Common Raven

The **common raven**, also known as the northern raven, is a large all-black passerine bird. Found across the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids.

## Habitat

Ravens can survive in varied climates from the icy tundra, to temperate forests, to deserts and even islands of the South Pacific. In Great Britian, they are mostly found in Scotland, Wales, northern England and the west of Ireland.

In the United Kingdom, the common raven's range is currently increasing. It favours mountainous or coastal terrain, but can also be found in parks with tall trees suitable for use as habitation. Its population is at its most dense in the north and west of the country, though the species is expanding its population southwards.

Most common ravens prefer wooded areas with large expanses of open land nearby, or coastal regions for their nesting sites and feeding grounds. They also love to dwell in urban areas with large human populations where there is abundant food.

## Diet

Ravens are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters; eating anything from acorns and berries, to even carrion. Plant food includes cereal grains, acorns, buds, berries and fruit. They also prey on small invertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds.

Ravens will even raid bird's nest, brazenly picking off eggs, nestlings and sometimes adult birds when they spot an opportunity. They will also nest near human garbage dumps or near roads where they will feast on road-kill.

## Intelligence

Ravens have the largest brain of any bird, able to solve complex problems. One experiment designed to evaluate insight and problem-solving ability involved a piece of meat attached to a string hanging from a perch. To reach the food, the bird needed to stand on the perch, pull the string up a little at a time, and step on the loops to gradually shorten the string. Four of five common ravens eventually succeeded, and "the transition from no success (ignoring the food or merely yanking at the string) to constant reliable access (pulling up the meat) occurred with no demonstrable of 'trial-and-error'

This supports the hypothesis that common ravens are 'inventors', implying that they can solve problems. Many of the feats of common ravens were formerly argued to be stereotyped innate behaviour, but it now has been established that their aptitudes for solving problems individually and learning from each other reflect a flexible capacity for intelligent insight unusual among non-human animals.

## Breeding

Juveniles begin to court at a very early age, but may not bond for another two or three years. Aerial acrobatics, demonstrations of intelligence, and ability to provide food are key behaviours of courting. Once paired, they tend to nest together for life, usually in the same location. Instances of non-monogamy have been observed in common ravens, by males visiting a female's nest when her mate is away.

Breeding pairs must have a territory of their own before they begin nest-building and reproduction, and thus they aggressively defend a territory and its food resources. Nesting territories vary in size according to the density of food resources in the area. Females lay between three and seven pale bluish-green, brown-blotched eggs. Incubation is about 18 to 21 days, by the female only. Young fledge at 35 to 42 days, and are fed by both parents. They stay with their parents for another six months after fledging.

## Ravens in Pop Culture

Over the centures, the raven has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and literature.

In medevial Europe, ravens were a symbol of ill omen, harbringers of death and evil due to their black plumage and harsh, croaking calls. In Greek myth, ravens were messengers for Apollo, God of the Sun. In one myth, Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions to spy on his lover, Coronis. When the raven brought back the news that Coronis had been unfaithful to him, Apollo scorched the raven in his fury, turning the animal's feathers black.

Ravens are also a common symbol in Norse myth. Odin, the leader of the Aesir gods had two ravens; Huginn and Muninn who fly around the world and bring information to Odin. Ravens are symbolic in the British Isles. In Irish myth, they were associated with the goddess, Morrigan who took the form of a giant raven.

Ravens also served as spiritual figures or tricksters in First Nations mythology. One is the creator raven, responsible for bringing the world into being and who is sometimes considered to be the individual who brought light to the darkness. The other is the childish raven, always selfish, sly, conniving, and hungry. When the Great Spirit created all things, he kept them separate and stored them in cedar boxes. The Great Spirit gifted these boxes to the animals who existed before humans. When the animals opened the boxes all the things that comprise the world came into being. The boxes held such things as mountains, fire, water, wind, and seeds for all the plants. One such box, which was given to Seagull, contained all the light of the world.

Seagull coveted his box and refused to open it, clutching it under his wing. All the people asked Raven to persuade Seagull to open it and release the light. Despite begging, demanding, flattering, and trying to trick him into opening the box, Seagull still refused. Finally, Raven became angry and frustrated, and stuck a thorn in Seagull's foot. Raven pushed the thorn in deeper until the pain caused Seagull to drop the box. Then out of the box came the sun, moon, and stars that brought light to the world and allowed the first day to begin.

## Gallery

### Films

The Human Stain (2003)Charlotte’s Web (2006)101 Dalmatians (1996)The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002)Song of the Sea (2014)Animal Farm (1954)Brave (2012)The Secret of Kells (2009)WolfWalkers (2020)Sleeping Beauty (1959)Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)The Lion of Judah (2011)Inside Out (2015)The Last Unicorn (1982)The Cat Returns (2002)Latte and the Magic Waterstone (2019)Rango (2011)Evan Almighty (2007)Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)Animal Farm (1999)Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)Noah (2014)Extraordinary Tales (2013)Maleficent (2014)Day of the Animals (1977)The Birds (1963)Bears (2014)Seasons (2015)La Planet Blanche (2006)White Wilderness (1958)Animal Games (2004)The Plague Dogs (1982)Wild Wings (1996)Untamed Romania (2018)The Raven (1963)The Snow Walker (2003)Noah's Ark (1999)A Reindeer's Journey (2019)Druid Peak (2015)True Heart (1999)Shadow of Fear (1979)So Dear to My Heart (1948)Flash the Teenage Otter (1961)Brothers of the Wind (2018)Wild Witch (2018)Wendell and Wild Raven.pngWendell and Wild (2022)From Blossom Time to Autumn Frost (1953)The Lone Ranger (2013)One Day on Beetle Rock (1967)Trap on Cougar Mountain (1972)Kaw (2007)A Simple Plan (1998)Three on the Run (1978)Wolf Wanderer Without Borders Raven.pngWolf: Wanderer Without Borders (2022)Running Free (1994)
### TV Shows

