# Help Please, Raven outside...



## slugsiss32 (Nov 14, 2010)

Ok, so its his first winter outside. Its minus 3 at the moment where I live. Woke up this morning and Rav had frost on his feathers. He has an area he can go which is away from the elements, but he will not use it! 

More people will keep birds of prey than Ravens, so if you know more about raptors please refer to them, would you leave your bird of prey outdoors in minus degree weather? He seems fine, but i'd like to know.

If you do leave them out in the frost, do you take any precautions when you do? I was thinking of putting tarpaulins around to get rid of the wind but I don't know lol...he just sits there on the perch whether its raining, windy, snowing, frosty...everything :L Dumb bird !!

Cheers, Jazz


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

frostbite in the wings and feet is well known in birds of prey and some aviary birds, but it is generaly only a problem when the bird is kept too close to the ground or a small, tropical species is kept with no apropriate shelter. Ravens are tough birds and survive perfectly well in our climate, as well as much further north with no problems. As long as he is not on the ground I would not be worried. My magpie sleeps in an outside aviary and, like yours, although she has access to shelter, she generaly chooses to sit out fully exposed to the elements. through the winter she will wake up every morning with frost on her tail and usualy her primaries, but it never penitrates the outer layer of feathers and soon clears once she is active with no ill effects. How enclosed is your sheltered area? most corvids do not like to be enclosed so will not readily enter small, dark spaces such as sheds. The shelter in my Magpie's aviary (she doesn't often use it but the Crows and Rooks do) is simply one corner of the aviary that has solid sides and roof insteat of mesh. there is then an extra panel that hangs part the way down from the roof, effectivly creating a large box area that is completly open from below and one side.


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## simonreptilecrazy (Feb 12, 2010)

*hi*

hi i have keep loads of birds of prey and would like a raven how would i go about getting one 
thanks simon


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

simonreptilecrazy said:


> hi i have keep loads of birds of prey and would like a raven how would i go about getting one
> thanks simon


 Breeders are relativly easy to locate, but the care of corvids is very different, and much more intense, than the care of raptors. Some elements are similar, but there are also similarities to keeping parrots, primates, dogs, other pasarines (of which Ravens are the largest), and children! Not sugesting that you could not provide the right care but do some reaserch first. I have seen Ravens kept by falconry centres as "just another bird of prey" and the result is an extremely miserable bird.


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## slugsiss32 (Nov 14, 2010)

Thanks for the reassurance, just when I saw frost on him I was a bit like :O!! Scary 

Rav will go in his shelter, but only to hide food! Then he is straight out again..His shelter sounds like yours, it has no floor, just side panels and a front panel with a gap from floor to roof to get in, he normally just walks in to hide the food. When I put it in I knew it would not be used because corvids don't normally use shelters, but I had to put it there for my own comfort lol!

Put another perch undercover today but he's still sitting on his outdoor perch  I've had him for a nearly two years now but last Winter I had him in an outhouse over winter.

Hes been rolling around on the floor lying upside down on his back today like normal so I guess hes fine 

Simon - I'd recommend a crow/rook over a Raven just from the few years experience I have I've found they are extremely strong birds, you can't keep a Raven indoors, they're highly intelligent and if they don't wanna do something, or they fancy being cheeky they will be! They're not easily manageable either...not 'hand' birds, and certainly not raptors...i'd compare them more to maybe the intelligence of a dog or more...Rav speaks sentences lol! So maybe even relate them to a primate haha! Fab animal if you have the time...

Thanks again..


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