Common Raven (Corvus corax) Occupancy Survey and Habitat Selection Data in Cliff Habitat of the Central Appalachian Region, USA, 2009-2010

We identified 24 cliff sites across four states of the Central
Appalachian Region of the eastern USA (Kentucky, North Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia) with known raven occupancy at which to
perform occupancy surveys for estimating detection probability and
the effects of covariates. We surveyed each cliff site 2-4 times in
either 2009 or 2010 and recorded time-to-first detection and time to
confirmed cliff occupancy during a two-hour survey. Daily surveys
were completed between 06:00 and local solar noon. During each
survey, we recorded covariates, including air temperature at survey
start time, cloud cover, wind speed, and day of year. We also
calculated the distance of the observation point from the cliff
being surveyed and the forest cover around the cliff. We also
collected data thought to be pertinent for habitat selection by
ravens on 26 cliffs occupied by ravens and 26 cliffs deemed
unoccupied by ravens in 2010. For each cliff, we measured cliff
physiographic characteristics, such as cliff length, cliff height,
and occlusion by vegetation, and landscape characteristics,
including percent forest and urban cover around the cliff and
distances from the cliff to the nearest road and human habitation.