Bird Guide

Northern Raven

Corvus corax

Least ConcernOmnivoreForestPlatform nestLarge · 928 g

About the Northern Raven

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

Recording: Sonothèque ADVL · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Christian Kahle · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Christian Kahle · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Where the Northern Raven lives

Regular range

When to see the Northern Raven

Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Side by side: American Crow vs Northern Raven · Carrion Crow vs Northern Raven · Fish Crow vs Northern Raven · Large-billed Crow vs Northern Raven

Learn the Northern Raven in BeakBrain

Photo and call practice, free in any browser.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.