The common raven is a big, all-black crow, the heaviest songbird, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It eats almost anything, and feats of problem-solving show it’s unusually intelligent.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, Arctic
HabitatMountains, Coast, Forest, Polar
ColoursBlack
SizeMedium
LengthAbout 63 cm
WeightAbout 1.47 kg; up to 2 kg
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives inpairs
Lives for10–15 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Across the Northern Hemisphere, the most widespread of all crows.
- What it eats
- Carrion, insects, grain, berries, fruit, small animals, eggs and chicks, and food waste.
Did you know
Can mimic sounds around it, including human speech.
Ravens can live over 23 years in the wild, and pairs mate for life.
Often confused with
- Crow
Ravens are the larger species of the crow genus. The American crow is smaller, with a less heavy beak.
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