Photo: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Raven
Corvus corax
Northern Raven (Corvus corax) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Raven (Corvus corax) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults measure 69.0 cm and weigh 928 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
- Genus Corvus
- Species corax
Quick facts
- Size
- 69.0 cm
- Weight
- 928 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike in glossy black plumage; males average larger with bulkier bills but are not safely separable by sight.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles are duller and browner than the all-black adults, with brownish breast and chest feathers and less iridescence.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Raven is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Northern Raven is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Northern Raven (Corvus corax) is a species of bird in the Corvidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, PAL widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 928 g and measures about 69.0 cm in length, with a wing length of about 42 cm and a tail of around 22.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 52.3 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Raven?
The Northern Raven is a very large bird that weighs around 928 g and measures about 69.0 cm.
Where does the Northern Raven live?
The Northern Raven is found across Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, MA, PAL widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Raven belong to?
The Northern Raven (Corvus corax) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Raven eat?
The Northern Raven is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Northern Raven migrate?
The Northern Raven is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Northern Raven endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern Raven make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Raven — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Raven's range?
The Northern Raven has a mapped global range of about 52.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Corvids
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Extinct in the Wild
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Guides for this bird
Best Feeders for Jays & Larger Garden Birds
How to choose a feeder for jays and other big, bold garden birds — the styles that suit peanuts and larger food, and how to keep them from crowding your small-bird feeders. A decision framework with the species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
American Crow vs Northern Raven: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a American Crow from a Northern Raven — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.