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Wildlife Guide · Northern Hemisphere — North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa

Raven

Corvus corax (Linnaeus, 1758)

The largest passerine — myth, intelligence and wilderness in black feathers.

Least Concern (IUCN, 2018)
A common raven with glossy black plumage and a thick bill soaring over a mountain ridge against a grey northern sky.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — verify license before production

In brief

The common raven (Corvus corax) is a Least Concern corvid of the Northern Hemisphere — the largest passerine, renowned for intelligence, tool use and deep cultural significance.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated

The common raven is the largest member of the crow family and the heaviest passerine bird on Earth. Glossy black plumage, a thick bill, shaggy throat feathers and a deep croaking call define this iconic corvid. Ravens inhabit the Northern Hemisphere — from Arctic tundra to North African mountains, Pacific coast to Himalayan passes. Listed as Least Concern, they are expanding in many regions after centuries of persecution. Ravens are among the most intelligent birds: they solve puzzles, plan for the future, recognise human faces and engage in playful aerial acrobatics. They appear in mythology from Norse Odin to Pacific Northwest First Nations tradition.

Least Concern

IUCN Red List status (2018 assessment)

1.2 kg

Typical adult weight — heaviest passerine

16 million

Estimated global population

Appendix II

CITES listing

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Corvus corax, RSPB — raven, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — common raven .

Raven: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Raven
Weight 0.7–1.2+ kg — heaviest passerine
Wingspan Up to 1.3 m
Intelligence Tool use, planning, face recognition
Global population Roughly 16 million
Diet Generalist — carrion, prey, grain, refuse
CITES Appendix II

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Raven
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae
Genus Corvus
Species Corvus corax (Linnaeus, 1758)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status
Least Concern (IUCN, 2018). Recovering after persecution; increasing in many regions.
Population
Roughly 16 million mature individuals globally
Trend
Increasing in North America and western Europe
Assessed
2018
CITES
Appendix II

Key Facts: Raven

  • Ravens are the largest passerines — heavier than many raptors.
  • They demonstrate advanced cognition: tool use, planning and face recognition.
  • Ravens form long-term pair bonds and hold territories year-round.
  • Persecution as pests caused historic declines; populations are now recovering.
  • They appear in mythology worldwide — Odin's messengers, creators, tricksters.
  • Ravens eat carrion, small animals, eggs, grain and human refuse — true generalists.

The corvid giant

Corvus corax dwarfs other crows — wingspan reaches 1.3 metres and weight exceeds 1.2 kg in large males. Wedge-shaped tail, thick neck and shaggy throat hackles distinguish ravens from carrion crows at distance. Flight is heavy and acrobatic; pairs perform tumbling display flights during courtship. Eleven subspecies range across the Northern Hemisphere. Holarctic birds are largest; desert and island forms are smaller. Ravens occupy the widest elevational range of any corvid — from sea level to 5,000 metres in the Himalayas. Vocal repertoire is rich: deep croaks, knocks, bell-like tones and mimicry of other species. Each pair maintains a territory defended year-round, with nests on cliffs, trees or structures reused across decades.

Intelligence and social life

Ravens rank among the most intelligent non-human animals. Experiments show they solve multi-step puzzles, use tools, plan for future food needs and understand displacement — knowing where food is hidden relative to landmarks they cannot see. They recognise individual human faces and transmit information about dangerous people to flockmates. Play is elaborate: sliding down snow slopes, aerial games with sticks and taunting wolves to expose carcasses. Social structure blends pair loyalty with complex alliances. Non-breeding juveniles form gangs that roost communally and explore territories. Adults share food within pairs — a bond that can last decades.

Ecology and diet

Ravens are supreme generalists. Carrion forms a staple — they follow wolves, eagles and human hunters to carcasses. They take eggs, nestlings, small mammals, insects, grain and fruit. Coastal birds scavenge beaches and fish offal. As ecosystem cleaners, ravens recycle nutrients and control pest populations. Their habit of raiding nests creates conflict with ground-nesting birds — including threatened seabirds on some islands — where introduced or overabundant ravens can become conservation problems. Breeding begins early in the year. Clutches contain three to seven eggs in large stick nests lined with wool and fur. Both parents feed chicks; fledglings depend for several months as they learn foraging skills.

Persecution and recovery

Ravens suffered centuries of persecution as livestock pests and symbols of ill omen. Gamekeepers poisoned and shot them; bounties operated in Britain until the twentieth century. Populations crashed across Europe and eastern North America. Legal protection and reduced persecution allowed recovery. Ravens recolonised eastern North America from the 1960s and spread across southern Britain from strongholds in Wales and Scotland. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern with roughly 16 million mature individuals and an increasing trend in many regions. Local conflicts persist where ravens predate threatened ground-nesters. Management on seabird islands requires case-by-case balance. CITES Appendix II regulates international trade.

Ravens in myth and modern culture

Ravens permeate human culture. Norse god Odin kept two ravens — Huginn and Muninn — that flew across the world gathering knowledge. Pacific Northwest peoples honour Raven as creator and trickster. Edgar Allan Poe immortalised the bird in Gothic verse. Today, ravens attract ecotourists to Yellowstone, the Scottish Highlands and the Tower of London — where captive ravens remain a ceremonial tradition. Research into corvid cognition continues to reveal capacities once thought uniquely human. WARN publishes this raven guide as free public education about a species whose intelligence and cultural depth reward careful observation in wild places.

What WARN Does

WARN publishes this raven guide as free public education. Corvids like the raven remind us that intelligence and adaptability flourish across the animal kingdom — not only in primates.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

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How does the raven compare?

Crow vs Raven →

Raven: Frequently Asked Questions

How intelligent are ravens?
Ravens solve multi-step puzzles, use tools, plan for future needs, recognise human faces and transmit social information — among the most intelligent birds known.

What is the difference between a raven and a crow?
Ravens are much larger with wedge-shaped tails, thick bills and shaggy throat feathers. Their call is a deep croak rather than a caw. Ravens soar; crows flap more.

Are ravens endangered?
No. Common ravens are Least Concern with roughly 16 million mature individuals and increasing populations in many regions after recovery from persecution.

What do ravens eat?
Carrion, small animals, eggs, nestlings, insects, grain, fruit and human refuse. They are generalist scavengers and predators.

Where do ravens live?
Across the Northern Hemisphere — Arctic tundra, forests, mountains, deserts and coastlines from North America through Europe and Asia to North Africa.

Do ravens mate for life?
Pairs form long-term bonds and typically hold territories together for many years. Both parents raise chicks and may reuse the same nest site across decades.

Are common ravens dangerous?
Common Ravens are not generally dangerous to people. The common raven (Corvus corax) is a Least Concern corvid of the Northern Hemisphere — the largest passerine, renowned for intelligence, tool use and deep cultural significance. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do common ravens live?
A precise wild lifespan for common ravens is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The common raven (Corvus corax) is a Least Concern corvid of the Northern Hemisphere — the largest passerine, renowned for intelligence, tool use and deep cultural significance. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a common raven?
A Common Raven is about 0.7–1.2+ kg — heaviest passerine. The common raven (Corvus corax) is a Least Concern corvid of the Northern Hemisphere — the largest passerine, renowned for intelligence, tool use and deep cultural significance.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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