{"id":55984,"date":"2019-02-08T06:40:40","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T13:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55984"},"modified":"2025-12-16T06:35:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T12:35:02","slug":"common-raven-in-flight-over-a-sagebrush-steppe-in-utahs-dixie-national-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/02\/08\/common-raven-in-flight-over-a-sagebrush-steppe-in-utahs-dixie-national-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Raven In Flight Over A Sagebrush Steppe In Utah’s Dixie National Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CommonCommon Raven in flight over a sagebrush steppe – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

If someone asked me what my favorite birds are I’d have a hard time answering and I might just say that it is the bird I have in my viewfinder. There are some birds that make my heart beat a little faster such as owls, hummingbirds, warblers, upland game birds, raptors, cranes, and corvids.<\/p>\n

The birds I listed are all so different and they “call” to me in different ways but I can say each of them is always a thrill for me to photograph. All birds are really.<\/p>\n

I know from experience that Common Ravens can be easy to photograph in some locations. For example in Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks the ravens I saw there seemed fearless to me and would practically walk or fly right up to people.<\/p>\n

In other locations I’ve found them to be very skittish and a challenge to keep in my viewfinder so when I can I love to photograph them on the wing, perched or on the ground.<\/p>\n

Four years ago in March I was on a sagebrush steppe in the Dixie National Forest<\/span><\/a> in Wayne County, Utah. I had a Common Raven that was close enough to get a few images of it in flight and it excited me.<\/p>\n

Why wouldn’t it?<\/p>\n

The light was just perfect to capture the gleaming black plumage of the raven and I liked how this photo shows its feet curled up below its ebony body. As I recall the raven had just taken off from the ground when I took this image.<\/p>\n

It is a simple photo but one I find visually appealing and also one that brings back memories of the incredible beauty of the wilderness found in the Dixie National Forest and the Aquarius Plateau<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Common Raven photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had a Common Raven that was close enough to get a few images of it in flight and it excited me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,219,3427,26,2486],"tags":[4004,6957,1544,3194,4257,4052,4122,4751,2732,2660],"class_list":["post-55984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-common-ravens","category-dixie-national-forest","category-utah","category-wayne-county","tag-adult","tag-aquarius-plateau","tag-common-raven","tag-corvids","tag-corvus-corax","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-raven","tag-ravens","tag-sagebrush-steppe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-flight-mia-mcpherson-4534.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eyY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":122197,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/29\/common-raven-back-view\/","url_meta":{"origin":55984,"position":0},"title":"Common Raven Back View","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This isn't my typical idea of a Common Raven photo because the raven's face can't be seen. But I like this photo of the raven about to land on the frozen marsh.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Common Raven back view, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/common-raven-back-view-flight-mia-mcpherson-7261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/common-raven-back-view-flight-mia-mcpherson-7261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/common-raven-back-view-flight-mia-mcpherson-7261.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-october-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-5251.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-october-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-5251.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-october-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-5251.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-october-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-5251.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110215,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/14\/common-ravens-valentines-day-love-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":55984,"position":2},"title":"Common Ravens – Valentine’s Day Love Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"If you don't know much about Common Ravens you might wonder why I selected them to be the featured love birds on this Valentine's Day.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Common Ravens on the edge of a snow storm, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/common-ravens-edge-of-storm-mia-mcpherson-7879.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/common-ravens-edge-of-storm-mia-mcpherson-7879.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Raven in flight on a winter day next to the causeway to Antelope Island State Park, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-flight-mia-mcpherson-7864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-flight-mia-mcpherson-7864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-flight-mia-mcpherson-7864.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-flight-mia-mcpherson-7864.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Immature Common Raven Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I enjoyed photographing this molting, shaggy immature Common Raven yesterday morning while I was high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Molting immature Common Raven portrait, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/common-raven-molting-mia-mcpherson-8962.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/common-raven-molting-mia-mcpherson-8962.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/common-raven-molting-mia-mcpherson-8962.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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