© monacoeye • France, October 2012 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Northern Raven
Latin: Corvus corax
Other: Common Raven, Raven • Grand Corbeau (Fr) • Kolkrabe (De) • cuervo común, cacalote (Es) • Corvo imperiale (It) • Raaf (Nl) • Korp (Nl) • Corvo-comum (Pt)
Family: Corvidae • Crows, Ravens
Range: Widespread North America, Middle America, Eurasia, Iceland
Similar: Carrion Crow

The Northern Raven is a large bird - the size of a medium to large bird of prey. In flight, the pointed tail and long pointed wings distinguish it from the Carrion Crow, which has a square-cut tail and squarer wings. The Raven has a very heavy bill.

There are no crows on Iceland - the bird pictured below must be a Raven. Possibly Corvus corax varius, the Icelandic subspecies, which has whitish feathers on the neck.

Below, Northern Raven in Iceland, May 2011.
More photos...

160 Corvidae - Crows, Jays, Magpies, Choughs, Ravens - IOC 2.5 2010

Platylophus galericulatus - Crested Jay - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo

Platysmurus leucopterus - Black Magpie - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo

Perisoreus infaustus - Siberian Jay - N Eurasia
Perisoreus internigrans - Sichuan Jay - WC China
Perisoreus canadensis - Grey Jay - N North America

Cyanolyca armillata - Black-collared Jay - Venezuela to Ecuador
Cyanolyca viridicyanus - White-collared Jay - Peru, Bolivia
Cyanolyca turcosa - Turquoise Jay - S Colombia, N Peru
Cyanolyca pulchra - Beautiful Jay - Colombia, Ecuador, N Peru
Cyanolyca cucullata - Azure-hooded Jay - Widespread Middle America
Cyanolyca pumilo - Black-throated Jay - S Mexico to NW Honduras
Cyanolyca nana - Dwarf Jay - SW Mexico
Cyanolyca mirabilis - White-throated Jay - SW Mexico
Cyanolyca argentigula - Silvery-throated Jay - Costa Rica, Panama

Cyanocorax melanocyaneus - Bushy-crested Jay - Guatemala to Nicaragua
Cyanocorax sanblasianus - San Blas Jay - W Mexico
Cyanocorax yucatanicus - Yucatan Jay - Yucatan Peninsula
Cyanocorax beecheii - Purplish-backed Jay - NW Mexico
Cyanocorax violaceus - Violaceous Jay - W Amazonia
Cyanocorax caeruleus - Azure Jay - SE South America
Cyanocorax cyanomelas - Purplish Jay - SC South America
Cyanocorax cristatellus - Curl-crested Jay - SE South America
Cyanocorax dickeyi - Tufted Jay - W Mexico
Cyanocorax affinis - Black-chested Jay - Costa Rica to NW Venezuela
Cyanocorax mystacalis - White-tailed Jay - SW Ecuador, NW Peru
Cyanocorax cayanus - Cayenne Jay - N Amazonia
Cyanocorax heilprini - Azure-naped Jay - NW Amazonia
Cyanocorax chrysops - Plush-crested Jay - SC, E South America
Cyanocorax cyanopogon - White-naped Jay - E Brazil
Cyanocorax luxuosus - Green Jay - S Texas to Honduras
Cyanocorax yncas - Inca Jay - Venezuela to Bolivia

Psilorhinus morio - Brown Jay - Widespread Middle America, also S Texas

Calocitta colliei - Black-throated Magpie-Jay - W Mexico
Calocitta formosa - White-throated Magpie-Jay - S Mexico to Costa Rica

Cyanocitta cristata - Blue Jay - C, E North America
Cyanocitta stelleri - Steller's Jay - W North America, Middle America

Aphelocoma ultramarina - Mexican Jay - SW USA to S Mexico
Aphelocoma unicolor - Unicolored Jay - C Mexico to W Honduras
Aphelocoma californica - California Scrub Jay - Washington state to Baja California
Aphelocoma woodhouseii - Woodhouse's Scrub Jay - NW USA (Oregon, Idaho) south to Guerrero and C,E Oaxaca
Aphelocoma insularis - Island Scrub Jay - Santa Cruz Island
Aphelocoma coerulescens - Florida Scrub Jay - Florida

Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus - Pinyon Jay - W North America

Garrulus glandarius - Eurasian Jay - Widespread Eurasia, Asia, also NW Africa
Garrulus lanceolatus - Black-headed Jay - C, SC Eurasia
Garrulus lidthi - Lidth's Jay - Ryukyu Islands

Cyanopica cyanus - Azure-winged Magpie - E, C Asia
Cyanopica cooki - Iberian Magpie - Iberian Peninsula

Urocissa ornata - Sri Lanka Blue Magpie - Sri Lanka
Urocissa caerulea - Taiwan Blue Magpie - Taiwan
Urocissa flavirostris - Yellow-billed Blue Magpie - Himalayas
Urocissa erythrorhyncha - Red-billed Blue Magpie - Himalayas, Southeast Asia
Urocissa whiteheadi - White-winged Magpie - Southeast Asia

