Common Raven

Lore & Background

Over the centuries, the raven has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and literature. In many cultures, including the indigenous cultures of Scandinavia, ancient Ireland and Wales, Bhutan, the northwest coast of North America, and Siberia and northeast Asia, the common raven has been revered as a spiritual figure or godlike creature.

In Their Own Story

In the depths of winter, a raven perched on a bare branch watched a pack of wolves moving through the snow. The raven let out a series of guttural croaks, and the wolves responded, following the bird's lead. The raven had spotted an injured elk, and its calls guided the wolves to the kill. When the wolves finished, the raven descended to feed on the remains, its wedge-shaped tail steadying it as it tore at the meat. This scene, repeated across the Northern Hemisphere, is a testament to the raven's ability to form strategic alliances. The raven's trust in the wolves it follows is evident: when encountering a carcass killed by animals other than wolves, it is more apprehensive to eat from it. The raven's intelligence, its ability to count, to play, and to communicate, makes it a creature of legend and science alike.

Reader's Guide

Common ravens have coexisted with humans for thousands of years and in some areas have been so numerous that people have regarded them as pests. Part of their success as a species is due to their omnivorous diet; they are extremely versatile and opportunistic in finding sources of nutrition, feeding on carrion, insects, cereal grains, berries, fruit, small animals, nesting birds, and food waste. Some notable feats of problem-solving provide evidence that the common raven is unusually intelligent.

Did You Know?

• The common raven is the heaviest passerine bird, with mature individuals averaging 1.47 kg (3.2 lb) and up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) in the heaviest individuals.
• Common ravens can live more than 23 years in the wild.
• Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory.
• The common raven was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae and still bears its original name Corvus corax.
• Collective nouns for a group of common ravens include 'unkindness' and 'conspiracy'.