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The common raven or northern raven is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. There are 11 accepted subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the thick-billed raven, and is the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the common raven averages 63 centimetres in length and 1.47 kilograms in weight, up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) in the heaviest individuals. Although their typical lifespan is considerably shorter, common ravens can live more than 23 years in…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
A mature common raven ranges between 54 and 71 cm (21 and 28 in) and has a wingspan of 116 to 153 cm (46 to 60 in). Recorded weights range from 0.69 to 2.250 kg (1.52 to 4.96 lb), thus making the common raven one of the heaviest passerines. Birds from colder regions such as the Himalayas and Greenland are generally larger with slightly larger bills, while those from warmer regions are smaller with proportionally smaller bills. Representative of the size variation in the species, ravens from California weighed an average of 0.784 kg (1.73 lb), those from Alaska weighed an average of 1.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Northern Raven sounds like
Where the Northern Raven lives
When to see the Northern Raven
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneThe plumage of the carrion crow is black with a green or purple sheen, much greener than the gloss of the rook (Corvus frugilegus).
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusThe fish crow is a medium-large bird, with an average adult weight of 280–320 grams (9.9–11.3 oz) in males and 247–293 grams (8.7–10.3 oz) in females.
Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchosThe large-billed crow is relatively large all-black corvid.
Side by side: American Crow vs Northern Raven · Carrion Crow vs Northern Raven · Fish Crow vs Northern Raven · Large-billed Crow vs Northern Raven
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