All About Ravens

Here is a recent post from the Union Bay Watch Blog published by Larry Hubbell, long-time local photographer and birder.

Here also is an in-depth article about Larry and his work.

The Mythical Raven

The Raven and I exchanged glances at a great distance..

This week, for the first time in my life, I saw Ravens in the Arboretum. I was awe-struck. Words cannot explain my excitement, wonder, and reverence. I was lucky enough to see them on three consecutive days. It was like watching a myth come to life. 

Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest chose the Raven as the creator of the earth, the moon, and humanity. They also recognized the Raven's intelligence, referring to it to as, The Trickster. You can experience much more about The Raven and its relationship with the native Pacific Northwest culture at the Tillicum Village production on Blake Island. 

As the European culture expanded across North American Ravens learned to avoid humans. Unlike salmon, the Ravens were smart enough and capable enough to retire to more isolated regions. During my lifetime I have generally seen Ravens in areas like The Olympics, Crystal Ski Area, Snoqualmie Pass and near the Skagit River delta.

However, there are reports that Ravens are beginning to reappear in urban environments. Wild creatures are constantly striving and fighting to find new food sources and safe locations to raise their young. It will be interesting to see if the Ravens in the Arboretum find everything they need to become our permanent neighbors.

I suspect these two Ravens are a new pair, searching for a territory of their own. From a habitat perspective, the tall native trees of the Arboretum have attracted their attention. The next question is, Will they find an adequate supply of food? 

Ravens are omnivores. They will eat anything from fruit, eggs, and insects, to a vast variety of small creatures including roadkill. Anything we can do to help the smaller creatures thrive will ultimately benefit the Ravens.

Local residents can help by:

1. Leaving dead snags, small piles of brush, leaves, spider webs, lichen and moss in our yards and parks - these provide nesting material and/or food sources for a variety of small creatures and birds.
2. Retaining native plants - local creatures intuitively know how to utilize native flora.
3. Facilitating multi-story environments, from ground cover to trees - a variety of species utilize each level of native habitat. Multiple stories multiplies productivity.
4. Keeping bird feeders clean and full - healthy populations of small birds are critical to the natural food pyramid.
5. Leaving chemicals at the store - rodenticides, herbicides, and pesticides are not selective killers. They can bioaccumulate and kill Owls, Hawks, Eagles, and Ravens.

A very common question is, How can you tell a Raven from Crow? There is a size difference. However, unless you see them close together it can be hard to judge. Crows generally weigh around a pound while Ravens can weigh up to four times as much. In this photo, the Raven is seated and the Crow is darting in to harass it. Also, note the shape of the Crow's tail.

Ravens, particularly in-flight, often display more of a diamond-shaped tail as opposed to the fan-shaped tail of a Crow. Although, at normal angles, the shape can be hard to judge. Raven's wings are also relatively longer and less rounded. You can easily compare with the previous photo.

Ravens have a much deeper voice. I hear 'Grawk' instead of the higher pitched 'Caw' of a Crow.

Click Here - to select and hear Raven sounds.

The first recording is the 'standard' sound of a Raven. The last recording is amazingly different. The first time I heard it in the wild I had great difficulty believing it came from a Raven - even though I was looking directly at the Raven at the time. 

Ravens can display obvious hackles. The long feathers extending out from the neck. These can be raised although when they are lowered they are basically invisible. In this case, the Raven's hackles were raised because it was irritated by the crow's harassment.

A Raven's bill is shaped differently than a Crow's. The tapering of a Raven's bill is rather subtle until after the halfway point. There is a distinct change in the angle of the tapering.

With Crows, the tapering begins at the head and the angle continues quite consistently all the way to the end.

Ravens tend to have a slower wing-beat and often glide and circle with their wings fully extended. Crows tend to have a very steady wing-beat and are often seen flying in a straight line, apparently headed toward a specific destination.

Wood Duck Update:

Last week, while observing Wood Ducks and their boxes, Jeff Graham caught this great sequence on video. (Thank You, Jeff!) His friend and fellow Wood Duck observer David O. Wilbur kindly converted these frames to still photos.

Two Wood Duck hens with similar nesting priorities.

There can be only one - at least for the moment.

The second hen won the battle but not the war.

Wood Ducks often lay eggs in nests other than their own. If the timing is right, the eggs can be successful and a higher level of genetic diversity is insured. If the timing is off, the eggs can end up being wasted primarily because they do not get properly incubated.