RAVEN

Common raven (Corvus corax) any of several species of heavy-billed, dark birds, larger than crows, of the genus Corvus, family Corvidae (q.v.). The common raven (C. corax) is the biggest passerine (member of the order Passeriformes) bird: it reaches a length of as much as 66 cm (26 inches) and has a wingspan of more than 1.3 m (4 feet). (Some magpies and the lyrebird exceed the raven in length but are smaller bodied.) Although like the crow in appearance, the raven has a much heavier bill and shaggier plumage, especially around the throat. The raven's lustrous feathers have a blue or purplish iridescence. In the white-necked raven (C. cryptoleucus) of western North America, the bases of the neck feathers are white. Other species of ravenssome with white or brown markingsoccur in Africa, southern Asia, and North America. Formerly abundant throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the raven is now restricted to the wilder, undisturbed parts of its range. It is among the hardiest of birds, inhabiting the northern tundra and coniferous forests as well as barren mountains and desert. It is keen-sighted and notably wary. Long before it was immortalized in Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven, the common raven was a near-universal symbol of dark prophecyof death, pestilence, and disease, though its cleverness and fearless habits also won it a degree of admiration, as evidenced in its noble heraldic roles in the mythology of some peoples. Like other corvids, the raven is a noisy, aggressive omnivore whose diet includes rodents, insects, grain, and birds' eggs. In winter, especially, it is a scavenger and feeds on carrion, dead fish, and refuse. The raven has a large and varied vocabulary, including guttural croaks, gurglings, and a sharp metallic tok. The common raven usually is solitary but may feed in small flocks. The raven's spectacular courtship flight involves soaring and all kinds of aerial acrobatics. The birds' crudely made nest of coarse sticks, usually lined with hair or shredded bark, is a bulky structure up to 1.5 m (5 feet) in diameter that may be built on a cliff or the top of a large tree. The young remain in the nest for about a month. If captured while a nestling, a raven may make an interesting pet capable of learning to mimic a few words. One captive bird on record lived 69 years.