One of the biggest surprises in recent years has been the expansion of Common Ravens into many of Connecticut’s metropolitan areas. Once considered a scarce resident in southern New England, the raven can now be found in just about any part of the state. Further proof of their rapid growth has been the discovery of a nesting pair right outside of downtown Hartford, at an active quarry.
The first raven sightings in Hartford occurred about seven years ago along the backside of Cedar Hill Cemetery. Six birds were spotted soaring and croaking over the Cedar Mountain Ridge. What I didn’t realize at the moment was that these six ravens were pioneers, seeking out new territory, and in time, a new breeding site.
Common Ravens typically nest on the ledge of a rock cliff as the accompanying photograph shows. The Hartford nest (officially in Newington) is located two-thirds the way up the face of the cliff and is nicely wedged in between two large slabs of rock. Ravens use the same nest site year after year, adding new material on top of the old one, similar to an eagle. Nests are constructed of large sticks and twigs, with a deep bowl that is lined with bark and grasses.
Common Ravens typically nest on the ledge of a rock cliff as the accompanying photograph shows. The Hartford nest (officially in Newington) is located two-thirds the way up the face of the cliff and is nicely wedged in between two large slabs of rock. Ravens use the same nest site year after year, adding new material on top of the old one, similar to an eagle. Nests are constructed of large sticks and twigs, with a deep bowl that is lined with bark and grasses.
Ravens lay between 3-6 eggs with incubation lasting about twenty days. The male will feed the female throughout the incubation process. During my current visit, I was fortunate enough to witness a gray squirrel offering.
A month prior to the nest discovery, I had the opportunity to observe an array of courtship behavior. Some of the displays included soaring over their territory, lots of aerial tumbling and mutual preening on a branch overhanging the quarry.
Some people may ask themselves, how did the raven’s end up near downtown Hartford? Why did they decide to stay? Scanning the landscape from the quarry, it is easy to understand how Cedar Mountain may have coaxed the flock over from the hilly Farmington region. Being an island of greenery in the midst of urban sprawl, Cedar Mountain may have been too hard to resist for some curious corvids. Once they arrived, they discovered a perfect habitat in which too nest, roost and hunt.
Interestingly, an adult Peregrine Falcon has also been seen at the quarry for the past month, roosting and preening for long periods at a time. The abundant whitewash upon the cliff face is a testament to the falcon’s fondness for the site. Could a raven and falcon coexist at the same location? I urge you to read this fascinating short article:
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