Chihuahuan Raven

Corvus cryptoleucusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Crows and Jays (Corvidae)

Codes: Common Name: CHRA Scientific Name: CORCRY ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179730

Related Birds

Brown Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Fish Crow
Tamaulipas Crow
Eurasian Jackdaw
Northwestern Crow

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Overview

Chihuahuan Raven: Small raven, entirely metallic blue-black except for inconspicuous white neck feathers which are infrequently displayed. Eyes are pale brown. Alternates between several deep wing beats and short to long glides. Glides from altitude to perch or ground. Soars on thermals, updrafts.

Range and Habitat

Chihuahuan Raven: Breeds from southern Arizona, southeastern Colorado, and western Kansas southward into Mexico. Spends winters in southern part of breeding range. Preferred habitats include arid grasslands, plains, and deserts.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"crooaak", "quark-quark"

Interesting Facts

Unlike most crows, the Chihuahuan Raven frequently reuses nests in subsequent years.

Some pairs may maintain two nests and use them in alternate years.

Unpredictable and harsh environmental conditions typical of their breeding habitat may cause non-breeding individuals to choose to help breeding pairs some seasons.

A group of ravens has many collective nouns, including a "bazaar", "constable", "rant", "storytelling", and "unkindness" of ravens.

Bird Term Glossary

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Chihuahuan Raven

● Song: "crooaak", "quark-quark"

● Foraging & Feeding: Chihuahuan Raven: Eats insects, especially grasshoppers and beetles, cultivated grains, small reptiles, cactus fruit, carrion, eggs and young of birds, and scraps of human food.

● Breeding & nesting: Chihuahuan Raven: Three to eight dull green eggs, spotted and streaked with brown and purple, are laid in a loose nest made of thorny sticks, lined with grass, moss, and bark strips, and built in an exposed tree or on a telephone pole. Incubation ranges from 18 to 21 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Chihuahuan Raven: Crows are smaller, have squared tails, and different calls. Common Raven is larger with somewhat different call and occupies less arid habitats.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several deep flaps with glides.

● Range & Habitat: Chihuahuan Raven: Breeds from southern Arizona, southeastern Colorado, and western Kansas southward into Mexico. Spends winters in southern part of breeding range. Preferred habitats include arid grasslands, plains, and deserts.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight19.2 Ounces

Perching-like Body

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America