Are These Ravens Playing in the Snow?

Humans have been fascinated by ravens ever since they started following our wagons and hunting parties centuries ago. These intelligent and resourceful creatures soon worked out that humans could provide them with a plentiful supply of food. In this extraordinary video clip, some ravens are displaying behavior that seems a little bizarre—even for them. A couple of ravens are interacting in an odd way, possibly because they are dealing with deep snow. Let’s explore this behavior and examine some theories about what may be causing it.

Raven Habitats and Snow

The common raven (Corvus corax) is one of the most widespread naturally occurring birds in the Northern Hemisphere. They inhabit many regions where it frequently snows in the winter, including northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, and North America. However, they are also found in warmer climates, including parts of central Asia and northwestern Africa. They prefer open landscapes but can be found in most habitats. In North America, they are found in wilder areas, but they can also become habituated to humans and are frequently spotted in urban areas.

Are the Ravens Looking for Food?

It is common to see ravens hopping along the ground, as this is where they find their meals. They are not that fussy about their diet and scavenge for a wide range of food. Their diet includes arthropods and small mammals. They are also attracted to carrion, the afterbirths of larger mammals, and even vegetables. Unfortunately, the belief that they prey on lambs and feed on crops has led to conflicts with human societies. At one point in the clip, one of the ravens thrusts its beak into the snow, but it appears to be a rather half-hearted attempt. It is unlikely that food is the motivation for this behavior, as these clever birds would realize they could find a meal nearby more easily than by randomly probing the snow.

Are They Taking a Snow Bath?

Bathing is an important part of a corvid’s personal hygiene routine. Water bathing is as important for birds in the summer as it is in the winter. Birds wet their feathers to make the dirt easier for them to preen. Preening is very important for feather maintenance; it spreads oils from special glands, which maintain the feathers’ waterproofing and insulating properties. It is possible that these ravens are using the snow as a kind of bath, but it will not be as effective as water. Additionally, their movements and interactions with each other suggest that something else is happening.

Many Birds Like to Play

Play is not a uniquely human concept, and for some time, scientists have acknowledged that other animals also play. However, it is not easy to define ‘play’ in the context of animal behavior, and it varies from one species to another. Ravens are members of the Corvidae family of birds, a group in which play behavior has been studied extensively, alongside parrots and a few other bird groups. The term ‘play’ covers a wide range of activities, but for a behavior to be defined as ‘play,’ it must be purposeless. However, determining what constitutes ‘purposeless’ behavior is even more challenging. Nevertheless, researchers have identified several different kinds of play in birds, including fight play, bath play, and sliding down inclines. What you can see in this clip is most likely a combination of several of these.