Common Raven

Common Raven facts at a glance

What is a group of common ravens called?

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Remarkable intelligence

Ravens rank among the smartest animals on Earth, with brains large for their body size. They can solve multi-step puzzles, fashion and use simple tools, remember individual human faces, and seem to plan ahead by caching food for later. In experiments they have shown problem-solving abilities that rival those of great apes.

Communication and play

Common ravens have a rich vocabulary of croaks, knocks, and other calls, and they can mimic sounds, including human speech. They are also notably playful, sliding down snowy slopes, dropping and catching objects in mid-air, and performing acrobatic rolls and tumbles in flight, behavior that suggests intelligence and curiosity.

Diet and adaptability

Ravens are omnivores and opportunists, eating carrion, insects, small animals, eggs, fruit, grain, and human food scraps. This flexible diet lets them thrive almost anywhere, from Arctic tundra and deserts to forests and busy cities. They often follow predators or scan roadsides to find food others have left behind.

Raven or crow?

Ravens are larger and heavier than crows, with a thicker beak, shaggy throat feathers, and a wedge-shaped tail visible in flight. Their call is a deep, hoarse croak rather than the higher cawing of a crow. Ravens also tend to soar more and are often seen in pairs, while crows frequently gather in larger flocks.

Did you know? Common Raven facts

• The common raven is a large, all-black songbird found across the Northern Hemisphere and one of the most intelligent of all animals.
• Ravens are among the most intelligent animals known. They solve complex puzzles, use tools, recognize individual human faces, and appear to plan for the future, with abilities that rival great apes.
• Ravens are larger, with heavier beaks, shaggy throat feathers, and wedge-shaped tails, and they give a deep croak. Crows are smaller, caw at a higher pitch, and often gather in bigger flocks.
• Ravens are omnivores that eat almost anything, including carrion, insects, small animals, eggs, fruit, grain, and human food scraps, which helps them survive in many environments.
• Yes. Ravens can imitate a wide range of sounds, including human words, and captive ravens sometimes mimic speech as clearly as a parrot.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Common Raven feeds primarily as a omnivore (carrion, small animals, fruit, scraps). Ravens rank among the smartest animals on Earth, with brains large for their body size. They can solve multi-step puzzles, fashion and use simple tools, remember individual human faces, and seem to plan ahead by caching food for later.

Adaptations

• Ravens rank among the smartest animals on Earth, with brains large for their body size. They can solve multi-step puzzles, fashion and use simple tools, remember individual human faces, and seem to plan ahead by caching food for later. In experiments they have shown problem-solving abilities that rival those of great apes.
• Common ravens have a rich vocabulary of croaks, knocks, and other calls, and they can mimic sounds, including human speech. They are also notably playful, sliding down snowy slopes, dropping and catching objects in mid-air, and performing acrobatic rolls and tumbles in flight, behavior that suggests intelligence and curiosity.

Behaviour & ecology

• Ravens rank among the smartest animals on Earth, with brains large for their body size. They can solve multi-step puzzles, fashion and use simple tools, remember individual human faces, and seem to plan ahead by caching food for later. In experiments they have shown problem-solving abilities that rival those of great apes.
• Common ravens have a rich vocabulary of croaks, knocks, and other calls, and they can mimic sounds, including human speech. They are also notably playful, sliding down snowy slopes, dropping and catching objects in mid-air, and performing acrobatic rolls and tumbles in flight, behavior that suggests intelligence and curiosity.
• Ravens are omnivores and opportunists, eating carrion, insects, small animals, eggs, fruit, grain, and human food scraps. This flexible diet lets them thrive almost anywhere, from Arctic tundra and deserts to forests and busy cities. They often follow predators or scan roadsides to find food others have left behind.

Communication

• Common Raven uses calls and visual displays to communicate territory, alarm, and breeding status.
• Vocal repertoires vary by species and are often learned or refined during development.

Habitat & range

Forests, mountains, deserts, coasts, and cities

Ecological role

Common Raven contributes to seed dispersal, insect control, or nutrient cycling depending on diet and foraging habits.

Conservation status of the Common Raven

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Common Raven:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Corvus corax.

• IUCN Red List — Corvus corax.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Corvus corax. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Common Raven.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.