Raven Management

Desert tortoises face a growing threat from increased populations of ravens in their habitat. Partners including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense, and Hardshell Labs have been experimenting with different strategies to reduce common raven predation on the Mojave desert tortoise. Humane, innovative technological solutions such as aerial egg oiling, and the use of 3D printed replicas of juvenile tortoises, called 'techno-torts,' are being tested as adverse conditioning on ravens. It is hoped that ravens may learn to avoid tortoises and pass that aversion to their young. Find reports and publications related to raven management in our Library.

StallPOPdV4 Web Interactive: Software to compute population control treatments of a subsidized predator

Wildlife managers must stay abreast and act quickly when deleterious situations for sensitive wildlife prey emerge because of human subsidy of predators. StallPOPdV4 software leverages density independent and density dependent population matrix models to identify population reduction strategies that may be used by managers to reset, slow, or halt subsidized population growth of a 3-stage species, such as the common raven (Corvus corax).

Raven Nest Observation Portal

Contribute your data about raven nest locations in the Raven Nest Observation Portal! Your help is invaluable to land managers in our efforts to effectively manage rapidly expanding raven populations with the goal of protecting native species such as the Mojave desert tortoise and the burrowing owl. If you have raven nest observations to submit, use "Demo" for your login and password in the portal.

Species

Programs

Mojave Desert Tortoise facing out of burrow
The Desert Tortoise Recovery Office works to provide effective and coordinated recovery, research, and monitoring activities for the Mojave desert tortoise; provide a sound and defensible scientific basis for decision-making; assess the benefits of recovery actions; provide information and...

Library Collections

Common raven up close and looking at the camera with a white background
Explore our comprehensive approach to addressing the dynamic challenges posed by the increasing populations of common ravens in North America, as we strive to balance ecological integrity and human interests.