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Corvus mellori | ||||||||||||||
The little raven (Corvus mellori) was only separated in 1967 from the Australian Raven (C. coronoides) as a distinct species, significantly (but not solely) by the differences in its voice. Averaging slightly smaller than the Australian Raven (sizes do sometimes overlap), it tends to be a more sociable species, often forming large flocks that roam freely over wide areas in search of food.
The little raven ranges over southeastern Australia from southern South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, in scrub, agricultural areas and grazing pasture.
It tends to take rather more vegetable matter than C. coronoides and to feed mainly on the ground, but is probably omnivorous to a similar extent to other Corvus species when opportunity arises.
It often nests in a loose colony of up to fifteen nests. It has often been recorded as having several nests within the nesting territory of a single C. coronoides which, presumably due to different food preferences, don't consider them a threat to their own food resources.
Its call is a guttural kar-kar-kar-kar or ark-ark-ark-ark.