Hi Tweets,

This probably won't be new to some of you but it is to me and I thought I would share, for what it is worth.

I started seeing Ravens about 3 years ago, and at the beginning of last summer I realized that I could tell what they were doing by the number or calls I heard. This is just my observations of three different types of calls.

This is just an explanation of the amount of calls in a short time, not the different sounds of the calls which could mean something else entirely.
This is also just the observations of flying birds, not roosting, nesting, or eating.

one call is usually a destination type call, one bird will give a single call, this can be in a flock or singly. The Raven or Ravens are traveling in a straight line, going somewhere. About 4 or 5 seconds or 4 - 5 wing-beats, between the call.

Two calls heard - can between two or more birds, Ravens will be flying in group of two or more usually circling to get higher, or tumbling in flight. They will call and talk back and forth, making knocking noises with added vocalizations.

3 calls and sometimes a 3 - 4 - 3 sequence made in a row, this call means raptors are in the area, even small Sharp Shinned hawks will get this alert. They may only call the alert a few times and then escort the raptor out of the area. The amount of alert calls seems to have a direct correlation to nesting. I will hear more alert calls in the spring then the fall, though in the fall I have many raptors catching thermals and gliding south.
Also they will give the 3 call when alerting to Turkey Vultures. I have also heard crows call 3 times as well when they alert on a raptor. Ravens like to escort the raptor from the area and will climb the thermals with the raptor or TV in the fall tailing them as they glide away. And then coming back to their territory.

Ravens make so many calls, they talk to each other differently, when they talk to their young and partners.
They are incredibly smart animals.

I have just started to learn the difference of the sound of the calls, but I won't go into that here. I hope you will notice what the birds are doing and add to my list of Raven calls.



Dawn Bailey
Eatonville, WA
dawnsdog at rainierconnect.com


"The worlds not changed.....there's just less in it"
Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott