New Zealand raven facts for kids

The New Zealand raven (Corvus antipodum) was a large bird that used to live in New Zealand. Sadly, it became extinct around the 16th century. This means there are no more New Zealand ravens left today.

There were two types, or subspecies, of this raven. One lived on the North Island (Corvus antipodum antipodum). The other lived on the South Island (Corvus antipodum pycrofti). A close cousin, the Chatham raven (Corvus moriorum), lived on the Chatham Islands.

What Did They Look Like?

New Zealand ravens were big birds, similar to today's ravens. They had long, wide beaks. Their beaks were not as curved as those of some other raven types, like the Hawaiian crow.

The New Zealand raven was smaller than its cousin, the Chatham Island raven. Also, the ravens from the South Island were a bit bigger than those from the North Island.

Where Did They Live and What Did They Eat?

Scientists often find bones of New Zealand ravens in old coastal areas. These bones are from the Pleistocene and Holocene periods.

Near the coast, these ravens might have visited seal and penguin colonies. They could have also looked for food in the areas where the ocean meets the land, like the Tasmanian forest raven does today.

It's also possible they ate fruit, like the New Caledonian crow. However, it's a bit of a mystery why a fruit-eating bird would be found mostly in coastal forests. Fruit was available throughout all the forests, not just by the sea.

Family Tree: Who Were Their Relatives?

Scientists have studied the DNA of the New Zealand raven. This DNA evidence shows that its closest relatives are the Chatham raven.

Beyond that, they are related to a group of ravens from Australia. This group includes the Forest raven, Little raven, and Australian raven. The New Zealand raven split off from this group about 2 million years ago.

The bones in their mouth, especially the palate, look unusual compared to other ravens. This suggests they had a special diet. Maybe they were good at scavenging and eating large, hard food items.

Images for kids

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  Corvus antipodum pycrafti holotype

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  Corvus antipodum bones collected from the Aupouri Peninsula

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  Underside view of Corvus antipodum pycrafti skull