RAVEN

THE heftiest member of our crow family, the large and long-lived raven forges pair bonds that last a lifetime.

Given that settled pairs don’t have to waste time searching for a new mate every year, they can get down to the business of breeding early in their territories.

They may start laying in February and even reuse old nests. Usually positioned on a crag or in a tree, the nest is made of sticks and twigs, bound with mud and moss and lined with softer material in which 4-6 eggs are laid.

Ravens are much bigger than crows and can be told apart in flight by the fact that they have a diamond-shaped, rather than square ended, tail.