Cissa chinensis - Common Green Magpie - Widespread Asia
Cissa hypoleuca - Indochinese Green Magpie - Southeast Asia
Cissa thalassina - Short-tailed Green Magpie - Java, Borneo

Dendrocitta vagabunda - Rufous Treepie - Widespread Asia
Dendrocitta occipitalis - Sumatran Treepie - Sumatra
Dendrocitta cinerascens - Bornean Treepie - Borneo
Dendrocitta formosae - Grey Treepie - Widespread Asia
Dendrocitta leucogastra - White-bellied Treepie - SW India
Dendrocitta frontalis - Collared Treepie - N India to NW Vietnam
Dendrocitta bayleyi - Andaman Treepie - Andaman Islands

Crypsirina temia - Racket-tailed Treepie - Burma to Java
Crypsirina cucullata - Hooded Treepie - Burma

Temnurus temnurus - Ratchet-tailed Treepie - Southeast Asia

Pica pica - Eurasian Magpie - Widespread Eurasia, also NW Africa
Pica hudsonia - Black-billed Magpie - W North America
Pica nuttalli - Yellow-billed Magpie - California

Zavattariornis stresemanni - Stresemann's Bush Crow - Ethiopia

Podoces hendersoni - Henderson's Ground Jay - C Asia
Podoces biddulphi - Biddulph's Ground Jay - NW China
Podoces panderi - Pander's Ground Jay - SC Asia
Podoces pleskei - Pleske's Ground Jay - Iran

Nucifraga columbiana - Clark's Nutcracker - W North America
Nucifraga caryocatactes - Spotted Nutcracker - Widespread Eurasia
Nucifraga multipunctata - Large-spotted Nutcracker - W Himalayas

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax - Red-billed Chough - Widespread Eurasia, also NW, NE Africa
Pyrrhocorax graculus - Alpine Chough - S, SC, Eurasia, also N Africa

Ptilostomus afer - Piapiac - E, C, W Africa

Coloeus monedula - Western Jackdaw - C, W, SW, Eurasia, also N Africa
Coloeus dauuricus - Daurian Jackdaw - E, EC Eurasia

Corvus splendens - House Crow - NW India through SW Thailand
Corvus moneduloides - New Caledonian Crow - New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands
Corvus unicolor - Banggai Crow - E Sulawesi
Corvus enca - Slender-billed Crow - Malaysia to Borneo, Philippines, Asia, also Sulawesi
Corvus violaceus - Violet Crow - Seram
Corvus typicus - Piping Crow - Sulawesi
Corvus florensis - Flores Crow - Lesser Sundas
Corvus kubaryi - Mariana Crow - Mariana Islands
Corvus validus - Long-billed Crow - N, C Moluccas
Corvus woodfordi - White-billed Crow - Solomon Islands
Corvus meeki - Bougainville Crow - Solomon Islands
Corvus fuscicapillus - Brown-headed Crow - New Guinea
Corvus tristis - Grey Crow - New Guinea
Corvus capensis - Cape Crow - NE, E, S Africa
Corvus frugilegus - Rook - Widespread Eurasia
Corvus brachyrhynchos - American Crow - Widespread North America
Corvus caurinus - Northwestern Crow - NW North America
Corvus imparatus - Tamaulipas Crow - NE Mexico and S Texas
Corvus sinaloae - Sinaloa Crow - NW Mexico
Corvus ossifragus - Fish Crow - E, SE USA
Corvus palmarum - Hispaniolan Palm Crow - Hispaniola
Corvus minutus - Cuban Palm Crow - Cuba
Corvus jamaicensis - Jamaican Crow - Jamaica
Corvus nasicus - Cuban Crow - Cuba, Caicos Islands
Corvus leucognaphalus - White-necked Crow - Hispaniola, Puerto Rico
Corvus hawaiiensis - Hawaiian Crow - Hawaiian Islands
Corvus corone - Carrion Crow - N, SW, E Eurasia
Corvus cornix - Hooded Crow - C, S Eurasia
Corvus torquatus - Collared Crow - E, C China, N Vietnam
Corvus macrorhynchos - Large-billed Crow - E Eurasia Eurasia, Asia, also C, S Malay Peninsula, Sundas, Philippines
Corvus levaillantii - Eastern Jungle Crow - N India to N Malay Peninsula
Corvus culminatus - Indian Jungle Crow - Peninsular India, Sri Lanka
Corvus orru - Torresian Crow - Widespread Australasia
Corvus insularis - Bismarck Crow - Bismarck Archipelago
Corvus bennetti - Little Crow - W, C Australia
Corvus tasmanicus - Forest Raven - SE Australia
Corvus mellori - Little Raven - SE Australia
Corvus coronoides - Australian Raven - Australia
Corvus albus - Pied Crow - Widespread Africa
Corvus ruficollis - Brown-necked Raven - S Eurasia
Corvus edithae - Somali Crow - N Africa
Corvus corax - Northern Raven - Widespread North America, Middle America, Eurasia
Corvus cryptoleucus - Chihuahuan Raven - SW USA to N Mexico
Corvus rhipidurus - Fan-tailed Raven - E, C, W Africa, SW Europe
Corvus albicollis - White-necked Raven - E, S Africa
Corvus crassirostris - Thick-billed Raven - NE Africa