Name: The ravens
Start: 2017-01-01T12:07
End: 2025-12-31T09:00
Location: Tower of London

When

Open

Ticketing information

See our adult ravens as part of your day admission ticket to the Tower of London.

Included in palace admission (members go free)

Buy Tower of London tickets

Meet the famous ravens at the Tower of London and learn more about why they are known as the guardians of the Tower, at their lodgings on the South Lawn.

The names of our current Tower ravens are Jubilee, Harris, Gripp, Rocky, Erin, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar and Branwen. Ravens are intelligent birds and each of ours has its own personality; they can mimic sounds, play games and solve problems. See if you can spot some of their fascinating behaviour on your visit.

The legend of the Tower ravens

It is said that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. There are nine ravens at the Tower today.

Charles II is thought to have been the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower be protected after he was warned that the crown and the Tower itself would fall if they left.

The King's order was given against the wishes of his astronomer, John Flamsteed, who complained the ravens impeded the business of his observatory in the White Tower.

See the ravens at the Tower of London

The ravens are free to roam the Tower precincts during the day and preside over four different territories within the Tower's walls.

You might even be lucky enough to witness the ravens snacking — but please be careful and do not feed the ravens yourself, as they can bite if they feel their territory is being threatened.

These magnificent birds respond only to the Ravenmaster and should not be approached too closely by anyone else.

Meet our new ravens

We’re delighted to welcome Edgar and Branwen to join the Tower’s legendary corvid community!

In the vote for naming our newest baby female raven, the winning name was Branwen! Thanks to everyone that voted.

Having been closed to visitors since 2020, the Tower of London has been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic, which saw its visitor income drop by 85%. If you’re in the UK and would like to help support the costs of caring for our historic landmark and its iconic raven residents, text RAVENS to 70085 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.

Or if you would like to support us from the USA, find out how you can do so here.

Caring for our ravens

Discover the stories of the ravens at the Tower of London as told by our resident Ravenmaster, Chris Skaife.

A close view of the upper three-quarters of a resident Tower raven.

According to legend, the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. Traditionally, King Charles II first decreed that the Tower ravens should be protected.

Why are the ravens' wing feathers trimmed?

The Ravenmaster occasionally trims some of the ravens' primary and secondary flight feathers to encourage them to stay at the Tower. All the Tower ravens are able to fly but, with careful feather management, plenty of food and a comfortable new enclosure, they are happy to call the Tower their home.

However, some ravens have gone absent without leave in the past and others have even been sacked. Raven Muninn flew off to Greenwich and was eventually returned by a vigilant member of the public after seven days. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub.

A diet of meat, biscuits and blood

The ravens are fed twice a day by our Ravenmaster and dine on a special diet of mice, chicks, rats and assorted raw meats. As a special treat, they are given biscuits soaked in blood.