Wild Fact #497 – The Playful Spirit – Common Raven
Photo by David Hofmann (Wikimedia)
Today’s Wild Fact was suggested by a friend of mine since she was looking for some good “scienc-y” information on her spirit animal, which just happens to be the Common Raven. Since our good ol’ Wild Facts didn’t have anything on this incredibly intelligent bird, I thought we would change that today. Living in the Yukon for a few years, I have learned a bit about the Common Raven since they are symbolic amongst the First Nation communities. These birds are really fascinating and I hope you will have a greater respect for them by the time you finish reading today’s Wild Fact.
You may not realize this but the Raven is actually an acrobatic bird and is thought to be equivalent to the more popular fliers such as hawks and falcons. The Raven especially likes to show off their aerial skills during mating season as they dive, chase and roll throughout the sky. This is just one more example of a typical guy showing off for the ladies. It’s really no different then when I add 10 pounds to the bench press the minute a girl walks into the gym. Moving on….You may not know this but the Raven is incredibly intelligent and has been known to solve complex puzzles created by scientists. As well, they also have a playful side. These birds have a lot going for them, athletic, intelligent and fun to be around.
Generally we think of Ravens as scavenging birds but they have been known to employ some interesting hunting techniques as well. For instance, the Common Raven will cooperate with one another and form hunting teams so they can bring down prey that is too large for an individual bird. For the most part though, they feed on eggs, rodents, worms, insects and of course carrion and human garbage. I guess every diet needs to have a little bit of junk food, right?
Photo by Copetersen www.copetersen.com (Wikimedia)
During the winter the Common Raven will typically gather in flocks, which allows them to forage together during the day and also roost together during the cold nights. Once winter is over though, these birds tend to pair up or form small groups and it is believed that the Raven will mate for life. Now I see why those aerial acrobatics are so important for these birds….you don’t want to mess up your whole life with one wrong dive.
Common Raven Fast Fact – The Common Raven is typically mistaken for the American Crow, however, the Raven is larger in size and has a larger beak then the Crow. As well, in flight the Raven’s tail will come to a point in the middle while the Crow has an evenly rounded tail.
That does it for today’s Spirit animal. I hope you enjoyed learning about the Common Raven and I will see you tomorrow for the last fact of the week.
