Raven
Encyclopedia
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus
Corvus—but in Europe
and North America
the Common Raven
is normally implied. They have black plumage and large beaks.
Species include:
Extinct:
Smaller-bodied species in the genus Corvus include the crow
s, jackdaw
s, and the rook
.
In some cases the diet of the raven is similar. Most ravens eat some sort of fruit, such as dates, or berries. Most are omnivorous. The ravens look similar to another common bird, the crow
, being related.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Corvus—but in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
the Common Raven
Common Raven
The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
is normally implied. They have black plumage and large beaks.
Species include:
- Corvus albicollis – White-necked RavenWhite-necked RavenThe White-necked Raven, Corvus albicollis, is somewhat smaller than the Common Raven or indeed its nearest relative, the Thick-billed Raven C. crassirostris.-Description:...
- Corvus corax – Common RavenCommon RavenThe Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
- Corvus coronoides – Australian RavenAustralian RavenThe Australian Raven is the largest Australian member of the genus Corvus and one of three Australian species commonly known as ravens. It is a more slender bird than the Common Raven of the Northern Hemisphere but is otherwise similar...
- Corvus crassirostris – Thick-billed RavenThick-billed RavenThe Thick-billed Raven , a Corvid from the Horn of Africa, shares with the Common Raven the distinction of being the largest in the Corvid family, and indeed the largest of the bird order Passeriformes . They measure 60-64 cm in length and weigh 1.5 kg...
- Corvus edithae – Dwarf Raven
- Corvus cryptoleucus – Chihuahuan RavenChihuahuan RavenThe Chihuahuan Raven , is a species of bird in the family Corvidae that is native to the United States and Mexico. It was formerly known as the American White-necked Raven, and has the proportions of a Common Raven with a heavy bill, but is about the same size as a Carrion Crow, or slightly larger...
- Corvus mellori – Little RavenLittle RavenThe Little Raven is a species of the crow and raven family Corvidae, that is endemic to Australia. It has all-black plumage, beak and legs with a white iris, as do the other Corvus members in Australia and some species from the islands to the north.-Taxonomy:Although the Little Raven was first...
- Corvus rhipidurus – Fan-tailed RavenFan-tailed RavenThe Fan-tailed Raven is a passerine bird of the crow family native to Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Like the Chihuahuan Raven it is one of the smaller species , in fact it is about the same size as a Carrion Crow but with a much thicker bill, shorter tail and much larger...
- Corvus ruficollis – Brown-necked RavenBrown-necked RavenThe Brown-necked Raven is a larger bird than the Carrion Crow though not as large as the Common Raven. It has similar proportions to the common raven but the bill is not so large or deep and the wings tend to be a little more pointed in profile...
- Corvus tasmanicus – Forest RavenForest RavenThe Forest Raven is a large species of the crow genus native to south-eastern Australia and Tasmania.-Description:The Forest Raven is 50–52 cm in length with glossy black plumage and a white iris. It has a proportionately larger bill and shorter tail than the other mainland corvid species and...
- C. t. boreus – Relict Raven
Extinct:
- †Corvus moriorum – Chatham Islands RavenChatham Islands RavenThe Chatham Islands Raven was a large songbird native to the Chatham Islands . Another closely related raven occurred on the North Island and South Island of New Zealand, namely the New Zealand Raven, C. antipodum. This was formerly included in C...
- †Corvus antipodum – New Zealand RavenNew Zealand RavenThe New Zealand Raven was native to the North Island and South Island of New Zealand but is now extinct. There were two subspecies: the North Island Raven and the South Island Raven...
Smaller-bodied species in the genus Corvus include the crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s, jackdaw
Jackdaw
The Jackdaw , sometimes known as the Eurasian Jackdaw, European Jackdaw or Western Jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly sedentary, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are...
s, and the rook
Rook (bird)
The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering"....
.
In some cases the diet of the raven is similar. Most ravens eat some sort of fruit, such as dates, or berries. Most are omnivorous. The ravens look similar to another common bird, the crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
, being related.
See also
- Ravens in popular culture
- The RavenThe Raven"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
by Edgar Allan Poe - Ravens of the Tower of LondonRavens of the Tower of LondonThe ravens of the Tower of London are a group of captive Common Ravens which live in the Tower of London. The group of ravens at the Tower comprises at least seven individuals...
External links
- Raven videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- North American ravens on eNature
- Corvid Corner A site about the raven family.
- The Raven Diaries Documenting the lives of wild ravens.