Raven

Ravens are creatures found in the Mojave Wasteland

Background
Ravens in the Mojave Wasteland have an almost identical appearance to ravens from before the Great War. They are one of the few creatures to be visually unaffected by radiation.

Characteristics
Ravens have distinctive black feathers and two frontal talons on their feet. They are not considered an enemy and will fly away if the Courier tries to get near them (approximately 10–15 feet). They can be killed if detected early enough, but there are no associated challenges for killing them other than those that involve killing any creature, such as Lord Death and I Dismember You.

They will explode when shot, similar to how other characters will explode when the player character has the Bloody Mess perk, but Bloody Mess is not required for them to explode. Ravens are the weakest creatures in the game, and cannot be targeted using V.A.T.S.

Locations

 * Ravens are common wherever dead or crucified bodies are found, such as Nipton and any other Legion-raided site.
 * They are more common around civilized areas, becoming scarcer the further the Courier travels from towns and settlements.
 * A large number of ravens can be seen around the Big Horn Saloon and the Boulder City ruins surrounding area.
 * Ravens may gather around the graves in Goodsprings Cemetery.
 * Ravens are often found in pairs, especially along highways.
 * They may be seen around the entrance to Primm from the highway.
 * They can be found in Red Rock Canyon.

Appearances
Ravens appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs

 * Even if the raven is in mid-air, if you hit the area it was originally standing on (a few seconds after it takes off) it will still be killed and "dismembered" even though your hit did not visually make contact. This makes it possible to kill it with melee or unarmed weapons.
 * If you kill a raven while looking down the sights, as soon as you shoot it, the iron sight animation will glitch, and you will appear to be holding the gun lower than normal. Releasing the aim button will fix this, and has not occurred when killing any other creatures or enemies in the game.

Sounds

 * Raven taking flight
 * Raven flying away