The common raven, Corvus corax, is a large, all-black bird whose striking appearance and association with carrion often lead to questions about its diet. Many people assume this corvid must be a strict carnivore. However, the raven’s success across diverse habitats is a direct result of its ability to consume a variety of food sources. The common raven is a highly adaptable omnivore.
Understanding Dietary Labels
The classification of an animal’s diet is based on the primary sources of its nutrition. A carnivore is an animal whose diet consists exclusively of animal matter, which may include meat, insects, or fish. In contrast, a herbivore subsists only on plant material, such as grasses, fruits, or seeds. An omnivore maintains a mixed diet, regularly consuming both plant and animal matter. This dietary flexibility is a significant advantage, allowing the omnivore to thrive when food sources fluctuate.
The Raven’s Omnivorous Menu
The common raven is a highly opportunistic and generalist feeder, with a diet that shifts depending on local availability and season, which definitively places it within the omnivore category. While ravens frequently consume animal matter, such as carrion from large mammals, they also actively hunt small prey. Their animal-based diet includes insects and arthropods, small mammals like voles, and the eggs and nestlings of other bird species. The tendency to scavenge on carcasses often leads to the mistaken perception that they are strict carnivores.
Despite a heavy reliance on protein, plant materials form a regular and necessary part of their food intake. Ravens consume a wide range of plant foods, including cereal grains, acorns, berries, and various fruits. A study of raven diet in agricultural areas found that cereal grains could be the principal component of their diet, demonstrating that their consumption of plant matter is not merely incidental. They are equally adept at exploiting human food waste, such as discarded items in landfills or along roadsides.
Intelligence and Foraging Strategy
The raven’s intelligence is intrinsically linked to its ability to maintain an omnivorous diet across challenging environments. Ravens possess problem-solving skills, allowing them to access protected or hard-to-reach food sources, such as opening containers or navigating complex human-made obstacles. They have demonstrated cognitive abilities, including the capacity to use tools and plan for future needs, which supports their foraging success.
A key behavioral adaptation is food caching, where ravens store surplus food items, particularly those rich in fat, for later consumption. This requires strong spatial memory and the ability to plan ahead, ensuring access to nourishment during times of scarcity. Ravens engage in deceptive caching, pretending to hide food in one spot to mislead competitors, indicating a complex social intelligence that protects their stored resources. Their robust beak is physically adapted for this flexible diet, serving both to tear meat from carrion and to crack open seeds or nuts.