The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993-1995)DC Superhero Girls (2019)Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (2004-2009)Wild Kratts (2011-)The Simpsons (1989-)The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (2001-2008)Samurai Jack (2001-2017)Creature Comforts (2003-2007)Captain Seasalt and his ABC Pirates (2020)Watership Down (2018)Primal (2019-2022)The Beginner's Bible (1995)Redwall (1999-2002)Carmen Sandiego (2019)The Owl House (2020-)VeggieTales (1993-2015)Amazing Animals (1996-1999)Kratts' Creatures (1996)Tiny Creatures (2020)Eyewitness (1994-1997)The Hunt (2015)The Blue Planet (2001)Frozen Planet (2011)The Life of Birds (1998)Land of the Eagle (1991)Yellowstone (2009)Supernatural: The Unseen Powers of Animals (1999)Living Britain (1999)Wild New World (2002)Wild Canada (2014)North America (2013)Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom (2015)Wild Russia (2008)Viking Wilderness (2011)Realms of the Russian Bear (1992)Kingdoms of the Sky (2018)Scandinavia (1990)The Alps (2021)The Emerald Isle (1990)Realm of the Coyote (1995)American Trickster (1993)Winter Days (1984)Bonebreaker's Mountain (1988)Grand Canyon: From Dinosaurs to Dams (1997)Snodonia: Realm of Ravens (1994)The Island of the Ghost Bear (1994)Wolves and Buffalo: The Last Frontier (1997)Christmas in Yellowstone (2006)Wildlife on One (1977-2005)Arctic Wanderers (1992)In the Valley of the Wolves (2011)Moose on the Loose (2007)America's National Parks (2011)The Flowing Oasis (1987)On the Path of the Reindeer (1997)In the Company of Wolves (1993)Wild America (1982-1994)Wolf Pack (2005)The Sagebrush Sea (2015)Animal Homes (2015)A Highland Haven (2009)Greece: The Wild Side (2021)Iron Curtain: Ribbon of Life (2009)Animal Einsteins (2021)Shadow Over the Sun (2004)Wild Balkans (2011)Clash: Encounters of Bears and Wolves (2010)Radioactive Wolves (2011)Wild River No More (1993)The Killer Wave of 1607 (2005)Land of Lost Monsters (2004)Wild Wolves (1997)Postcards from the Past (1997)Clever Critters (2001)Ravens (2001)Meet the Moose Family (2016)Wolves and Wapiti (1997)Molly of Denali (2019)Wild Germany (2012)Coyote: The Ultimate Survivor (2001)Cougar: Elusive Predator (1993)Wild Nordic (2019)The Living Isles (1985)Touching the Wild (2014)Wild Way of the Vikings (2019)Animals Like Us (2004)The Rise of Black Wolf (2010)Wild Yellowstone (2015)Walking with Ghosts (2004)The Good, The Bad, and The Grizzly (2004)Planet Earth (2006)Spongebob SquarePants (1999-present)Super/Natural (2022)Everything You Didn't Know About Animals (2015)Frozen Planet II (2022)Bird Brain (2017)Wild Menu (2014)Our Universe (2022)Fortress of the Bears (2012)Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013)Forest of Fantasties (2014)Santa's Wild Home (2020)Christmas Winter Wonderland (2014)Wild and Wide Awake: Spring in Europe (2015)Big Sky Bears (2006)Canada: Surviving the Wild North (2022)The Millenium Oak (1999)Darkwoods: Where Nature Survives (2018)Russia's Wild Tigers (2022)Lemming: The Little Giant of the North (2017)Epic Yellowstone (2019)Life in the Air (2016)Wild Castles (2017)Kingdom of the White Wolf (2019)His Dark Materials (2019-2022)Octonauts: Above and Beyond (2021)Animal Atlas (2004)Band of Bears (2015)Arctic Exposure with Nigel Marven (2007)The Living Edens (1997-2003)The Nature of Britain (2007)America's Wild Seasons (2019)Prairie Dog Manor (2019)Salmon: The Silver Tide (2000)The Condor, The Coyote, and the Canyon (1991)The Last Phantom (2004)Land of the Far North (2020)Wild Canadian Weather (2021)Wild Faces of Switzerland (2017)Animal X (1997-2002)Yukon's Wild Grizzlies (2021)Wild North (2015)Wildest Arctic (2012)Zoo (2015-2017)Wild Guess (1988)Circus of the Wild (2018)Meet the Mustelids (2020)Alaska Animal Rescue (2020)Alaska: A Year in the Wild (2017)Nature's Perfect Partners (2016)Vipo Adventures of The Flying Dog Raven.pngVipo: Adventures of The Flying Dog (2007)Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom (2020)King of the Seas (2015)Amazing Animal Friends (2020)Wonders of the Celtic Deep (2021)Corwin's Quest (2005)Wild and Wonderful Denmark (2021)Crown of the Continent (1991)Wild Shetland: Scotland's Viking Frontier (2019)Toadskin Spell (1994)Amur: Asia's Amazon (2016)Incredible Animal Journeys (2023)Wild Scandinavia (2023)

### Books

Smithsonian Knowledge Encyclopedia Planet Earth Raven.png