Photo by George Wall

Description:  The Common Raven is a glossy black in color, from head to toe.  A large bird, nearly two feet in length, it has a heavy bill and a wedge-shaped tail.  Raven is the largest songbird.  

Habitat:  Raven is very adaptable.  Within Arizona, the Common Raven is absent from southeastern grasslands, where the Chihuahuan Raven rules.  They also avoid dense forests.  Otherwise, they are found throughout the state.  Outside the state, they are common west of the Rockies.  In the east, they occupy the northern states and live along the Appalachian Mountain Range.  The midwest and southeast portions of the nation doesn’t suit them.  They range as far north as Alaska and south to Nicaragua.  They do not migrate.  They’ll reside in rural or urban settings.

Diet:  Carrion, bird eggs and nestlings, insects, berries, mammals and crustaceans

Breeding:  Common Raven likes height for its nests.  It chooses tall trees, cliff ledges, transmission line poles and rocky ledges for a nest site.  The female does most of the nest building, but the male helps supply materials, mostly branches and sticks.  The finished product is bulky and deep.