Habitat
Occurs from marine shores to mountain ridges (Armstrong 2008) in boreal, conifer, and deciduous forests, tundra, prairies, grasslands, agricultural fields, and developed areas. Prefers areas with cliffs for foraging and nesting (or human structures or trees; Boarman and Heinrich 1999). In B.C., recorded breeding from sea level to 1,320 m. The majority of nests were found in forest habitats primarily mature forest and some second growth. Also found nesting, but to a lesser extent, in industrial sites, residential areas, parks, and burns. Garbage dumps are a major source of food in the winter. Also, use farm fields, highways, logged forests, mine sites, barns, campsites, ski resorts, camps, and urban and suburban areas. Highways also used (Campbell et al. 1997). Nests usually on cliff ledges or in coniferous trees, also on man-made structures (NatureServe 2007b).
References
Armstrong, R. H. 2008. Guide to the birds of Alaska. 5th edition. Alaska Northwest Books, Anchorage, AK. 360 pp.
Boarman, W. I. and B. Heinrich. 1999. Common Raven (Corvus corax). In The Birds of North America, Vol. 7, No. 476 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, M. C. E. McNall, and G. E. J. Smith. 1997. The Birds of British Columbia. Volume 3. Passerines: flycatchers through vireos. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. 693 pages.
NatureServe. 2007b. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
