Ad Libitum water source for a common raven

Lawrence M Hanks, James D. Barbour, Kim Kratz, William C. Webb

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report a Common Raven (Corvus corax) that learned to turn on a water faucet in a campground at Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, USA, and drink from it. Ad libitum availability of water has important implications for survival and reproductive success of desert birds. Ravens commonly exploit anthropogenic sources of water and food; these behaviors are of interest because ravens can be important predators of the federally-threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Our observation is further evidence of the resourcefulness of ravens and challenges involved in limiting access to anthropogenic resources for an intelligent, subsidized predator.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)210-212
Number of pages3
JournalWilson Journal of Ornithology
Volume121
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology
  • Animal Science and Zoology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Ad Libitum water source for a common raven'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this