Common Raven
Heavy bill, shaggy throat, and wedge-shaped tail separate the raven from crows as it works cliffs, tundra, forests, and towns.
Artwork inspired by Ted Lambert
Common ravens are songbirds despite their size. They solve problems, cache food, recognize individuals, manipulate objects, and use an unusually varied vocabulary. In flight, broad wings and a wedge-shaped tail support soaring, rolling, and play that can look more raptor-like than crow-like.
Alaska ravens move between wild food webs and human settlements, where unsecured waste can change abundance and behavior. Observe how a bird uses wind, follows a predator, or conceals a cache, but avoid feeding it. Intelligence does not make a wild raven a pet; it makes every reward memorable.
- Tail in flight
- Wedge-shaped
- Voice
- Deep croaks plus many other sounds
- Range in Alaska
- Year-round statewide resident
Quick guide
- Check the bill
- A raven’s heavy bill and shaggy throat exceed a crow’s proportions.
- Watch the tail
- A wedge appears when the bird spreads it in flight.
Recognize and observe
- Check the bill
- A raven’s heavy bill and shaggy throat exceed a crow’s proportions.
- Watch the tail
- A wedge appears when the bird spreads it in flight.
- Notice play
- Slides, rolls, object drops, and aerial exchanges may be deliberate.
- Close the trash
- Prevent learned dependence and conflict around people.
Good to know
A raven does not always say “croak,” and a crow does not always say “caw.” Structure and flight shape are stronger than one remembered sound.
Notice these
- Wedge-shaped
- Deep croaks plus many other sounds
- Year-round statewide resident