Adults: General plumage totally black, with purple and green gloss. Underdown dusky grey. Throat feathers are indistinct. Eye, white, with inner blue ring. Bill, black. Feet, black.
Immatures: Like adults but sooty underparts. Underdown whitish-grey. Eye, brown.
Habitat
Alpine woodlands to over 1600 m, forests, woodlands to almost treeless plains, sub-inland woodlands and scrubs, pastoral country, farmlands, coasts, suburbs, cities.
South-eastern Australia, mainly west of the Great Dividing Range, north to about Narrabri, NSW, south over most of Victoria (except coastal regions) and west to Eyre Peninsula, SA.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Little Raven (Corvus mellori) [XC539397]
by nick talbot from Woodlands Historic Park. (near Greenvale), City of Hume, Victoria, Australia (flight call)
Little Raven (Corvus mellori) [XC366863]
by Friends of Black Hill and Morialta Inc from Yea Wetlands, Victoria, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Usually August - September, but can be as early as May. In alpine regions, September - December.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Nest
A shallow cup of twigs and sticks, lined with grass, bark and wool. Usually in a small tree within 10 m of the ground, in bushes or on a telegraph pole, sometimes on the ground. Often breeds in loose groups.
Eggs (Guide)
4 or 5; pale green, heavily blotched and spotted with dark olive-brown; oblong-oval; about 44 x 30 mm. Incubation: 19 - 20 days; by female.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 35 - 41 days.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
More... see more information (images, calls, videos etc)
(25Kb) © ? (
BirdLife International Species Factsheet