Australian Raven

Fascinating facts about the Australian Raven

• Measuring 46–53 cm (18–21 in) long with a 100 cm (39 in) wingspan and weighing about 650 g, the Australian raven is the largest corvid in Australia, its glossy black plumage flashing blue-purple or blue-green in the right light.
• The bird’s throat hackles are long and lance-shaped; when raised they give the raven a bearded look that sets it apart from the other four Australian corvids, whose hackles end in bifurcate tips.
• Pairs stay together for life and defend territories that can include city parks, suburbs and open woodlands; they even nest on human structures like windmills, building a bowl-shaped stick nest high up in a tree or on the roof.
• Breeding runs from July to September across its whole range, and hatchlings keep brown irises for about fifteen months before turning hazel with a blue rim, a pattern that lasts until they are roughly 2.5–3 years old.
• Genetic studies show the eastern and western subspecies split into two distinct clades almost as different as the forest and little ravens, suggesting they could be recognised as separate species despite looking almost identical.

At a glance

About the Australian Raven

The Australian raven (Corvus coronoides) commands attention with its sleek, all-black silhouette, measuring 46–53 cm in length and boasting a glossy plumage that shimmers with a purple-blue to greenish sheen under the sun. Its most distinctive feature, long throat hackles that flare like a bearded crest when the bird calls, sets it apart from the Australian crow and other corvids. Dark, sturdy legs and a heavy, slightly hooked beak, longer than its head, complete the picture of a bird built for versatility. Across the continent it thrives in open woodlands, transitional zones, and increasingly in the bustling streets of Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, where it nests in high tree forks or even on windmills and buildings. Pairs bond for life and defend territories year-round, breeding from July to September with a bowl-shaped stick nest. An opportunistic omnivore, it scavenges fruit, seeds, lizards, small mammals and the occasional bird chick, while also raiding urban waste bins for meat, seafood and eggs. A surprising ecological role emerges in its raven-like cleanup: by feeding on carrion, stillborn livestock and even newborn mammal faeces, it helps curb the spread of pathogens much as vultures do elsewhere, turning the city’s refuse into a vital service.

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