The large passerine bird of the Crow family is the Common Raven (Corvus corax). The Common Raven is a large, intelligent, all-black bird found across the Northern Hemisphere. With a body length of up to 26 inches and a wingspan of over 4 feet, the Common Raven is substantially larger than other passerine birds like crows, jays, and magpies. The Common Raven is a member of the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae, which includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. Here are some quick answers about the Common Raven:
- Species: Common Raven (Corvus corax)
- Family: Corvidae (Crow family)
- Size: Body length up to 26 inches, wingspan over 4 feet
- Range: Found across the Northern Hemisphere
- Habitat: Forests, deserts, tundra, mountains, boreal forests
- Diet: Omnivorous – eats carrion, insects, eggs, small animals, seeds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years in wild, over 40 years in captivity
- Conservation status: Least concern
In this article, we’ll explore the Common Raven in more detail – its physical characteristics, behavior, habitat and range, diet, reproduction, conservation status, and cultural significance.
Physical Characteristics
The Common Raven is the largest perching bird or passerine in the world. Here are some of its key physical features:
- Size: Body length 18-26 inches; wingspan over 4 feet
- Weight: 1.5-4 pounds
- Plumage: Entirely glossy black including bill, legs, and feet
- Distinctive throat feathers called hackles
- Sturdy black bill 1.5-2 inches long
- Long wedge-shaped tail
- Broad rounded wings
The Common Raven is larger than similar all-black Corvidae like crows and rooks. It can be distinguished by its large size, thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and massive bill. Ravens are as long as Red-tailed Hawks but triple their weight. Their broad wings and wedge-shaped tails help them maneuver skillfully in flight. Juvenile Common Ravens are similar in appearance but have blue eyes that turn dark brown by the first year.
Male vs Female Common Ravens
Males and females look almost identical and are hard to distinguish visually. However, males tend to be slightly larger on average. Some key differences include:
- Males are bigger – Body length of 20-26 inches compared to 18-24 inches for females
- Males have larger bills – Bill length of 1.5-2 inches vs 1.25-1.75 inches in females
- Males weigh more – Males weigh around 3.5 pounds, females weigh 2-3 pounds
These size differences are subtle and not always reliable for identifying individual birds in the field. The most reliable way to determine sex is through DNA analysis or viewing internal anatomy in hand.
Juvenile Common Ravens
Juvenile Common Ravens less than a year old differ from adults in a few ways:
- Eye color – Juveniles have blue eyes that darken to brown in first year
- No throat hackles – Hackles emerge when 1-2 years old
- Lesser weight – Weigh around 2.2 pounds compared to 3 pounds in adults
- No iridescence – Fully black plumage lacking the glossy iridescence
- Shorter tail and wings
- Clumsier flight skills and behavior
By their second year, juveniles molt and develop the adult plumage and features. Juveniles also make different vocalizations than adult birds.
Behavior
The Common Raven exhibits highly intelligent, social, and complex behaviors. Here are some of its notable behaviors:
- Highly intelligent – Can solve complex problems and puzzles
- Social – Lives and breeds in groups and partnerships
- Omnivorous – Has a varied diet from seeds to small animals
- Soaring flight – Uses thermals and updrafts to soar and glide
- Acrobatics – Does rolls, dives, aerial stunts
- Communication – Has loud, nasal calls and a large vocabulary of sounds
- Mobbing – Recruits others to harass or drive away predators
- Caching – Hides excess food in caches for later feeding
- Play – Engages in acrobatic play and object manipulation
- Mimicry – Can mimic other bird calls and even human speech
Common Ravens are highly social and mate for life. Their long-term partnerships and lifelong learning help them develop advanced cognitive abilities relative to other birds. They often work together to problem solve or drive away predators and threats. Common Ravens are playful, especially when young, and make a wide array of vocalizations for communication. They also cache excess food to save for times of scarcity.
Diet and Foraging
The Common Raven is an omnivorous generalist and eats a wide variety of foods:
- Carrion – Carrion from large animals is a major part of the Common Raven’s diet
- Insects – Beetles, grasshoppers, larvae, caterpillars, and other insects
- Rodents and small mammals – Voles, lemmings, mice
- Eggs – Bird eggs and eggs of reptiles and fish
- Reptiles – Small snakes and lizards
- Amphibians – Frogs, toads, salamanders
- Grains – Barley, wheat, corn
- Fruits – Berries, apples, figs, nuts
- Seeds
- Human garbage or food
The Common Raven is an opportunistic forager and scavenger. It patrols open habitats like tundra from perches and cliffsides looking for food. Common Ravens probe the ground for insects and small mammals. They often follow wolf packs to scavenge from their kills. Pairs sometimes hunt cooperatively to kill small animals. They are also known for stealing eggs and nestlings from bird nests. At human sites, Common Ravens will scavenge on garbage and pet food left outdoors. They have excellent spatial memory and recover hidden food caches when other sources are scarce.
Vocalizations
The Common Raven has a wide repertoire of vocalizations:
- Croaks – Series of deep, hoarse croaks
- Cawks – Harsher, higher pitched than crows
- Knocking – Knocks and rattles with bill
- Bell calls – Metallic bell-like ringing
- Clucks
- Gurgles
- Rattling
- Mimicry – Can mimic sounds in environment
Common Ravens produce different croaks and calls in various social situations. Knocks and bill rattling are used in aggression displays. Juveniles have more nasal begging calls when seeking food. Common Ravens can mimic the voices of other birds and even humans. Their large repertoire of vocalizations allows for complex communication and interactions in social groups.
