Can Ravens catch voles

[Naturenutz]

Today a raven landed on a railing next to our works vehicle with a vole in its beak.It then took a few bites and flew to its nest site with the vole.The vole did not look like a roadkill ,it looked very fresh.Is there any chance ravens have the prowess to catch live voles ?

[faz]

Ravens are omnivores will eat almost any thing mainly sheep carrion they are powerful birds and more than capable of dispatching a vole if by chance they find a live rodent they would take it free meal is a free meal perhaps the vole was injured or sick easy pickings

[htcdude]

Yes they take voles, they will even take lambs

[Dogghound]

More likely it has mobbed another bird of prey for it or found it dead. Ravens will catch small mammals but are less equipped to do so than birds like owls and kestrels etc.

[rogpow]

According to Derek Ratcliffe in "The Raven" (T.& A.D.Poyser) :

"Short-tailed field voles are a frequent item, especially when numbers peak markedly, ....."

Rog

[Naturenutz]

There's often a kestrel nearby so could well of stole its prey if not catching it itself. What would the main diet of ravens be during the breeding season ?. These ravens are not as accomodating as the jackdaws that also nest here.Ive never seen this pair scavenging on roads,they seem too wary .They bred here last year successfully.

[Dogghound]

Carrion, small mammals, birds, eggs, nestlings, invertebrates, scraps etc they have a wide diet.

[werdnal]

I've seen a Magpie catch and kill a small rodent - couldn't get close enough to see whether mouse or vole, but I would say more than likely that a Raven could catch them too.

[The Woodman]

Originally Posted by htcdude

Yes they take voles, they will even take lambs

A trifle disengenuous htcdude They can contibute to the death of lambs as I have witnessed byattacking eyes and anus. Not quite the same as eagles with lambs as in another thread.

Voles - no problems - as others have said.

[Hedgehoggy]

I once saw a carrion crow swoop down and take a live bank vole in a pub garden, which we had previously been enjoying watching just seconds before! So I guess Ravens could easily do so too!