Questions · Conservation and Law
Are Ravens Protected?
Legal status in the UK, USA, and EU
[science] Yes — Common Ravens are legally protected across their range in Western countries. In the UK: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In the USA: Migratory Bird Treaty Act 1918. In the EU: Birds Directive (2009/147/EC). In all cases, killing, taking, or disturbing nests requires specific permits. Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern globally, with many populations recovering from historical persecution.
United Kingdom
[science] In the UK, ravens are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and subsequent legislation):
- It is an offence to intentionally kill, injure, or take a raven
- It is an offence to take, damage, or destroy an active nest or eggs
- It is an offence to disturb a raven at or near an active nest containing eggs or young
- Penalties: unlimited fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment
Ravens were heavily persecuted in the 18th and 19th centuries — gamekeepers and shepherds killed them as alleged threats to game and young livestock. By the early 20th century, ravens had been extirpated from most of England. With legal protection and changing land management practices, ravens have recolonised much of their former English range since the 1980s and are expanding eastward.1
United States
[science] In the USA, Common Ravens are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918:
- Prohibits pursuing, hunting, taking, capturing, killing, or possessing any migratory bird (including Common Ravens) without a federal permit
- Extends to feathers, eggs, nests
- Administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Exception: "Depredation permits" can be issued in cases where ravens are causing documented harm to protected species (the Common Raven management programme in the Mojave Desert to protect desert tortoises is an example). These are restricted, regulated, and require demonstration of need.2
European Union
[science] In the EU, ravens are protected under the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC), Article 5:
- Prohibits deliberate killing, capture, or possession
- Prohibits deliberate destruction of nests or removal of eggs
- Prohibits deliberate disturbance, particularly during breeding, rearing, and migration
Member states may grant derogations (exceptions) for specific reasons (public health, safety, research) but these are strictly regulated.
IUCN Conservation Status
[science] Least Concern (IUCN Red List) — the Common Raven is not globally threatened. It has one of the largest ranges of any bird. Many populations are stable or increasing. Local declines still occur in some areas due to persecution, though this is now illegal across most of the range.3
Historical Persecution and Recovery
[science] Ravens were systematically killed across Western Europe and North America during the 18th–20th centuries:
- In Britain: bounties paid for ravens in many parishes; near-extirpated from England by 1900
- In Europe: persecution as alleged livestock predators and game-bird competition
- In North America: habitat loss and shooting reduced populations in some areas
Legal protection from the mid-20th century onward, combined with reduced illegal persecution and increased food availability (landfills, roadkill), has driven population recovery. Ravens are now recolonising former range in England, Scandinavia, and parts of Central Europe.1
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ravens protected in the UK?
Yes. Common Ravens are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). It is an offence to intentionally kill, injure, or take a raven, or to take, damage, or destroy an active nest or eggs. Ravens were heavily persecuted in the 19th and early 20th centuries and are now recovering across much of the UK as a result of legal protection and changing attitudes.
Are ravens protected in the USA?
Yes. Common Ravens are protected in the USA under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918, which makes it illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, or possess Common Ravens (or their feathers, eggs, or nests) without a federal permit. The Chihuahuan Raven is similarly protected. Exceptions exist for research permits and specific management situations.
Sources
- Madge, S. & Burn, H. (1994). Crows and Jays. Christopher Helm. — historical persecution and range recovery.
- Boarman, W. I. & Heinrich, B. (1999). Common Raven (Corvus corax). The Birds of North America, No. 476. — USA legal status and management.
- BirdLife International. (2016). Corvus corax. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. — conservation status.
[science] field-guide, species-account, and conservation authority data