Raven Corvus corax The raven is the biggest in the crow family, a big glossy black bird with long wings and large beak, the wingspan is around 1.2metres. The raven has a ruff of feathers on the throat which are called ‘hackles’ and are used for communication. They are found in the upland areas of […]
The raven is the biggest in the crow family, a big glossy black bird with long wings and large beak, the wingspan is around 1.2metres. The raven has a ruff of feathers on the throat which are called ‘hackles’ and are used for communication. They are found in the upland areas of England, Wales and Scotland but on the western side of the England though their range is steadily moving eastwards. Globally ravens can be found in the upland moorlands and coastal cliffs of Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The raven population is stable and not of any conservation concern.
Ravens generally eat carrion – the decaying flesh of dead animals which they rip apart with their strong beak. Though they have a plain croaking call the raven is able to mimic other animals including birds of prey and calling deer! The raven pairs up with a mate for life. They are known for their intelligence and playfulness and can be observed performing mid-air acrobatics and passing stones to one another in flight.