The common raven is one of the world's most distinctive birds.
The largest member of the crow family, common ravens have long been viewed as an almost mythical creature, associated with both good and evil, mischief and even death. Despite persistent rumors of the bird as a bad omen, the common raven is in fact an inquisitive, playful and resourceful bird, spread over the widest distribution of any other passerine. They are incredibly intelligent animals, and science is only just beginning to tap into the minds of these extraordinary creatures.
Appearance
Ravens are a large, heavy looking black bird with shiny plumage. Ravens average two feet tall, with a wingspan as large as 56 inches, and though they are often confused with their cousins, the common crow, ravens can weigh up to four times as much. Their bill is larger and heavier than the crow's, and the upper mandible is somewhat curved.
Distribution and Habitat
Ravens are found all across Europe, Asia, northern Africa, Canada, Alaska and most of the western United States from Wyoming down to parts of Mexico. They are highly adaptable birds, and while their usual habitat is pine forest or sagebrush country throughout their distribution, they are not at all uncommon in city parks and playgrounds, where they scrounge for food amongst humans. While they are not considered a threatened species, eastern U.S. populations of common raven have declined slightly since the early 20th century--likely due to habitat destruction, which makes suitable nest sites hard to find.
Food Sources
Ravens are omnivores, and will take both live prey and scavenged scraps. Their diet consists largely of meat in the form of carrion, insects, rodents and birds' eggs, with occasional snacks of seeds, grains and berries. They will also search garbage dumps or even overturn trash cans when searching for food. The decline of bison in the Midwest (and therefore the decline of bison carrion) is thought to be another primary reason for the decline of eastern raven populations.
Nesting
Ravens usually do not breed until their second year, and sometimes not until their third or fourth. They form long-lasting monogamous bonds, traveling and foraging within close range of their partner. The bulky nest is built from sticks lined with a smaller basket of finer twigs, grasses, fur, mud and feathers, on which the female incubates 5 to 6 eggs, fed and cared for by the male while she does so. When the eggs hatch, both parents care for the young for up to nine weeks, even after they begin flying at 4 to 7 weeks old.
Intelligence
Ravens have long been regarded as one of the most intelligent birds known to man, and current research suggests that these birds may rival the great apes in their abilities to solve problems and improvise. In one study, ravens were presented with the dilemma of a tasty morsel of food suspended on a string from a branch, just out of reach of the ground. In many cases--with no previous exposure to the problem--the ravens immediately flew to the branch above, and "reeled" the food in, using their feet to hold loops of string as they went. Ravens also create tools to help attain food, a behavior previously only observed in humans and apes.
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