Ravens are sly when it comes to finding food.
Ravens are ominous-looking birds associated with gloomy symbolism, popularized by Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Raven." Ravens also have a deep croak that separates them from the traditional image of a typical songbird. Despite this image, these birds and playful, acrobatic and have been observed flying upside down, according to the All About Birds website. They are brazen and tough, and can mimic other bird sounds.
Identification
Ravens are the largest of songbirds, measuring up to 27 inches from beak to tail. Their wingspans can reach 46 inches across and their tails are wedge-shaped. They are solid black, including their feet and beaks, with shaggy throat feathers.
Facts
Ravens are among the smartest of birds, readily solving complex problems created by scientists interested in their level of intelligence. This intelligence also makes them dangerous to their prey. In fact, they have been known to work in pairs, with one bird acting as a diversion while another bird grabs food or young, according to All About Birds. Throughout history, ravens have been known to follow groups of people traveling with wagons and sleighs, just waiting for a moment to grab something to eat. Native Americans honored the bird for its sly nature.
Habitat
Ravens live in open habitats and forests throughout western and northern North America, Africa, Australia and southern Europe. They also live on cliffs, in desert areas, coastal regions, grasslands and tundra. They are very adaptable and even live in and around buildings in urban and rural areas, including telephones poles, billboard signs and bridges.
Behavior
Ravens are playful, clever and entertaining because almost everything they do is worth watching, All About Birds says. They are not very social creatures and often they stay in pairs. They do well around people, however, and look for opportunities to eat from human activity, including trash cans and gardens. They often cooperate with one another in efforts to get food. For example, teams of ravens will hunt down animals too large for a single raven to take on its own, reports National Geographic.
Diet
Ravens are smart scavengers and will eat practically anything. Their diet includes small mice, baby tortoises, bird eggs, fish, grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, wolf droppings, grains, berries, pet food and garbage. Ravens are notorious for waiting for humans to leave their eating areas so they can raid food left unattended.
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