Photo: Common Raven, David Howell
Steve Young
This spring Arlington residents who have not spent enough time further away to observe the breeding and nesting cycle of the Common Raven had a rare local treat. A pair of ravens built a nest in the Glencarlyn Park area. They appear to have raised two chicks successfully. I have enjoyed following their activities, and David Howell (whose photos appear in this article) documented the nesting process.
Until recently, Common Ravens were a rare sight in Arlington, and nesting was not confirmed. After being reduced to mountain populations, ravens began reappearing in northern Virginia in the last few years. There also have been reports of them nesting in the DC Metro area.
In Spring 2022, birders and staff at Glencarlyn Park’s Long Branch Nature Center started seeing and hearing a pair of Common Ravens frequently. They were clocked at the Nature Center and Sparrow Pond, and they showed particular interest in the Route 50/Arlington Blvd. bridge over Four Mile Run. But no one reported seeing a nest. In late winter 2022-2023, however, the ravens reappeared at the same place.
Around January 2023, we saw and heard the ravens flying over the Glencarlyn area. Frequently American Crows mobbed them aggressively. But I observed an interesting behavior evolve. I saw ravens “pop up,” make a short flight, vocalize, and then disappear into a perch before the crows could arrive. The ravens appeared to be playing mind games with the crows, and, perhaps due to raven craftiness and crow frustration, mobbing ended. I later saw a crow and raven flying together in close formation as if they were pals.
Incubating the eggs, David Howell
In February, several people observed the ravens building a nest on a bridge abutment. By mid-February a raven was on the nest, apparently brooding eggs! The female takes on this job, and the male brings her food. When walkers stopped near the bridge to observe the nest, one of the ravens, probably the protective male of the pair, often flew from one nearby tree to another, calling, likely trying to draw interest away from the nest.
Distracting viewers, David Howell
At least one of the chicks hatched around March 22, and was being fed as early as March 23. Later observations and photos showed two nestlings being fed, although the time of the second hatch is uncertain. One nestling was quite a bit larger than the other. By late April, it looked as if only one bird remained in the nest, and then there were none. Those of us who had been watching the nest exchanged anxious emails, concerned that one or both of the chicks had not survived.
Younger chick about to fledge, David Howell
But, we were wrong! The chicks’ departures from the nest had been stealthy, and no one reported seeing or hearing them on the ground. In May, we’ve seen and heard at least one and almost certainly both chicks. They’ve been perching in nearby tall trees, begging for food. One of the juveniles is a loud and persistent beggar, while the other seems content to keep a quieter profile. We’ve also seen a few awkward flights from treetop to treetop. Whether juveniles are preyed on by other birds, like American Crows, is always a concern. But, harking back to behavior I saw earlier, it may be that the crows and ravens have reached a modus vivendi, because in late May I saw a juvenile calling, perched right next to a crow, which was not harassing it.
Raven parents feed their young by regurgitating food into their mouths, and they continue to feed them for weeks after they fledge until the juveniles begin to forage on their own. As of May 20, we were still hearing lots of begging. We all have our fingers crossed that both juveniles survive and that the parents return to nest again in Arlington.