First recorded observations of conspecific egg and nestling consumption in common ravens (Corvus corax)

Joseph Atkinson; Peter S. Coates; Brianne E. Brussee; David J. Delehanty

doi:10.3398/064.080.0211

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First recorded observations of conspecific egg and nestling consumption in common ravens (Corvus corax)

Joseph Atkinson·Peter S. Coates·Brianne E. Brussee·David J. Delehanty

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Abstract

We observed cannibalism, the act of consuming a conspecific, of eggs and nestlings by Common Ravens ( Corvus corax ; hereafter “raven”) by video-monitoring nests in Nevada and California. Specifically, within the sagebrush steppe of Nevada, adult ravens killed and consumed raven chicks from an active nest. Additionally, on the coast of California, we observed adult ravens consume inviable eggs from their own nest following full-term incubation. To our knowledge, these observations represent the first documented cannibalistic behavior by ravens.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 32.534156° to 42.009247° latitude; -124.409591° to -114.041723° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Joseph Atkinson, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, David J. Delehanty. 2020. First recorded observations of conspecific egg and nestling consumption in common ravens (Corvus corax). https://doi.org/10.3398/064.080.0211

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