Behaviour · BEH·05

Raven Play

Aerial Play, Object Play, and Inter-Species Games

[science] Common Ravens play — aerially (rolling, diving, tumbling in pairs and groups), with objects (manipulating items with no food value), on snow (deliberately sliding down slopes), and apparently with other species including wolves and dogs. Play is most frequent in young ravens and is documented in both wild and captive populations. Its function likely includes skill development, social bonding, and possibly intrinsic reward.

Aerial Play

[science] Aerial play is the most visually striking form of raven play and the form most likely to be observed by birdwatchers. It includes:

Rolling and tumbling: Ravens roll sideways in flight — sometimes completely inverted — for no apparent functional reason. This is frequently seen in pairs and in windy conditions near cliffs.
Diving and stooping: Ravens perform steep dives, pulling out at the last moment, sometimes repeatedly from the same height.
Chasing: Ravens chase each other in extended pursuit sequences, apparently without aggressive intent — both birds are relaxed in posture and the chase does not end in contact or territorial displacement.
Soaring in thermals: Ravens use thermals and updrafts for extended soaring, often in groups. While soaring has foraging utility (scanning for food), the extended, relaxed nature of group soaring in non-foraging contexts has been interpreted as play.¹

Aerial play is most common in young ravens and in pairs during courtship. It is a reliable field indicator that a soaring black corvid is a raven rather than a crow — crows do not play aerially in this way.

Object Play

[science] Ravens manipulate objects that have no food value or immediate functional use. Documented object play includes:

Picking up sticks, pebbles, bones, or human objects, carrying them, dropping and retrieving them
Placing objects on a surface, pushing them off, then retrieving them repeatedly
Apparent tool use-like manipulation — inserting objects into crevices, prying at surfaces — in contexts where there is no food reward
Carrying brightly coloured or shiny objects with no apparent caching intent

Heinrich interpreted object manipulation as a form of exploratory play that may prepare ravens for problem-solving and tool-related tasks — building a repertoire of object–action associations that can later be applied to functional contexts.¹

Snow Sliding

[science] Multiple observers have documented ravens deliberately sliding down snow-covered slopes and then walking back up to slide again. Heinrich documented this in Maine winter studies. The behaviour has no apparent foraging or other functional component — it is performed repeatedly in a way consistent with intrinsic reinforcement (the sliding itself being rewarding). Snow sliding is one of the clearest cases of apparent "fun" in non-human animals, though the subjective experience of ravens cannot be directly accessed.¹

Play with Other Species

[science] Ravens initiate play interactions with wolves and dogs. Documented sequences include:

A raven approaching a resting wolf, pecking at its tail, retreating when the wolf responds, then approaching again — a sequence repeated multiple times without apparent aggression from either party
Ravens engaging in apparent chase-games with dogs — approaching to within striking range, retreating at the last moment, apparently soliciting pursuit

Whether these interactions constitute true play (with mutual enjoyment) or are one-sided (the raven plays while the wolf merely tolerates) is difficult to establish. The raven-wolf interactions are consistent with the broader raven-wolf mutualism — ravens and wolves are frequently in close proximity at carcasses, and familiarity between the species may enable play-like interactions.¹

What Play Reveals About Ravens

[science] Play is relatively rare in vertebrates compared to humans. In non-human animals, play is most developed in species with long developmental periods, complex social lives, and high cognitive capacity — corvids, great apes, cetaceans, some carnivores. The complexity and variety of raven play is consistent with their position as one of the most cognitively advanced birds known.

Play also suggests ravens have some form of affective states — that behaviours can be intrinsically rewarding beyond immediate survival benefit. This does not resolve questions about raven consciousness, but is consistent with the broader picture of sophisticated raven inner life that cognitive research suggests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do ravens play?

Yes. Ravens engage in multiple forms of play: aerial play (rolling, tumbling, diving in pairs and groups), object play (manipulating items with no food value), snow sliding, and what appear to be social games with other ravens and other species. Play is well-documented in Common Ravens by Bernd Heinrich and others.

Why do ravens play?

The function of play in ravens is not fully established. Proposed functions include: practice of motor skills (aerial manoeuvrability), social bonding, exploration and cognitive development, and intrinsic reinforcement (play may be self-rewarding). Play is most common in young ravens, consistent with a developmental/learning function.

Do ravens play with other species?

Yes. Ravens have been documented initiating play interactions with wolves, dogs, and other species. In some cases these appear to be genuine play — ravens approach wolves, pull their tails, and retreat in what looks like a game. Whether this constitutes true inter-species play (with mutual enjoyment) is debated, but the behaviour is documented.

Sources

Heinrich, B. (2000). Mind of the Raven. HarperCollins. — aerial play, object play, snow sliding, and raven-wolf play interactions (ch. 11–13).
Boarman, W.I. & Heinrich, B. (1999). Common Raven (Corvus corax). In Poole, A. & Gill, F. (eds.), The Birds of North America, No. 476. — species account: play behaviour summary.

[science] peer-reviewed studies and field observations