Ravens

By Nathan C

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Species:

     There are many species of ravens that live all over the world. These include the Common Raven, the  White-Necked Raven, the Thick-Billed Raven, the Forest Raven, the Little Raven, and the Fan-tailed Raven. Ravens are very closely related to crows. They are both part of the genus Corvus.

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Description:

       Most ravens have glossy black feathers. They are 56-69 cm (22-27 inches) long. There wingspans are about 115-130 cm (45 to 51 inches). They weigh about 0.69 to 1.63 kg (1.5 to 3.6 lbs). Ravens useally live about 10 to 15 years in the wild. The ones that live in colder regions tend to be larger, while the ones that live in warmer climates tend to be a little bit smaller. Their bills are large and slightly curved. Their tails are long and slightly wedge-shaped.

Diet:   

     Ravens are omnivores. They are scavengers whose diets range from carrion and insects to berries and small animals. Sometimes, ravens will eat human garbage. When they live in non-populated areas, they feed from other dead animals. Ravens prey on insects and on other small animals. They will sometimes eat fruits and berries.

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Habitats:

        Ravens can be found from North America to the Himalayas. They are very common in European countries such as Scotland and England. Most ravens live in wooded areas. Sometimes they will live in areas with a dense population to get food.

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Intelligence and Behavior:

     Ravens are very smart and they have very large brains. They specialize in problem solving and imitating. Ravens are very tricky and will sometimes trick other animals to do work for them. Other times, they will trick other animals by pretending that they have found food. Ravens are known for stealing but also for their playful behavior.

Calls:

Raven's have a large variety of calls. From a deep prruk-prruk-prruk to a high kraa-kraa. Ravens can learn calls from their environment including human speech. Besides calling, ravens can also click their bills and wing whistle. Most calling is used for social interactions.

Click on these links for more facts and info about ravens.

     http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/ravendoc.html

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_corax

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id 

http://www.phoenixzoo.org/visit/animal_news.aspx?ARTICLE_ID=100564