Habitat and Range
The Common Raven has an extensive range across the Northern Hemisphere:
- Found across North America, Eurasia, and North Africa
- Range includes Canada and Alaska down to Texas and Florida
- Most northern bird in the world found above the Arctic Circle
- Found across most of Europe and Northern Asia
- Habitats include tundra, boreal forests, mountains, badlands, deserts
- Most habitat besides tropical rainforests and Antarctica
- Also found in cities utilizing human structures
Common Ravens are adaptable birds found in a variety of open and semi-open habitats. They avoid dense forest as well as the extreme heat of low deserts. Common Ravens thrive in mountains, badlands, tundra, and boreal forests. They are found throughout wilderness areas as well as parks, landfills, and cities. Their intelligence allows them to thrive around human activity. Range maps show them distributed across most of Canada, Alaska, the western United States, and northern Eurasia.
Preferred Habitat
Common Ravens prefer open habitats with cliffs, trees, and structures:
- Alpine tundra
- Mountains and cliffs
- High desert
- Canyonlands
- Shrublands
- Boreal forests
- Coastlines
- Cities and urban areas
Access to nesting sites and perches is key. Ravens require high perches like trees, poles, buildings, and cliffs for roosting and surveying the landscape. Open ground provides foraging opportunities. Proximity to water sources and animal herds facilitates carrion feeding. Cities provide shelter and garbage as food. Common Ravens adapt well to human presence and thrive in developed areas.
Distribution and Population
- Global population 10-20 million mature individuals
- Considered common and widespread
- Population considered stable or increasing in many regions
- Rebounded after historical persecution, protected by laws
- Also increased range by adapting to human habitats
The global Common Raven population numbers in the tens of millions. They are considered a species of Least Concern by conservation groups. Protective laws allowed raven populations to recover after historical declines from hunting and persecution. Their intelligence allows them to thrive in human settings. Common Ravens continue to expand and increase their range in many areas. Climate change may also facilitate expanded range into Arctic regions.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Common Ravens are monogamous, pairing for life:
- Mate for life – Long-term pair bonds
- Breed at 2-3 years old
- Nest in early spring – February to April
- Bulky stick nests in trees or cliffs
- 4-7 pale blue-green eggs with dark blotches
- Incubated for 18-21 days
- Young fledge at 5-7 weeks
- Parents feed fledglings for 1-2 months after
- Lifespan: 10-15 years in wild, 40+ years in captivity
Common Ravens form long-term pair bonds rather than having annual mating. Pairs build large nests of sticks lined with materials like grass, moss, wool, and fur. The female lays 4-7 eggs that hatch after an 18-21 day incubation. Both parents feed and care for the fledglings. Young ravens stay with the parents for 1-2 months after fledging. In captivity, Common Ravens have lived over 40 years. Lifespans in the wild average 10-15 years.
Courtship and Pairing
Common Ravens engage in aerial courtship displays:
- Synchronized flight – Pairs soar together vocalizing
- Rolling flights – Do rolls and somersaults in air
- Aerial chases – Dramatic high-speed chases
- Close formation flying
- Shared perching – Perch side-by-side
- Preening – Groom each other
- Food sharing – Share food at nest
Raven pairs perform elaborate, acrobatic flights together to cement their pair bond. Mates preen and groom each other. They perch and roost side-by-side. Common Ravens are loyal partners and typically stay paired for life once they mate. Pairs that lose a mate will find another the next breeding season.
Conservation Status
The current conservation status of the Common Raven is:
- IUCN Red List – Least concern
- Global population – 10 to 20 million
- Widespread distribution across Northern Hemisphere
- Increased numbers and range in modern times
- Protected under the Migratory Bird Act in the U.S. and Canada
Common Ravens are considered a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. Their populations are stable or increasing over most of their extensive range. In Europe, raven populations have tripled in recent decades. Protective laws and reduced persecution have facilitated this resurgence. Range expansions have also occurred as ravens have adapted to human settlements. Further global warming may allow ravens to expand their range even further northward.
Historical Persecution
In the past, ravens were persecuted by humans:
- Hunted and killed as vermin in the U.S. up until the 1960s
- Seen as a threat to livestock like young lambs
- Bounties offered for raven killings
- Poisoning and shooting of nesting ravens
- Decline in numbers in the 1900s from persecution
Farmers and ranchers viewed the Common Raven as a pest that preyed on valuable livestock. Bounty systems encouraged the killing of ravens and destruction of nests. Poisoning also contributed to declines. Such persecution reduced raven numbers significantly by the early 1900s. Legal protection allowed populations to rebound in modern times.
Cultural Significance
The Common Raven has had many cultural meanings and roles:
- Featured in myths and legends of many cultures
- Seen as a bird of prophecy and insight
- Associated with deities – Apollo, Morrigan, Odin, etc.
- Important in folklore such as Tower of London ravens
- Used as a symbol on flags, sports teams, and in books/media
- Inspiration for artwork and poetry
- Subject of scientific study and interest
From ancient myths to modern media, the Common Raven has long inspired human cultures. Its intelligence and social bonds fascinate people. While sometimes seen as a threat historically, ravens are now more appreciated for their ecological roles and connections to wilderness. They remain an iconic bird around the world.
Conclusion
In summary, the large passerine bird of the crow family is the Common Raven. Distinguished by its large size, thick bill, and shaggy throat feathers, the Common Raven is one of the most widespread and adaptable birds on Earth. Ravens display remarkable intelligence through behaviors like problem-solving, mimicry, and complex social interactions. Though once persecuted, raven populations have rebounded and remain healthy today thanks to legal protections. The Common Raven continues to captivate human fascination and inspire legends across cultures. With its corvid wit and resourcefulness, this iconic trickster bird is sure to thrive for centuries to come.