Common Raven
Common Raven has surged: up 829% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Common Raven
The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a North American member of the Crows, Jays & Magpies (Corvidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the generalists.
- Size
- 10–27.5 in long (25–70 cm) — a medium to large songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- An opportunistic mix of insects, seeds, fruit and scraps.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,173 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Corvidae · Generalists
Notable Common Raven Trends
Common Raven has surged in surveyed states: up 829% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Common Raven Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Common Raven is projected to rise about 16% by 2029 — from 3.5 in 2024 to a central estimate of 4.1 (95% range 3.6–4.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±13.1%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| 2026 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| 2028 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| 2029 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.6 |
Where the Common Raven Is Detected
BBS routes recording Common Raven, sized by most recent count.
Common Raven Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +48% | 1972 | 132 |
| Arizona | -8% | 1970 | 90 |
| California | +81% | 1970 | 258 |
| Colorado | +717% | 1971 | 127 |
| Connecticut | +704% | 2002 | 16 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Idaho | +278% | 1971 | 66 |
| Kentucky | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maine | -24% | 1968 | 76 |
| Maryland | 87× | 1974 | 25 |
| Massachusetts | +678% | 1985 | 20 |
| Michigan | +32% | 1968 | 60 |
| Minnesota | +724% | 1969 | 51 |
| Montana | +374% | 1970 | 93 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Nevada | +426% | 1970 | 56 |
| New Hampshire | 11× | 1968 | 26 |
| New Jersey | 11× | 1996 | 10 |
| New Mexico | +80% | 1970 | 77 |
| New York | 58× | 1976 | 94 |
| North Carolina | +148% | 1977 | 26 |
| North Dakota | +578% | 2004 | 16 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Oregon | +122% | 1970 | 143 |
| Pennsylvania | 21× | 1969 | 103 |
| Rhode Island | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Tennessee | -1% | 1994 | 7 |
| Texas | +343% | 1969 | 59 |
| Utah | +262% | 1970 | 114 |
| Vermont | 26× | 1969 | 26 |
| Virginia | +204% | 1969 | 53 |
| Washington | +483% | 1970 | 112 |
| West Virginia | 18× | 1973 | 53 |
| Wisconsin | +237% | 1968 | 62 |
| Wyoming | +89% | 1970 | 107 |
Common Raven Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -36% | 1986 | 24 |
| BCR 3 | +90% | 1995 | 5 |
| BCR 4 | +64% | 1978 | 67 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +48% | 1970 | 161 |
| Great Basin | +251% | 1970 | 265 |
| Northern Rockies | +121% | 1970 | 226 |
| Prairie Potholes | 25× | 1983 | 34 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +96% | 1968 | 125 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | 22× | 1982 | 51 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +401% | 1968 | 150 |
| Sierra Nevada | 29× | 1973 | 37 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +10% | 1970 | 242 |
| Badlands and Prairies | 50× | 1972 | 40 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +239% | 1971 | 50 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -45% | 1969 | 10 |
| Edwards Plateau | 14× | 1978 | 15 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | 24× | 1969 | 38 |
| Appalachian Mountains | 23× | 1968 | 258 |
| Piedmont | +635% | 1981 | 43 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | 23× | 1991 | 45 |
| Coastal California | +424% | 1970 | 116 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -8% | 1970 | 86 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +499% | 1970 | 36 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +248% | 1969 | 41 |
Common Raven Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 829% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.