Common Raven

What’s not to like about the Common Raven? They are so intelligent!

Latin name: Corvus corax

Length, wingspan: 24″, 46″

What they eat: Omnivorous, prefer carrion.

Plants that attract: Primarily more rural or woodland areas, but very adaptable.

Where they nest: Trees, cliffs, power poles.

My observations: The Common Raven is a member of the Corvid family, along with jays, magpies and crows. They are extremely intelligent and have very large bodies with huge, strong beaks. You’ll often see them on road kill and carcasses in fields. They will also eat rodents, insects, grain, pet food, fish, bird eggs and so on. I often used to confuse crows and ravens, especially when it was difficult to determine how large they were. I’ve since learned a general rule of thumb for our area. We typically see crows in cities and ravens in the country. They are fairly gregarious and often work together. When they fly overhead, you’ll hear a surprisingly loud “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” of their large wings. It’s pretty darned cool!

To learn more about the Common Raven, go to Cornell’s All About Birds website.

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