The Thick-billed raven (Corvus crassirostris) is a corvid found in the Horn of Africa. Together with the Common raven they are the largest birds in the corvid family, and indeed the largest of the passerines. The Thick-billed raven is about 25% heavier on average than the Australasian superb lyrebird, which is sometimes erroneously titled the largest passerine.
The Thick-billed raven has a very large bill that is laterally compressed and is deeply curved in profile giving the bird a very distinctive appearance. This bill, the largest of any passerine at 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 in) in length, is black with a white tip and has deep nasal grooves with only light nasal bristle covers. The Thick-billed raven has very short feathers on the head, throat, and neck. The throat and upper breast have an oily brown gloss, while the rest of the bird is glossy black except for a distinctive white patch of feathers on the nape and onto the neck.
Thick-billed ravens are native to northeastern tropical Africa. They occur in Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia and inhabit mountains and high plateaus. Thick-billed ravens prefer to live in moist forests, savannas, shrubland, and areas with steep cliffs. They can also be found in cultivated areas and urban areas with large trees.
Thick-billed ravens are active during the day and spend time singly or in pairs. They may gather in groups in such feeding areas as rubbish dumps and often join vultures around carcasses. Pairs often soar and glide on thermals and perform aerobatic displays. The birds also preen each other to strengthen their pair-bond or as a part of social interaction between members of the group. Thick-billed ravens usually feed on the ground but will also search for insects and berries in the tree canopy. When seeking food from dung, these birds use a distinct scything movement to scatter the dung and extract the grubs. Their calls include a harsh nasal croak, a low wheezy croak, a 'raven-raven', and sometimes a 'dink, dink, dink' sound. Like many corvids, the thick-billed raven is capable of vocal mimicry; however, this behavior is rare in the wild and is normally recorded only in captivity.
Thick-billed ravens are omnivores and scavengers and eat a wide range of food. They feed on grubs, and beetle larvae from animal dung, carrion, berries, scraps of meat, and human food. It has been seen taking standing wheat.
Thick-billed ravens are monogamous. They form long-lasting pairs and are solitary nesters. Pairs nest in trees and on cliffs. The nest is built from tree branches and sticks and is lined with animal hair, wool, and grass. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs and chicks usually remain with their parents for several months after fledging.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Thick-billed raven total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are stable.