The Raven (Corvus corax)
Part 2
Weight: 1.5 to over 3.5 pounds (.7 to over 1.5 kg)
Length: To 28 inches (To 70 cm)
Wingspan: Males up to 50 inches (1.25m)
Ravens are the largest members of the Passeriformes (avian order of perching birds), though females may be smaller. Sexes look alike.
As a member of the Corvidae family, ravens are related to crows, magpies and jays. Even bird watchers sometimes confuse crows and ravens.
Ravens are distinguished from crows by: • larger size, • wedge shaped tail versus the crow's square cut tail, • ability to soar and glide, • shaggy often ruffled throat feathers, • proportionately larger and stronger bill, • down hooked upper beak, • and deeper croaking calls. Ravens are also more wary and less daring than crows.
Breeding annually, ravens commonly nest in big trees and cliffs, but also on power poles and high urban areas in early spring. Breeding pairs establish territories based on food abundance, which they will defend. Three to six turquoise colored eggs hatch after a 3 week incubation by the female. The male feeds his mate during this time, though both sexes feed and care for the chicks. Young chicks have bright red mouths, guaranteed to catch a parent raven's attention. Young begin fledging by one month and leave the nest by the second month. Adults begin breeding in their third year and live in pairs year round. Some believe pairs mate for life, but there is no scientific proof. Ravens can live over 40 years in captivity, but rarely reach their second decade in the wild.
Persecuted in some areas, ravens are vulnerable to traps and being poisoned. Populations are not considered threatened, though their numbers have dwindled historically.
Ravens are often considered a nuisance species, in North America, along with crows and magpies. Scavenging human carrion and their glossy black coloration has led to historical prejudice towards the birds. Some still associate them with evil, describing flocks as a 'terror of ravens'. However, they are held in high regard by aboriginal people worldwide. The raven's keen intelligence led some early cultures to believe the birds can predict the future. This linked ravens to the supernatural and the afterlife.
