Common Raven

General Information

The common raven can be found in most of the northern hemisphere in nearly any habitat type, including coniferous and deciduous forests, beaches, islands, mountains, deserts, grasslands, fields, and tundras. Their range extends across western and northern North America, as well as most of the northern hemisphere. Their diet includes carrion, eggs, insects, scorpions, fish, grains, berries, pet food, and many types of unattended human food. This omnivorous diet has contributed to their successful growth as a species.  

Ravens may travel in flocks while they’re young, but mate with one companion for life. Ravens are also extremely curious and display abilities in problem-solving. Research suggests that they can be as intelligent as chimpanzees and orangutans in some respects! The common raven has also been known to steal and hoard shiny objects. 

Meet Our Common Raven

One common raven, Blackjack, lives in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Blackjack 

Blackjack came to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2017 from the SPCA in Monterey County, California. Though Blackjack was already a young adult and had no injuries, it was deemed that he could not safely be released into the wild as he had become too comfortable around humans. Blackjack has now found his forever home at the Perkins Wildlife Center. 

Lifespan 

Wild: 10–15 years 
In human care: ~40 years  

Fun Facts 

  • Common ravens are acrobatic fliers and often do rolls and somersaults in the air. 
  • A study in Wyoming discovered that during hunting season, the sound of gunshots draws ravens in to investigate a presumed carcass, but the birds ignore sounds that are just as loud but harmless, such as an air horn. 
  • Females lay 3–7 eggs at a time. Females are much larger than males, and are almost the size of a red-tailed hawk. 
  • The most recognizable differences between ravens and crows are that 1) ravens are larger than crows, 2) ravens have a wedge-shaped tail and crows have a fan-shaped tail, and 3) ravens will “croak” while crows will “caw.”