Australian Raven
Corvus coronoides
Australian ravens are opportunistic feeders, eating anything from carrion to biscuits and bread — they have been seen dipping pieces of these into water to soften them. They will bash snails against rocks to get at their insides. Sometimes they even steal golf balls, mistaking them for eggs.
Corvids Down Under
Australian ravens are found in the southern and northeastern parts of their namesake country. Pairing up for life, they defend their homestead by divebombing intruders and threats; whether they be birds of prey, foxes, or even humans. Their calls are loud and obvious, often sounding like low-pitched, yowling cats.
A young Australian raven with light blue eyes.
Sly Scavengers
Together, a pair struts and hops along the ground in search of food. Their preference is meat. Invertebrates are a common menu item — the tougher ones to crack, such as snails, are bashed against make-shift anvils like fenceposts and rocks. Flesh is much enjoyed if they can get it. Sometimes they kill smaller birds, or they may be lucky and find an already expired mammal to pick at. They've been seen dipping meat into water before scoffing it down, something they also do with scavenged bread and biscuits. If the food is too bountiful for one sitting, they can store the shredded meat under their tongues as a snack for later or find a nearby hole to cache it in. In their less-than-bright moments, they take golf balls from the green, mistaking them for eggs.
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📍 Badu Mangroves, Sydney 📅 15 October, 2023
These bustling black birds were my constant companions while walking alone through the sulphur-smelling Badu Mangroves. They hopped along the ground ahead of me, then took wing to perch on a branch as I approached too close for their comfort. Their heads constantly flicked from side to side — always keeping watch; some with eyes a light baby blue, others with eyes as inky as their feathers.
The ravens and their kin — the birds of the corvid family — are known for their intelligence, and these feathered swamp residents certainly appeared sharp and inquisitive (unlike the brushturkeys that lived alongside them, who fled from any noise or movement and only cared for building their large mound-nests). I even spotted a raven with a stick in its beak, using it to excavate larvae from inside a rotting log. Nevertheless, no matter how bright the ravens seemed, there was something almost robotic, something mechanical that made them rather unnerving companions. To me, they brought to mind the thought of big black surveillance cameras with wings.
Where Does It Live?
⛰️ Found in all habitat types with the exception of arid areas.
📍 Southwestern Western Australia and much of eastern Australia
‘Least Concern’ as of 01 October, 2016.
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Size // Small
Length // 52 cm (20.5 in)
Wingspan // 100 cm (39 in)
Weight // 650 grams (1.4 lbs)
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Activity: Diurnal ☀️
Lifestyle: Solitary or Pairs
Lifespan: Up to 21 years.
Diet: Omnivore
Favorite Food: Any scavenged scraps.
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Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Species: C. coronoides
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These birds are quite social, usually found in pairs.
The territorial call of an Australian raven sounds a bit like a cackle — “ah-ah-ah-aaaah” — and often concludes with a drawn-out wail.
The throat hackles of an Australian raven are quite long, giving it a "bearded" appearance.
Despite their intelligence, they have been known to mistake golf balls for eggs and steal them from the green.
Like other avian opportunists in Australia, such as the silver gull and Australian white ibis, the population of Australian ravens has increased with the amount of human garbage.
This raven is chiefly carnivorous; with only 1/4 of its diet coming from plants.
