Raven is a type of large all-black bird that resembles a crow. Ravens live throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The common raven and the chihuahuan raven are found in North America. The common raven ranges from the Arctic south to Nicaragua in the west and New England in the east. It also lives in the Appalachians as far south as eastern Kentucky and western Virginia. The chihuahuan raven ranges from western Kansas and central Texas west to south-central Arizona.
A raven is 22 to 27 inches (56 to 69 centimeters) long and has a wingspread of 36 inches (91 centimeters). Its black feathers have a bluish-green luster on the head, wings, and underparts. Feathers elsewhere on the bird have a purplish-blue luster. A raven’s voice is a deep, rumbling croak with variations in tone and length that appear meaningful to other ravens. Ravens feed on insects, worms, young birds, frogs, and other small animals. They also eat fruits, grains, and carrion (the flesh of dead animals).
Ravens build their nests in late winter on cliffs or in trees. The outer part of the nest is made of sticks reinforced with lumps of earth and grass. The deep inner cup of the nest is lined with fine strands of wool, hair, and plant fibers.
Loading the player...Common raven
The female raven lays 3 to 6 spotted eggs that may vary widely in color. The female incubates (sits on and warms) the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 18 days. Both parents feed the young. They prepare the food by crushing insects and by removing the hair, feathers, and bones from birds and other small animals. Young ravens can fly at about 6 weeks of age, but the parents continue to care for them for another five months.
The raven is one of the first birds mentioned in mythology. In Norse mythology, the god Odin had two sacred ravens that flew about the world each day and returned at evening to tell Odin all they had seen. In American literature, the bird was immortalized by Edgar Allan Poe in his famous poem “The Raven.”
