Scientific Name:
Corvus corax
Distribution
Europe, northern Africa, Asia ,Greenland, Iceland, N. America, Australia
Diet:
Οpportunistic scavenger (mainly carnivore). Eats carrion, small vertebrates (mammals, reptiles, newborn mammals), insects, human waste
Facts
Habitat: upland areas, woodland, coastal cliffs, wooded lowlands, tundra.
Incubation: 18-21 days, 3-7 eggs
Social structure: at young age they can be found in large groups, later only solitary or in pairs
Weight: 585-2000g
Dimensions: length: 54-60 cm, wingspan: 95-120cm
Estimated population in the wild: >16.000.000, increasing
Lifespan: in the wild: 13 years, under human care: 44 years
Threats: predators: birds of prey, coyotes, great horned owls, collisions with overhead cables, persecution by farmers and gamekeepers.
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Did you know that:
- Ravens are really intelligent and rate up with chimpanzees and dolphins.
- They can imitate the human voice but also many other sounds.
- Ravens in many cultures were thought either bad spirits or messengers from the Gods.
- They have the intelligence and problem solving abilities of a 7 year old child.
- They create food storages by leaving food in separate places, but in other cases they only pretend to leave food , especially when they realize they are being watched .