- Corvus corax
Range
Found across Eurasia and North America. Range also extends into northern Africa. Very adaptable, able to survive in a wide range of habitats, from mountains to deserts to forests, though usually at higher elevations.
Identification
Large corvid, roughly 22-27 inches long. Wingspan sometimes reaches over 4 feet. All-black with a purplish iridescence to its feathers. Can be difficult to seperate from crows. Best told from its smaller cousins by its larger size and wedge-shaped (as opposed to fan-shaped) tail. Shaggier appearance overall, with long hackles on the throat and a shaggy crown. Bill is thicker and more powerful then that of a crow. Wingspan is longer, wings broader than crows, with more emarginated primaries (fingers). More prone to soar than crows, wingbeats and flight more like that of a buzzard. Best told from look-alike Chihuahuan Raven of the American Southwest by range, habitat, larger size, and, most reliably, the gray bases to the feathers on its neck (usually not visible except in windy conditions or when the bird is preening).
Behavior
Quite playful, often observed exhibiting aerial maneuvers (generally in pairs) ranging from barrel rolls to dives. Even observed flying upside-down, sometimes for significant distances. Omnivorous, consuming a wide range of food items. These include carrion (its usual fare) and vegetable matter (such as berries and nuts), as well as small animals that may be directly captured, occasionally up to the size of young squirrels. Very intelligent, considered by some the most intelligent of all birds. Recent tests indicate that ravens may actually use a form of logic, not just trial-and-error or instinct, that begins as a basic framework of concepts and is added upon and improved with age and experience.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Corvus corax (song).mp3</flashmp3>
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