Common Raven

The Common Raven is a large, all-black bird with a thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and a heavy, curved bill. Its long, wedge-shaped tail and broad, fingered wing tips are distinctive in flight.

Both sexes look alike, with adults displaying a glossy sheen to their plumage. Juveniles are similar but lack a glossy appearance and have duller plumage with brownish tinges.

A wide range of calls and the ability to successfully mimic sounds renders interpretation of the call type extremely difficult. Often echoing and very loud, a low to medium pitch sharp sounding bark like ‘prruk – prruk’ often repeated is a common call.

Common ravens are equally at home flying over wild open and barren highlands, scavenging in urban and suburban areas, or soaring across upland moors, woods and farmland. They tend to avoid the east coast of the UK but can be found throughout Northern Ireland, most of Scotland and Wales and in the south west of England, Lake District and across the Pennines.

Close up they are easily identifiable with their large glossy black body and thick and chunky arch shaped bill, but in flight they also display characteristics common to the species. When soaring above their long ‘wedged’ tails appear diamond shaped with their long black pointed wings clearly displaying prominent wing fingers in a similar fashion to a common bird of prey.

Often referred to as scavengers, picking flesh off carcasses, the common raven is also a skilful hunter but will eat almost anything. Predominantly small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and even snails and worms but also berries, fruits and seeds. It will also scavenge on rubbish tips and shorelines.

Large nests are constructed mainly high in treetops out of sticks, heather and grasses and commonly used again year after year with a little nest maintenance undertaken at the start of each breeding season. One brood consisting of 4 – 6 eggs is laid annually between February to May. Eggs are a pale bluish green in colour with brown spotting and are incubated by the female for eighteen to twenty one days. The young fledge between thirty five to forty two days and remain with their parents for a further six months.

Common Ravens are highly intelligent and social birds. They often engage in aerial acrobatics, performing rolls and somersaults in flight.

Ravens are known for their problem-solving abilities, using tools and exhibiting complex social behaviors, including cooperative hunting and food sharing.

The longest lifespan on record for a ringed specimen is over thirteen years although commonly it is expected that ravens will live for between ten to fifteen.

Male and female common ravens are almost identical in appearance and plumage although the female is slightly smaller. The bird is a glossy black all over with a purplish, green or blue hue. They have elongated loose erectile throat feathers which are often raised, particularly by the male, during displays of dominance. The head is large and the bill a powerful, medium length, chunky black colour. Careful examination of the bill may reveal nasal bristles which can cover up to half of the upper ridge of the bill. The eyes are a dark brown colour with the legs and feet being black with grey soles.