Ravens are corvids, relatives of crows. They are black and have large, heavy bills.

These large birds are commonly heard calling in the redwood forest. Some of their calls sound like screams. Other calls sound like deep croaks or hollow knocking sounds.

This is the largest perching bird. They can be identified in flight by the wedge-shaped tail.

These intelligent birds will raid food left on camp tables, and usually eat whatever they can find. They will eat carrion, insects, small animals, and fish. They have been known to feed at garbage dumps.

Their tracks resemble very large Steller’s jay tracks, often up to four inches long. They show three toes facing forward and one toe facing backward. In loose sand, there is often a long drag mark left by the middle toe. Like other ground-dwelling birds, their prints are one after the other in a straight line. (Birds that are primarily tree-dwellers leave paired prints.)

Ravens will chase red-tailed hawks.

The ravens at the park I work at are known for raiding campground picnic tables. They love shiny objects and will pick up pieces of foil and fly off with them. I have seen ravens attacking their own reflections in shiny stovepipes. The stovepipes have to be painted black to stop the ravens from sitting on the roof all day pecking at the stovepipe!