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Australian Raven

(Corvus coronoides)
Size: 48-54 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are two races of Australian Ravens. Nominate race "coronoides" is found in the eastern half of the Australian continent, from eastern SA (to the east of Coober Pedy), except near Adealaide and not in the north-eastern corner of the state) through all of VIC and NSW (except the north-eastern corner) and into southern QLD. In QLD they are not found in near the east coast or in the ranges. Outside the breeding season they extend their range to include central and northern QLD, except Cape York peninsula, plus the eastern part of the NT, rarely up to about Alice Springs (and not in the Simpson Desert). Race "perplexus" is found in the south-western corner of WA, south-west of a line connecting Kalbarri with Kalgoorlie, WA, and all along the south coast of WA. There is also a population in SA, in a small area west of about Coober Pedy and from there towards the Nullarbor.

Australian Ravens can be found in many different types of habitat, except dense forest.

Twitcher's tip

Most of the birds from the Corvus family ("corvids") commonly called "crows" in south-east Australia are in fact "ravens". The most common member of this family in south-east Australia is the "Australian Raven". Identification of species is, amongst other things, based on a comparison of the length of a corvid's bill with the size of its head.

Sightings

Australian Ravens were regular visitors at the place where we lived from 2003 to 2006, 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW. They often took off with half or more of our chicken scraps, accompanied by sounds that resembled quite distinctively a human "harharhaaaaar"...

They are also one of the most common birds 20 km east of Narrabri; however, there they appear primarily in autumn/winter.

Together with Little Ravens, Australian White Ibises and Whistling Kites, one of the most common birds seen around the local garbage depot.

Also sighted on a trip to the east of the dividing range, in the area from Armidale to Dorrigo, NSW.

Seen by us also on a trip to outback NSW and South Australia in March 2008, basically everywhere we went.

Spotted also basically everywhere in southern and central Queensland on a trip in July 2009.

Photos

Frontal view of an Australian Raven; their forward vision (see the position of the eyes) shows that they are not worried about raptors

Australian Raven displaying its hackles

Lateral view of an Australian Raven

Different perspective from below; note that there are no white tail feathers - these are glossy black feathers reflecting sunlight

Australian Raven seen from behind

Here an Australian Raven in flight

Different phase of the wing beat

Australian Raven taking a bath

Immature Australian Raven

Corvus coronoides "moriturus" - a blind Australian Raven that appeared in our garden in November 2011; although it could still fly it was doomed (one can see that it was under attack from ants already)

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Sep Eggs: 4 - 5 Incubation period: 19 days Fledging age: 28 days

There can be communal breeding, with more than one female laying eggs into the same nest. All family members help care for the chicks.

Nest

Type: Basket Material: Sticks with grass, wool or fur lining Height above ground: <10 m

Australian Raven's nest 15 m high up in a treetop

Different nest, with three chicks looking out over the edge

Eggs

Size: 45 x 35 mm Colour: Creamy, heavily speckled all over with brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal/roaming Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Flock

Australian Ravens are the "highway patrol" in the bird world. They fly along roads searching for roadkill, which, together with ants and Whistling Kites, they will clean up in a very short time.

They are very well adapted to the presence of humans in cities, but shy out in the wild. They often come in pairs in summertime and groups through the winter, one first checking out the terrain before the others approach. Even then one will probably remain high in a tree while the others forage.

We have seen an Australian Raven hustle an Australian Magpie, stealing its prey in flight. When the Magpie let go of the small lizard it had caught, the Australian Raven scooped it up in mid-air and then flew to a nearby tree to pluck it apart while sitting on a horizontal branch.

Food

Like all members of the Corvus family known to us, Australian Ravens are omnivores. They are often found scavenging at tips and by roadsides.

Here an Australian Raven that we have seen with something to eat (hard to identify at this distance) on the water's edge at Narrabri Lake; we do not know whether the bird caught its prey in the water or whether it may have rinsed its meal (a behavioural pattern that we have seen used by a House Crow in Oman