Raven Conspiracy
In late May, Tucson Wildlife Center received a call about a raven nest built on top of an Arizona Generation and Transmission (AzGT) electrical substation. The location posed a danger to the young birds and a potential fire hazard for the facility.
Native birds and their active nests are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and in most situations our recommendation is to wait until young birds have fledged before taking steps to prevent future nesting. In this case, however, the nest presented a significant safety risk, so the appropriate permits and approvals were obtained, and the young ravens were brought into care at TWC.
Due to the location of the nest, there were no safe nearby locations for a renest attempt. Additionally, because ravens are sensitive to nest disturbances, any relocation effort carried a significant risk of abandonment by the parents.
Not long afterward, another young raven arrived after falling approximately 60 feet from its nest and sustaining injuries. Being a similar age, it was added to the group. A week later, several older raven fledglings came into our care and, after completing a period of quarantine, joined the group as well. What began as a single nest of ravens has gradually grown into a raven “conspiracy” of ten birds.
Because ravens are highly intelligent and prone to imprinting on humans, our wildlife care team took extra precautions. Feedings were conducted using ghillie suits, masks, and a raven puppet to help ensure the birds associate food with their own species rather than people—giving them the best chance of remaining wild after release. If you would like to help patients like these ravens, click this link to donate,
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