Few countries are without ravens. North America has thousands of them, even in Canada's Northwest Territories, and many are in Africa, India and countries between. They are an impressive bird with their black shiny feathers, strong, three-inch-long beaks and long claws. They have been described as “brainy, smart and wily.”
Ravens have no pleasant song, only coarse screams that can be annoying to those hearing them day after day. But they do communicate with one another in softer tones on many occasions. Their loudest calls are most annoying when half a dozen or more seem to be challenging each other to see who can be the loudest.
These birds are closely related to crows, which are only about half their size. A full-grown raven may be more than two feet long and have a wingspread of four feet. Their huge nests are built of large sticks, carefully woven together and lined with grass, bark, seaweed, moss or even rabbit fur. They use the same nests year after year and keep them in good, clean condition. These are usually built in tall trees or on an unexposed ledge of a rocky cliff.
In early summer the female lays from three to eight olive-green eggs with brown spots, and she alone incubates them, never leaving the nest until they are hatched. The male bird faithfully brings her food while she is on the nest—perhaps a small animal, young bird or a fish he has killed or found already dead.
Parents are very helpful and care for their young ones, continually bringing food to them in daylight hours and guarding them from other birds that might be foolish enough to get too close to a nest. The raven family stays together while the young ones go through a long training period.
In cold lands of the North, they stay close to herds of caribou, looking for a dead calf on which they can feast, often sharing the carcass with wolves or bears. Sometimes they will kill small, sick or injured animals, but they usually prefer something already dead or even food from a garbage dump. If those sources of food are not available, they often annoy farmers by eating wheat, barley and other grains growing in the fields.
An important and wonderful part of the Creator's works in placing so many living things on our planet is His constant watchful care over them, as the opening Bible verse says. That verse also says, “How much more are ye better than the fowls?” Yes, God's thoughts toward all the people in the world are full of love and kindness. This is repeated over and over in the Bible. Open your Bible and read John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) carefully, to see how much He loves you.
ML-09/28/2008