Corvus corax
Zauri Khachidze · Borjomi-Kharagauli National ParkGeorgia field photo
The raven (Corvus corax), known in English as the Northern Raven or Common Raven, is the largest member of the crow family in Georgia and one of the heaviest perching birds in the world. According to Georgia’s 2024 bird list, it nests in Georgia and stays there year-round. Its presence in Georgia is also confirmed by a photograph. The same list identifies its subspecies as C. c. corax. Ravens generally measure about 54–71 cm long, with a wingspan of about 116–153 cm. They pose no danger to people. Its risk of extinction is assessed as low both worldwide and in Georgia.
Identification
It is a very large black bird of the crow family. It has a thick bill and shaggy feathers on its throat. In flight, its tail is wedge-shaped. It has a deep, croaking call. In Georgia, it is most often confused with the hooded crow when judged by size and colour. In the mountains, it may be confused with crow-family birds that have red or yellow bills.
Size and shape: The species is about 54–71 cm long, with a wingspan of about 116–153 cm. It is much heavier than a hooded crow or a rook, and its beak is much larger. In flight, its tail is wedge-shaped or diamond-shaped, without a straight edge. It often glides without flapping its wings. This page does not give separate measurements from birds measured in Georgia.
Adults have glossy black feathers that show a blue or purple sheen in good light. The feathers on the throat are long and pointed. The bill is thick and slightly curved, with bristle-like feathers covering its base. Young birds are duller; very young birds have pink corners to their bills. In the wild, males and females look alike.
The hooded crow (Corvus cornix) lives here year-round, according to the 2024 list. It has a grey body and a black head, wings and tail; it is not entirely black. The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is also confirmed on that list: some live here year-round, while others are seen during migration or in winter. Adult rooks have a bare, grey face around the base of the bill and a more pointed crest. Their tails are not sharply wedge-shaped. Red-billed and yellow-billed choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, P. graculus) are smaller members of the crow family that live in high mountains. They have slim, curved red or yellow bills, not black ones. The carrion crow (Corvus corone) is not listed as a confirmed species on the 2024 Georgian list. Not every black bird in the crow family is a raven. These similar species do not yet have separate pages in this atlas.
It is harmless to people in an ordinary encounter. A large black bird gliding over the cliffs of the Caucasus, with a low, rough call and a wedge-shaped tail, is usually this species.
This page does not mark municipalities in different colors on a map. A 2024 list confirms that the species lives in Georgia year-round, but gives no list of records by region. Do not assume it is equally common in every settlement or on every alpine ridge. The species lives among cliffs, in open mountains, at forest edges, in river valleys and in rural areas where different kinds of land lie side by side. It often nests on a cliff or in a tall tree, and sometimes on a tall structure. According to an entry in a Georgian dictionary, it is widespread in Georgia, is more numerous near the upper edge of the forest and occurs up to about 2,500 m; it goes higher to look for food. This is a summary based on other information, not new field observations made for this page. Places where it has been reported include birdwatching sites in the Greater Caucasus near Kazbegi, Svaneti (including a 2016 entry in a Mestia photo gallery) and Tusheti National Park (in regional lists). These reports come from tour lists, lists of protected areas and photo locations; they do not form a complete map of the country. A densely populated city center is less suitable for it than cliffs, valleys and mountain pastures.
This page does not cite a separate study of its diet in Georgia. In other places where it lives, it eats what it can find: carrion, small mammals, birds and their eggs, animals without backbones, plant fruit and human waste. It may also eat a weak or dying animal, but it does not usually hunt large animals. Do not put out poisoned bait or carcasses. It is not considered food for people.
Related guides
Questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Northern raven.
Yes. According to the 2024 checklist of Georgia’s birds, it stays in Georgia year-round and breeds here. This is supported by high-quality photographs.
It is often found on cliffs, mountain pastures, in valleys and open areas, away from densely populated city centres. The places mentioned include birdwatching routes around Kazbegi, Svaneti (including photos taken in Mestia) and lists from Tusheti National Park. This page does not show every municipality on the map.
It is a very large black bird in the crow family. It has a thick bill, ruffled feathers on its throat, and a deep, croaking call. In flight, its tail is wedge-shaped. The hooded crow is gray and black. Alpine crows have red or yellow bills.
This species is about 54–71 cm long, with a wingspan of about 116–153 cm. This page does not provide separate measurements for Georgia.
Carrion and a wide variety of animal and plant foods. Its diet in Georgia is not examined separately on this page.
According to the 2024 list, it lives and nests there year-round. The same list does not identify it as a bird that passes through during migration.
Yes. According to the 2024 list, it nests here and stays here year-round.
An ordinary encounter with it is harmless. Its status is LC, meaning the risk of extinction is low, both worldwide and on the 2024 national list. It is not included on the 2014 Red List. Do not catch wild birds or use poisoned bait.
References
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
