Common Raven, Corvus corax

Common Raven, Corvus corax. Photograph taken off the beach at Cabo Real, Baja California Sur, February 2018.

Common Raven, Corvus corax. Bird photographed in the bush of Bahía Santa Rosalillita, Baja California, September 2015. Photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California.

Background and Identification

The Common Raven, Corvus corax, is a member of the Corvidae Family of Crows, Jays and Magpies. This species is one of the largest and most widespread members of the crow family. Known for its intelligence and adaptability, it can be identified by its large size, thin black bill, and glossy black feathers with a slight iridescence. Ravens are easily confused with Crows. Scientifically, a Raven has seventeen primary wing feathers which are called pinion feathers. A crow has sixteen. Therefore, the difference between a Crow and a Raven is only a matter of a pinion. The raven’s tail is wedge-shaped, which can help distinguish it from other crow species. Ravens are omnivores that consume eggs, fruit, grains, and insects. They also scavenge for carrion and garbage when it is available. In Mexico, this species is called Cuervo Grande.

Common Ravens are large corvids, with an adult length of up to 69 cm (2 feet 3 inches) and an average mass of 689 g (1 lb 8 oz) and 1.625 kg (3 lbs 9 oz). This species is sexually monomorphic, males and females are similar in size and plumage. Females are smaller than males in some characteristics, such as the bill length. Adult plumage is entirely glossy black with relatively long pointed wings, a wedge-shaped tail, and a large, chiseled bill. There is no seasonal variation in adult plumage. Immature individuals are similar to adults except for remiges (flight feathers) and rectrices (tail feathers) become dull brown through the birds’ first winger and do not obtain black flight feathers until their second PreBasic molt. This is the shedding of feathers that usually takes place after the bird’s first year, after its first breeding season.

Habitat and Geographical Range

Ravens have adapted to a variety of ecosystems, including tundras, deserts, coniferous forests, and human settlements. They are considered to be a habitat generalist and can be found within almost all habitats.

The Common Raven is found across a wide geographical range, from the Arctic to deserts, mountains, forests, and even urban areas. In North America, it is widespread from Alaska and Canada down to the western United States, while in Europe and Asia, it inhabits various terrains from coastal cliffs to farmlands. In Mexico, they are found throughout Baja California, within the Pacific Slope from Sonora south to Nayarit, and in the interior from Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora south to Oaxaca at elevations below 5,000 m (16,400 feet). They are also found in west-central Chiapas.

Common Misidentifications

The Common Raven is often mistaken for the American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos. Due to their similar black plumage and overlapping habitats. However, ravens are significantly larger than crows, with a heavier bill and a more pointed tail. Ravens also soar more frequently than crows and have deeper, more guttural calls.

Conservation Perspective

From a conservation perspective the Common Raven is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. Their populations are stable and even expanding in some regions due to their adaptability to human-altered environments. While they occasionally face threats from habitat destruction, persecution, and poisoning in certain areas, their intelligence and resourcefulness have allowed them to thrive across a vast range of habitats.