Alaska · Year-round resident

Common Ravens in Alaska

When ravens are present in Alaska, when they nest, which native Alaska plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 1a–8a yard.

Crows and jays (Corvidae)Common RavenCorvus corax

Status in Alaska: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–May
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 1a–8a

When to expect ravens in Alaska

Common Ravens live in Alaska all year. Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Subarctic interior, temperate rainforest in the Southeast panhandle, and Arctic tundra on the North Slope.

Nesting in Alaska

Across Alaska, ravens typically nest from March–May. Plan around that window: February for setup, May for clean-out.

A short, explosive summer with near-continuous daylight compresses nesting into a few weeks.

Common Ravens don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, white spruce, tamarack for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after May.

Native Alaska plants that attract ravens

Of the regional native plants we track for Alaska, these 5 provide food or cover ravens use:

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Willow (Bebb)

Salix bebbiana · Shrub

Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.

Dwarf birch

Betula glandulosa · Shrub

Catkin seed for redpolls on the tundra.

Feeding ravens through the Alaska year

Top foods: Peanuts in the shell, Suet scraps.
In Alaska's winter: Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food.

Full diet breakdown for ravens · Best feeder for ravens

Frequently asked

Are ravens in Alaska year-round?

Yes. Common Ravens are year-round residents in Alaska.

When do ravens nest in Alaska?

Nesting in Alaska typically runs March–May, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–7 eggs, incubated for 20–25 days.

What native plants attract ravens in Alaska?

Paper birch, White spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb), Dwarf birch are native plants in Alaska that provide food or cover for ravens.

Other backyard birds in Alaska

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-winged Blackbird Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler American Tree Sparrow Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Chestnut-backed Chickadee Rufous Hummingbird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Sharp-shinned Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Belted Kingfisher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.