How Long Do Ravens Live – Raven Lifespan Examined

How Many Raven Species Exist? 

Many would be surprised to know that 9 different species of ravens exist. The most common species of raven is the aptly-named Common Raven. Common Ravens are native to much of North America, Europe, and Asia. 

Ravens are native to five of the seven continents, with these birds being absent in South America and Antarctica. 

How Long Do Ravens Live?

Ravens are readily observed throughout their range. Being large black birds that frequently vocalize as they fly around makes them easy to detect.

Ravens tend to maintain a territory throughout the world, so you may consistently observe the same ravens year after year. This raises the question, how long do ravens live? 

Ravens have considerable lifespans for birds, with adults being able to live for upwards of 10 years. Ravens rarely live past 20 years of age. Like most animal species, ravens can survive longer in captivity than in the wild. 

What Is The Oldest Known Raven? 

The oldest known Common Raven in the wild was a minimum of almost 23 years old. These birds have the potential to survive longer than this in the wild, but such instances have not been documented. 

Common Ravens can live longer lives in captivity. Remarkably, these birds can survive for upwards of 40 years in captivity since they do not have to worry about competing for food and avoiding predators. 

The longest-lived ravens in captivity are known to be over 60 years old.

Ravens are thought to be the longest-lived of all the corvids-a family of birds that also includes crows, jays, and magpies.

What Factors Influence The Lifespan Of A Raven?

Ravens have it easier than many smaller bird species. However, the life of a raven is still full of dangers. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that dictate how long a raven may live:

Age

A raven’s age is an enormous factor that influences the survival rate of an individual. Young ravens have a high mortality rate as they frequently are depredated during their maturation process.

Once a raven has matured into an adult, the chances of a raven dying greatly diminish until they reach old age.

Sex

Sex is often irrelevant to a raven’s lifespan since males and females are roughly the same size. However, a raven’s sex can make a difference in the survival rate of these birds during the breeding season.

Female ravens do the bulk of egg incubation after the eggs have been laid in the nest. Meanwhile, males do much of the foraging for the pair.

Each assignment has its perils, so sex can make a difference to the survivability of ravens during the breeding season.

Male and female ravens have pretty equal chances of survival in the nonbreeding season. 

Location

From the arctic tundra to the rainforests of Central America, ravens can be found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere.

The exact location in which a raven lives will directly impact its survivability. Ravens in areas with mild temperatures will not have to contend with freezing temperatures in the winter. However, birds in temperate locations will face greater competition for food. 

Generally, the most favorable conditions are found in areas that do not have brutally cold winters. Here, ravens enjoy greater survivorship, though these birds are well-equipped to handle the cold.

Predation

Predation can take a large toll on ravens from the time that they’re juveniles up until the time that they reach adulthood.

Adult ravens have few predators compared with young individuals, so the threat of predation is minor for adults.

Territorial Conflict

If you consider ravens to be peaceful birds, think again. These corvids will engage in fierce territorial conflicts with ravens that invade their territories.

These conflicts can be deadly-especially during the breeding season. Moreover, territorial conflict is not limited to raven-on-raven fighting, as these birds will quarrel with raptors, owls, and other large species of birds that invade the territorial boundaries of a raven pair.

Hunting Regulations

In some parts of the world, hunting ravens is illegal because they are regarded as pests. In other instances, raven numbers may be culled if ornithologists believe that a local population is becoming too numerous.

Given that ravens are opportunistic scavengers, a reduction in local raven populations can result in a boon for bird species that ravens prey upon.

What Eats Ravens? 

The first year of a raven’s life is the most treacherous, as the vast majority of ravens die during this time. The reason for such substantial numbers of ravens dying during this time is that young birds are inexperienced and more prone to making deadly mistakes. 

A big reason for young raven mortality has to do with predation. Ravens have a number of predators such as hawks and owls. In addition to avian predators, ravens have plenty of mammalian predators such as canid and feline species. 

Here are some frequent predators of young ravens:

• Feral cats
• Feral dogs
• Hawks
• Owls
• Raccoons

Though plenty of animals will consume ravens, adult ravens are rarely depredated. Instead, young birds are the most vulnerable to falling prey to another species. 

Ravens are constantly adapting and learning new information. By the time these birds reach their adult lives, they have soaked up tremendous amounts of information. This information will help them to prosper in their native environments.

Raven Vs. Crow Lifespan

How does a raven’s lifespan compare to that of one of its closest living relatives-the crow?

If you’ve observed both ravens and crows in your birdwatching adventures, then you know how similar in appearance these birds are to one another. While there are plenty of differences between ravens and crows, one may wonder how the lifespans of these birds compare.

So, how long does a crow live, and how does its lifespan compare to that of a raven?

There are more crow species than raven species scattered throughout the world, with about four times as many crow species compared to raven species.

Crows tend to live shorter lives because of their smaller size and slightly different lifestyles compared to ravens.

For example, an American Crow is slightly smaller than a raven and these usually live 10 to 15 years in the wild. The oldest known wild American Crow was almost 18 years old, and one captive American Crow lived to be 59 years old.

Are Ravens Endangered?

Fortunately, none of the 9 raven species are considered endangered or threatened. Instead, all 9 raven species have stable populations listed as “least concern” on the IUCN Red List. 

There are presently an estimated 29 million Common Ravens distributed throughout the world.

Would Ravens Make Good Pets?

After reading about the extensive lives of ravens, you may wonder if these birds would make good pets.

Some online sources may tell you that owning a pet raven is a great idea, but I would discourage you from pursuing this possibility.

While ravens are pretty spectacular birds, owning a raven as a pet is not an advisable idea. In fact, trying to keep a raven as a pet could result in jail time or a stiff fine for you in many countries where these birds occur.

Besides, only trained raven handlers are prepared to meet the daily needs of these birds. The lengthy lives and highly developed brains of ravens mean that these corvids require diligent care and enrichment in captivity.

Ravens are extremely intelligent just like their crow and jay counterparts. Those who own ravens cannot be passive owners. The level of commitment needed to properly accommodate the needs of these birds is not something that a typical pet owner is capable of understanding.

Conclusion 

Ravens are popular species throughout the world, as these birds are widely recognizable and associated with a slew of different meanings and emotions. 

How long do ravens live? The answer depends on the conditions in which a raven exists, but generally, these birds live over 10 years in the wild. It is uncommon for ravens to live for more than 20 years in the wild, but such instances do occur. In captivity, ravens may live for more than 40 years. 

Ravens have several predators, but adult ravens are typically able to avoid being depredated. Ultimately, ravens have one of the longest lifespans of any bird.