General Description: Common Ravens (Corvus corax) are large, all-black birds (to 24 inches total length) with a long, delta-shaped tail, a large heavy bill, and a shaggy ruff of feathers around the throat.

Ravens are desert birds that usually fly in pairs or small family groups. American Crows, with which they are often confused, are smaller, more social, and fly in great flocks in agricultural areas. However, I did see one great flock of ravens in the White Mountains of California where we estimated that some 10,000 ravens were flying together and settling in for the night to roost in a Pinyon-Juniper Forest. I have no idea what so many ravens were doing, probably migrating, but I've never heard of such a thing elsewhere.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Corvidae.

Comments: By human standards, Common Ravens are considered the smartest of all birds. Native peoples called them "Trickster," and items they lost or misplaced often were blamed on the Trickster. Common Ravens are playful and often turn over and fly up-side-down. They can also be bold and aggressive when defending their nests or when trying to get food from campers.

Common Ravens do fairly well around human habitations in desert regions because they are adept at scavenging food from around homes and dumps, and because they fly along roads and pick up roadkill carrion (dead animals). While most species decline in numbers when humans move in, Common Raven numbers probably are higher now than ever before. This is good for Ravens, but they predate other species, so overall this might not be a good thing. Some people blame Common Ravens for the decline in Desert Tortoise and advocate killing Common Ravens because they eat tortoise hatchlings, but the concern is overblown.