The raven is found throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere in many types of habitats. The raven is a permanent resident in Alaska, nesting from the Seward Peninsula and the Brooks Range throughout the mainland, south to Kodiak Island, throughout the Aleutian Chain and along the coast and mountains of Southeast Alaska. In Alaska, the raven can only be confused with a hawk or crow. Ravens have large, stout bills, shaggy throat feathers, and wedge-shaped tails, visible best when in flight.
Ravens are excellent fliers, engaging in aerial acrobatics and sometimes soaring to great heights.
Flight is often an alternation of wing flapping and gliding and is deceptively fast, as ravens move quickly with seemingly slow wing beats. However, the raven can produce an amazing assortment of sounds. One study in Alaska showed ravens have more than 30 distinct vocalizations. The female lays from 3 to 7 eggs. The chicks hatch after about three weeks and grow quickly, leaving the nest about four weeks after hatching.