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The thick-billed raven is a large passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Horn of Africa, including parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia. The thick-billed raven shares with the common raven the distinction of being the world's largest corvid.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The thick-billed raven averages 64 cm (25 in) in length, with a range of 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) and weighs approximately 1.15 kg (2.5 lb) in females and 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) in males on average. Its size is about the same as the largest subspecies of common raven (i.e. those from the Himalayas and Greenland/Canadian Northwest Atlantic) but some common raven subspecies are rather smaller and, going on average weights, the thick-billed raven is likely the heaviest extant passerine. Voice: Its calls include a harsh nasal croak, a low wheezy croak, a "raven-raven", and sometimes a "dink, dink, dink" sound. Like many corvids, the thick-billed raven is capable of vocal mimicry; however, this behaviour is rare in the wild, and is normally recorded only in captivity.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in November · a winter visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Hispaniolan Palm CrowCorvus palmarumThe Hispaniolan palm crow is 34 to 43 cm (13 to 17 in) long; two individuals weighed 229 and 258 g (8.1 and 9.1 oz).
Grey CrowCorvus tristisThe gray crow, formerly known as the bare-faced crow, is about the same size as the Eurasian carrion crow but has somewhat different proportions and quite atypical feather pigmentation during the juvenile phase for a member of this genus.
Tamaulipas CrowCorvus imparatusIt is a relatively small and sleek looking crow, 34–38 centimetres (13–15 in) in length.
Learn the Thick-billed Raven for real
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