Though once in sharp decline across much of their range, today Common Ravens are a regular sight in a wide variety of habitats, from the peaks of the Rockies to the roofs of Walmarts. They’re endlessly resourceful, finding sustenance in roadkill, garbage, small animals, and stolen eggs.
While their association with carrion has earned them a dark reputation, there’s much more to these corvids, from their playfulness and intelligence to their significance across many cultures.
1.) Common Ravens are among the smartest of birds, with intelligence comparable to that of apes. Experiments have shown they are able to problem solve, use tools, plan ahead, and even hold a grudge. Ravens raised in captivity can learn to mimic human voices. (Yes, including saying “nevermore.”)
2.) Ravens are often confused with crows, but there’s one obvious difference between the two birds: Common Ravens are huge. Averaging around 2 feet in height, ravens are about the size of a Red-tailed Hawk. American Crows are roughly two-thirds as big.
3.) Despite their deep, croaky call—another good way to distinguish them from crows and their caws, by the way—ravens are technically considered songbirds. This is due to extra muscle control they have around their syrinx, or voice box, and the fact that ravens learn their calls and songs.
4.) While Common Ravens are largely scavengers, they are also opportunists that will prey on everything from small mammals and birds to amphibians and reptiles. They’re even known to cooperatively hunt in pairs, often to raid seabird colonies. One raven will distract a bird protecting its nest, while the other swoops in to snatch up eggs or chicks.
5.) By the early 1900s, the Common Raven had almost gone extinct across the eastern United States due to clear-cutting, a decline in primary food sources like the carrion of deer and elk, and purposeful hunting and poisoning. The restoration of eastern forests, repopulation of white-tailed deer, and conservation laws have helped them bounce back. The abundance of nesting structures and food scraps produced by their human neighbors also helped.
6.) Across the West, where raven populations never plummeted like they did in the East, the birds have seen a population boom in the past several decades. In the Mojave Desert their numbers have increased by more than 700 percent in the past 40 years, according to the Breeding Bird Survey. This surge has led to calls for raven management, such as removing human-made food sources and structures used for nesting, to control populations and alleviate concerns over their predation of sensitive species, such as Greater Sage-Grouse and desert tortoise.
7.) Common Ravens are highly skilled aerialists, able to do rolls and somersaults and even fly upside down for more than half a mile. They often perform such tricks to show off to potential mates. Young ravens play games midair, dropping sticks, then diving to catch them.
8.) Often associated with the creepy and macabre, ravens are actually affectionate and emotional birds. They mate for life, and partners serenade each other with gentle coos for comfort. Like crows, they also engage in allopreening, grooming each others’ feathers as a way to strengthen their bond.
9.) Common Ravens are among the most widespread bird species in the Northern Hemisphere, ranging across a wide variety of habitats and regions. Beyond North America, they can be found throughout Arctic regions, parts of Europe and Asia, and the mountains of Central America and North Africa.
10.) Ravens appear in countless myths and religious texts, with a range of meanings, from prophetic to ominous. The Norse god Odin has two ravens serving as his eyes and ears: Huginn (“thought”) and Muninn (“memory”). Greek legends associate ravens with Apollo, the god of prophecy. The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and death, shows up in the form of a raven. Ravens are also prominent in Native American mythologies, where they appear as both the creator of the world and a trickster.
