Ravens (Focus - February)

Ravens are beginning to breed this month; usually laying eggs in late February.

By the beginning of the 20th Century, persecution had reduced the distribution of ravens to the coastal and upland districts of the west and north of the UK. Where I grew up in Weymouth, ravens were a rarity only occasionally seen on the Purbeck coast. Similarly, when I lived in Essex and Berkshire before moving to Tisbury, I just never saw them. So, their obvious presence was one of the things I first noticed on our arrival here. The raven's range has increased again, spreading south and east, with Tisbury well within the area recolonised during the last 50 years. Nationally, there has been an estimated population increase of 40% in the last 25 years. As that growth has taken place, so nesting has expanded beyond the cliffs and crags previously favoured, to tall trees.

For nesting sites, they seem to prefer wooded areas with large expanses of open land nearby, which sounds like a fair description of our local landscape. They currently avoid urban areas, although in earlier centuries when they were more common, they frequented cities, alongside other birds such as kites.

The raven is distinguished from its cousins, the crows, by its greater size – comparable to a buzzard – and by its larger, heavier, black beak and shaggy feathers around the throat. Its entirely black plumage has a purple iridescent sheen when seen close up. It also has a longer, wedge-shaped tail which shows up well in flight. This involves less wing flapping and more soaring and acrobatics than crows. Indeed, they seem to enjoy goofing around in the sky, often in pairs, flipping over to fly upside down, closing wings to drop steeply and engaging in mock battles with their mate.

Their call may grab your attention before you see them: a deep croak of “cronk cronk”  or “pruck pruck” may alert you to a pair circling high above the village or in woodland treetops.

They are long-lived birds and live for 10 -15 years or more in the wild although some at the Tower of London have lived beyond 40. They mate for life, usually nesting in the same location once paired.
Ravens feed mainly on carrion but are omnivorous and opportunistic. When available, they’ll eat grains, acorns, berries and fruit as well as invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds. The raven’s brain is among the largest of any bird species. They are intelligent and show problem solving skills. This may have contributed to its ability to find food which has helped the speed of its recolonisation.

Supposedly, the kingdom will not fall to a foreign invader as long as there are ravens (presently captive) at the Tower of London. It is not clear where this idea comes from, although it may be another romantic invention of the Victorian era. It does, though, offer people a chance to get up close to these magnificent birds.

​Andrew Graham