Common Raven (Corvus corax)


Group	Jays and Crows
Code	ABPAV10110
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Corvidae
Author	Linnaeus, 1758
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	P (definitions)
Scale	N (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	Crawford, Grand Traverse, Emmet, Iosco, Clare, Cheboygan, Benzie, Kalkaska, Antrim, Alpena, Montmorency, Charlevoix, Oscoda, Wexford, Alcona, Roscommon, Otsego, Osceola, Ogemaw, Missaukee, Mason, Manistee, Lake, Presque Isle, Leelanau
Southern LP	none

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

Habitat Requirements may be distributed across the NEIGHBORHOOD

      (Any Forested Upland Except Conifer Plantations (Regen))
      or (Any Forested Lowland Except Bottomland Hardwoods (Regen))
      or Grass
      or Upland Brush
      or Savanna
      or Fields/Pastures
      or Sedge Meadow
      or Lowland Brush
      or Bog
   neighboring:
      (Any Forested Upland Except Conifer Plantations (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Any Forested Lowland Except Bottomland Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Treed Bog
   containing:
      (Mast and (Rock Bluffs or Conifer Inclusions))

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	-
Paper Birch	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	-
Oak	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Assorted Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Northern Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Spruce/Fir	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Hemlock	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Jack Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Red Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
White Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Upland Conifer	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Swamp Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Northern White Cedar	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Black Spruce	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Lowland Conifer	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Non-Forested	Grass, Upland Brush, Savanna, Fields/Pastures, Sedge Meadow, Lowland Brush, Bog or Muskeg, Treed Bog
Special Features	Mast, Conifer Inclusions, Rock Bluffs

view size class definitions

Literature:

Evers, D. C. 1991. Common Raven. Pages 318-319 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: Throughout its North American range, the Common Raven occurs in a variety of contrasting habitats, from deserts to mountains, and from northern forests to the tundra and associated ice pack. Although tolerant of limited human disturbance, the raven does require relatively large forest tracts for breeding in the Great Lakes region.

Data from the Atlas Habitat Survey indicate a wide selection of breeding habitats including all forest types, although 80% of the forest reports were classified as mature and nearly one-half were classified as mixed northern hardwoods.

Foraging is typically in open country. Ravens are opportunistic in their feeding habitats and can kill animals as large as gulls and medium-sized mammals. They have adopted the behavior of feeding along roads for carrion.

Few nest sites are documented; those described in Dickinson Co. Indicate two types of nesting habitats used in Michigan. Parmelee and Johnson found several stick nests placed on ledges of rock cliffs, and Parmelee described two tree nests, 8 and 12 m above the ground in spruce. Tree nests are more prevalent in Michigan.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Remote mountain forests, seacoasts, wooded marine islands. Prefers open woodlands, clearings; avoids extensive dense forests. Wintering: Ravens commonly move toward the coast or to southern parts of breeding range where food is more accessible. Lake shores, river banks, mud flats.

Special Habitat Requirements: Cliffs or tall trees for nesting.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Boreal and mountain forests, coastal cliffs, tundra, desert. Can live in a very wide array of habitats, from tundra above the Arctic Circle to hot desert areas of the southwest. Often in heavily forested country; may also live on prairies if good nest sites (on cliffs) exist nearby.

Diet: Omnivorous. May feed on practically anything, but majority of diet apparently is animal matter. Feeds on a wide variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, and others; also rodents, lizards, frogs, and eggs and young of other birds. Regularly eats carrion and garbage.

Nest: Site is usually on ledge of rock cliff or high in tall tree (especially conifer). May use same site year after year, adding material on top of old nest. Nest is a bulky basket of large sticks and twigs, with deep depression in center lined with grass, bark strips, moss, animal hair.