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.

Ravens are easily confused with Crows. Scientifically, a Raven has 17 primary wing feathers which are called pinion feathers. A crow has 16. The difference between a Crow and a Raven in only a matter of a pinion.

The Common Raven, Corvus corax, is a member of the Corvidae Family of Crows, Jays and Magpies. They are mid-sized in stature. 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. From a conservation perspective the Common Raven is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are considered to be a habitat generalist and can be found within almost all habitats. They are scavengers that are omnivores that consume carrion, eggs, fruits, garbage, grains, insects, and fresh meat.