Common Raven
Corvus corax

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus

Audio for Species

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from Macaulay Library

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Description

Length: 22-27.2 in (56-69 cm) Weight: 24.3-57.3 oz (689-1625 g) Wingspan: 45.7-46.5 in (116-118 cm)

The Common Raven is black; body, head, beak, eyes, legs, and feet are all black. They are about one and a half times the size of the American Crow.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

The forests of the eastern states and the Great Plains are the only areas they are not found in North America, but can be found in any other habitat.
They nest on cliffs, in trees, telephone poles, and bridges. The female builds the nest, but the male will bring sticks for her. The sticks usually come from live plants and will be about three feet long and up to an inch thick. These sticks, and sometimes along with bones and wire are used for the structure; the female will build an inner cup from smaller branches and twigs and often line it with mud, fur, wool, grasses, bark strips, and even trash. The size of the nest can be five feet across and two feet deep.

The clutch size is 3 to 7 eggs, that are green, olive, or blue, often mottled with dark green, dark olive, or purplish brown. The incubation period is 20 to 25 days. They leave the nest in 4 to 7 weeks.

The will eat anything. An omnivore that eats live meat, eggs, insects, grains, fruit, garbage, and carrion.