Space use by Common Ravens in Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat in Northern California

Common Ravens (Corvus corax) in Redwood National and State Parks exhibit high site fidelity and home ranges primarily centered around anthropogenic food sources, with a mean size of 182.5 hectares. These ravens, identified as nest predators of federally threatened Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), frequently use roads, old-growth edges, bare ground, and mixed hardwood/prairie habitats while avoiding areas deep within old-growth forest or far from human-use zones. Their tendency to perch at heights (mean 52 meters) similar to Marbled Murrelet nests (48 meters) near roads increases the likelihood of predation on these threatened seabirds, which nest in old-growth redwood forests within 2 kilometers of roads. The study used radio-telemetry to track raven movements over two years (2009 and 2010), revealing minimal overlap between adjacent territories except near shared anthropogenic resources.

Scarpignato, A. L., & George, T. L. (2013). Space use by Common Ravens in Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat in Northern California. Journal of Field Ornithology, 84(2), 147–159. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofo.12013