The origin and phylogenetic relationships of the New Zealand ravens

•Our phylogenetic analyses supports the monophyly of the New Zealand ravens.•New Zealand ravens likely arrived in New Zealand as recently as the late Pliocene.•The distribution of remains of this species and ecological niche modelling suggests coastal habitats during the Holocene.•Unique features of the skull compared to other species of Corvus imply a unique dietary specialisation.•Our genetic analysis only support a single species with one or two subspecies, as opposed to the currently recognised two species and two subspecies.