A raven is one of several larger-bodied species of the genus Corvus. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus.
There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", and these appellations have been assigned to different species chiefly on the basis of their size, crows generally being smaller than ravens.
The largest raven species are the common raven and the thick-billed raven.
Video Raven
Etymology
The term "raven" originally referred to the common raven, the type species of the genus Corvus, which has a larger distribution than any other species of Corvus, ranging over much of the Northern Hemisphere.
The modern English word raven has cognates in all other Germanic languages, including Old Norse (and subsequently modern Icelandic) hrafn and Old High German (h)raban, all of which descend from Proto-Germanic *hrabanaz.
Collective nouns for a group of ravens (or at least the common raven) include "unkindness" and "conspiracy". In practice, most people use the more generic "flock".
Maps Raven
Species
- Corvus albicollis - white-necked raven
- Corvus corax - common raven
- Corvus coronoides - Australian raven
- Corvus crassirostris - thick-billed raven
- Corvus cryptoleucus - Chihuahuan raven
- Corvus mellori - little raven
- Corvus rhipidurus - fan-tailed raven
- Corvus ruficollis - brown-necked raven
- Corvus tasmanicus - forest raven
Extinct species
- +Corvus moriorum - Chatham raven
- +Corvus antipodum - New Zealand raven
- +Corvus corax varius morpha leucophaeus - pied raven
See also
- Cultural depictions of ravens
- Ravens of the Tower of London
References
External links
- Raven videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- North American ravens on eNature
Source of article : Wikipedia
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