch them when they come down from trees. Squirrels must be wary of ravens patrolling from above.
Rabbits
Young rabbits and injured older ones often fall prey to ravens. Working in pairs or groups, ravens can surround a rabbit warren and snatch up any that emerge. Their sharp bills make short work of tearing rabbit flesh.
Pikas
In alpine environments, ravens prey on small mammal species like pikas. Pikas have to continuously be on watch for raven attacks from above when venturing out to forage.
Amphibians
Ravens relish the soft bodies of amphibians like frogs, toads and salamanders. Amphibians provide nutrients, protein and moisture to a raven’s diet. Their smaller size makes them easy for ravens to hunt, kill and consume.
Frogs
A raven can spot and swiftly snatch up frogs crossing open ground with their powerful beak. Poisonous species are eaten as well as non-poisonous ones. Ravens may hunt near wetlands and waterways for the abundant frogs there.
Toads
Like frogs, toads are readily eaten by ravens when encountered. Their sluggish movements make them easier prey. Ravens can crush the bodies and toxic skin secretions have little effect on them.
Salamanders
Ravens feed on newts, mudpuppies and other salamanders. These amphibians need to be wary of aerial attacks from ravens when moving through forest litter or near streams.
Eggs
Ravens will eat the eggs of birds, reptiles and fish given the chance. Eggs provide an abundant source of protein and nutrients for ravens. Their curved bill is adapted at crushing shells to access the insides.
Bird eggs
Ravens raid bird nests for the eggs and are known to follow piping plovers and other shorebirds to find their nests during breeding season. Some ravens may specialize in egg theft and raid multiple nests in a day.
Reptile eggs
The eggs of turtles and snakes are also subject to raven predation. Ravens patrol a habitat watching for reptiles laying eggs and waiting to swoop in once it is left undefended.
Fish eggs
Along shorelines and streams, ravens will eat the nutrient rich eggs of fish like salmon and trout. They compete with other egg predators like bears and gulls during fish spawning periods.
Grains
Ravens are omnivores and will consume grain crops both in fields and from livestock feed. Their versatile diet allows them to take advantage of seasonally available grains.
Wheat
Wheat kernels are a suitable food source for ravens. Ravens will descend on wheat fields after harvest to pick through leftover grains. They can also pilfer stores of wheat set aside for livestock.
Corn
Ravens are drawn to corn fields when the kernels ripen, digging into ears still on the stalks. They also steal whole ears transported from harvest to storage areas and livestock feed troughs.
Oats
Oats appeal to ravens for their high carbohydrate content. They consume oats straight from fields or raid granaries where oats are stored for future livestock feeding.
Rice
Rice fields and processing facilities attract feeding ravens. The small size of rice grains makes it an appealing carbohydrate source. Ravens descending on drying or dried rice harvests can damage crops.
Berries and Fruit
Ravens relish fruits and berries for their sweetness and nutrients. They consume a wide variety of produce, both wild and domesticated.
Blueberries
When blueberry bushes fruit, ravens arrive to consume the bounty. They competently pick individual blueberries and can gorge when huge crops are available.
Elderberries
These wild berries ripen in late summer, drawing hungry ravens. Ravens swiftly snip whole elderberry clusters off bushes to eat at leisure.
Cherries
Ravens love the sweet taste of cherries. They raid orchards and steal cherry crops transported for human consumption. A raven can eat cherries straight off trees.
Apples
Apples are a favored fruit of ravens when available. Ravens visit apple orchards during harvest and scavenge rotting apples left on the ground. They competently peck and tear apple flesh.
Oranges
In citrus growing regions, ravens take advantage of ripening oranges. They peel the skin and eat the juicy insides. Ravens damage unharvested oranges in groves.
Grapes
Grapes are desirable to ravens for their sweet, juicy flesh. They descend on vineyards to pick grapes off vines during the fall harvest season, sometimes substantially damaging crops.
Pears
Ravens supplement their diet with pears when available. They consume cultivated pears from orchards and scavenge discarded rotten pears as well.
Plums
As with other stone fruits, plums appeal to ravens when ripe for their sweet flesh. Ravens raid plum orchards and spoil unharvested fruits still on trees.
Carrion
As opportunistic scavengers, ravens feed extensively on carrion. They can spot carcasses from far distances and descend to feed. Their powerful bills allow them to tear through skin and muscle to access internal organs.
Roadkill
A common source of carrion for ravens is roadkill from vehicular collisions. Ravens patrol roads and highways to find flattened carcasses. They pick roadways clean of flesh and organs.
Predator kills
Ravens follow wolf packs and bears to feed on their prey’s remains after the predators have eaten their fill. Ravens are able to sneak in and steal scraps from actively guarded kills.
Winter die offs
During harsh winters, ravens scavenge on animals that have died from starvation or cold including deer, elk and livestock. Ravens are motivated by hunger to seek out these seasonally available carcasses.
Bone marrow
With their sturdy bills, ravens can access the nutrient-rich marrow inside bones. They crack open bones too hard for other scavengers to feed on the marrow fat inside.
Human foods and waste
Intelligent and adaptable, ravens consume a variety of foods acquired from human sources. They patrol farms, landfills, compost piles and anywhere else human food waste can be found.
Livestock feed
Ravens steal grains and other feed meant for livestock. They consume pellets, seed mixes and entire bales of hay put out for cattle, chickens and other farm animals.
Fishing discards
Ravens opportunistically scavenge on fish guts, heads and other unused parts discarded from fishing operations. They compete with gulls to feed on the nutritious offal.
Fast food waste
Discarded fast food is appealing to ravens, who scavenge on leftover burger, fries and other offerings. They eat food scraps from trash bins and litter in parking lots.
Landfills
Immense quantities of human food waste accumulate in landfills, attracting feeding ravens. They pick through refuse for anything edible from rotting fruit to meat scraps.
Pet food
Ravens consume unattended pet food set outside for cats, dogs and other domestic animals. They opportunistically feed on dry kibble and open cans of wet food.
Compost piles
Kitchen scraps and other waste in compost piles draws in ravens searching for food. They dig through decomposing vegetable peels, eggshells and other edible materials.
Garden crops
Ravens damage garden fruits and vegetables close to ripening, like tomatoes, beans, lettuce and squash. Their intelligence allows them to return to previously raided plots.
Conclusion
Ravens are impressive omnivores and scavengers that exploit a wide array of food sources. Their diverse diet includes insects, small mammals, amphibians, eggs, grains, fruit, carrion and human food waste. Ravens use intelligence and cooperation to hunt prey and remember plentiful food locations. Their flexible feeding habits allow ravens to thrive across varied habitats around the Northern Hemisphere.
