The common raven (Corvus corax) is the largest perching bird, known for its striking black plumage and wedge-shaped tail. These birds possess exceptional intelligence and a highly cautious disposition. Attracting such a wary animal requires a strategic approach beyond simply putting out food. The goal is to establish your yard as a predictable, safe, and worthwhile resource, encouraging ravens to overcome their wariness.
Establishing a Consistent Food Supply
Ravens are highly opportunistic omnivores, consuming a wide variety of plant and animal matter. To entice them, appeal to their preference for protein and fat, similar to carrion in the wild. Appropriate offerings include meat scraps, suet, hard-boiled or scrambled eggs, and high-protein dry dog or cat food. Providing unsalted nuts, such as peanuts in the shell, also works well since they are easily cached for later consumption.
Consistency in your feeding routine is more important than the food type itself, as ravens rely on predictability to assess risk. Place the food in the same location at the same time each day, allowing the birds to learn a pattern. Ravens prefer to forage on the ground or on large, open platform feeders, where they have a clear view of their surroundings. Avoid small, hanging tube feeders, as these are unsuitable for their size and foraging style. After placing the food, immediately withdraw from the area to minimize human presence, giving the ravens the security to approach.
Creating Safe Perching and Water Sources
A raven will not approach a feeding area unless it can first survey the location from a high, secure vantage point. Providing high-altitude perching options is crucial for making your yard feel safe. Large, mature trees, tall utility poles, or substantial rooflines offer the height needed to observe potential threats before descending. These elevated spots act as a security buffer, allowing the birds to confirm the area is clear of predators or disturbances.
Ravens require fresh water for drinking and maintenance bathing. A simple, shallow bird bath or a ground-level container with a wide basin is sufficient to meet this need. The water source should be placed in an area that offers the birds a clear sightline to their surroundings, even if not directly next to the feeding area. Maintaining fresh, clean water daily provides an additional resource that increases the attractiveness of your yard.
Leveraging Raven Intelligence and Social Behavior
Ravens exhibit neophobia—a fear of new objects or situations—making them hesitant to approach a novel food source or feeding setup. Attracting them requires patience, as their intelligence dictates a cautious, slow assessment of safety. They will observe your routine from a distance for days or weeks before a single bird, often a juvenile, makes an initial approach. The presence of other corvids, such as crows, can reduce this wariness, as ravens may interpret the activity of a related species as a sign of relative safety.
The raven’s inclination to cache, or hoard, excess food is a behavior you can utilize to establish your yard as a long-term resource. By providing slightly more food than they can consume in one sitting, you encourage them to scatter-hoard the surplus in various locations. This act of caching links the feeding location to a sustained resource, strengthening their commitment to returning regularly.