Common Raven Croaks in a Sleeping Forest

The guttural croaking of Common Ravens (Corvus corax) can be heard echoing through the hibernating forest, which is still blanketed in ice from recent storms.

While they are a perfect addition to the winter forest scene, you can see ravens at Hawk Mountain year-round. These large, black birds put on quite a show for visitors and counters at North Lookout, chasing migrating raptors and barrel-rolling across the horizon. Common ravens can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, making them the most widely distributed corvid species.

Can’t tell if the bird in your scope is a crow or a raven? Ravens are larger than crows, closer in size to red-tailed hawks. They also have thicker bills and long feathers on their throat called “hackles” that give them a shaggier appearance. They can raise these feathers while calling or when they feel threatened. In flight, ravens have a diamond-shaped tail whereas a crow’s is more rounded. Ravens soar and crows only break their constant flapping by short glides. The call is also a dead giveaway: a deep, gurgling croak compared to the simpler scratchy cawing of a crow.

Photo by Bill Moses.