Hear a story about the common raven.
Hear a common raven.

adapted from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

The raven has been the object of countless myths and legends around the world. Odin, the supreme deity of Norse mythology, sent out a pair of ravens at sunrise every day, and at noon they would return to perch on his shoulders and tell him what they had learned. Ravens were sent to sustain the prophet Elijah in the desert, and Native American peoples in the Pacific Northwest considered Raven to be the god who brought life and order. He was also a trickster and succeeded in stealing light from the power who wanted to keep the world in darkness. The raven has also appeared in plays by William Shakespeare and in Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poem.

Ravens belong to a family of birds known as "corvids" that includes jays, crows and magpies. Corvids are the largest of all the perching birds and are known for their harsh voices, aggressive behavior and powerful, all-purpose beaks. Two raven species inhabit North America--the common raven and the Chihuahuan raven. Both are found in Texas.

Young common ravens beg for food.

The common raven ranges around the globe in the Northern Hemisphere and few, if any, birds are less influenced by climate and altitude. Ravens inhabit a wide array of habitats-- from the Arctic tundra to Central America and from the tops of the highest mountains to parched deserts and rocky shores. In Texas the common raven is a year-round resident of the Trans-Pecos and the western edge of the Edward's Plateau. Its cousin, the Chihuahuan raven, inhabits the arid Southwest southward into central Mexico. It resides in the western half of the state--from the Panhandle to the Edward's Plateau and southward along the Rio Grande to Brownsville. It is smaller than the common raven, has a higher pitched call, and white feathers at the base of its neck that can be seen only when the feathers are ruffled--thus an earlier name: the white-necked raven.

The common raven is voracious, belligerent and amazingly intelligent. More than two feet in length, it is much larger and bulkier than the crow and has a longer, heavier bill. Its all-black feathers have a purplish-blue iridescence and are loose and shaggy around the neck. Its beak and legs are also black and its tail is wedge-shaped. Because crows and ravens are competitors, they generally are not found in the same habitats. The Chihuahuan raven replaces the crow in the desert southwest.

Ravens build their large stick nests in trees, on utility poles and on rocky ledges and cliffs. They feed primarily on carrion, but also eats insects, seeds, fruits, eggs, nestlings and small animals. In the air, the raven is capable of awesome displays of aerial gymnastics and can be distinguished from hawks by its wedge-shaped tail. It is not uncommon to see large flocks of ravens foraging for food, especially during fall and winter.

Look for the common raven in the Trans-Pecos region of the state. Ravens sighted in the Panhandle, the eastern Edward's Plateau and South Texas will most likely be the Chihuahuan raven.

Special thanks to Robert A. Behrstock for permission to use his photograph of the common raven.

More Facts... Ravens are largely non-migratory and can survive in some of the most extreme habitats. The female lays 3 to 7 greenish colored eggs that are spotted with brown. They incubate for 18 to 21 days and the young fledge in 38 to 44 days. The raven's most common vocalization is a low-pitched, drawn-out croak--a raspy cr-r-rock or prruk, quite unlike the caw of a crow. The Chihuahuan raven's call is pitched slightly higher. "Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." The Raven. Edgar Allan Poe, 1845.

More Links USGS website with photos and scientific data on the common raven. USGS website with photos and scientific data on the Chihuahuan raven. Checklist of Texas Birds - Common and Scientific Names of the Texas Jays & Crows. Animated ravens!