Description
The largest member of the Crow Family, ravens average 24 inches tall, with a wingspan of 46-56 inches. Their coloration is all-black with a metallic shine of purple or violet that is noticeable in certain lighting conditions. The bill is large and stout. In flight, the tail appears wedge-shaped, which distinguishes it from crows.
Vocalization
The Common Raven's scientific name, Corvus corax, means " raven croaker." Noted for their calls, Bernd Heinrich writes in "Ravens in Winter" how many researchers have studied ravens and their vocalizations. One observation that was consistent throughout the findings is that ravens have a wide repertoire of vocalizations.
These sounds, though, vary greatly from area to area. One bird's quork was another bird's kra, and was another's caw. The researcher's correlated raven behavior with the calls, as well. These activities were then lumped into categories, nestling's kaah for hunger, antagonist kaaa for defense, quork for territorial advertisement. But what the researchers also found while reviewing the sonograms of each other's work, was that they, the researchers, often found little common ground. One's "flight call" was another's "territorial advertisement".
Tail
Ravens have a wedge-shaped tail, distinguishing them from crows, which have a fan-shaped tail.
Related Species
The raven is often confused with its close relative, the crow, but there are major differences between the two species that are apparent when crows and ravens are seen together. Ravens are more solitary than crows, which will often assemble in large flocks.
Ravens eat rodents, insects, grain, fruit, bird eggs and refuse. They consume much carrion, especially in winter and will even prey upon sick and injured animals.
A raven is every bit as alert as a crow and possesses sharp eyesight and hearing. Ravens are considered among the most intelligent of all birds; like crows, they can learn to imitate a variety of sounds, including the human voice. In nature, their calls include guttural croaks, gurgling noises, and a sharp, metallic "tock.
Behavior
Ravens are strong fliers that can hover in place like American kestrels or soar like a hawk. They may fly like stunt pilots at times, doing partial barrel-rolls in flight. The birds may form large flocks of over several hundred individuals during their autumnal migration.