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'{{Short description|Collection of birds with the same common name}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}} [[File:3782 Common Raven in flight.jpg|thumb|right|Common raven of North America (''Corvus corax principalis'') in flight]] A '''raven''' is any of several larger-bodied [[passerine]] [[bird]] species in the genus ''[[Corvus]]''. These species do not form a single [[Taxon|taxonomic group]] within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between [[crow]]s and ravens. Names are assigned to different species chiefly based on their size. The largest raven species are the [[common raven]] and the [[thick-billed raven]]; these are also the largest passerine species. ==Etymology== The term "raven" originally referred to the [[common raven]] (''Corvus corax''), 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 [[Icelandic language|modern Icelandic]]) {{lang|non|hrafn}}<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' entry for "raven".</ref> and [[Old High German]] {{lang|goh|(h)Raban}},<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia| title=Raven|encyclopedia=Oxford English Dictionary|editor=Simpson, J. |editor2=Weiner, E. | year=1989 |edition= 2nd| location=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press|isbn= 0-19-861186-2}}</ref> all of which descend from [[Proto-Germanic]] {{lang|gem|*hrabanaz}}.<ref>{{cite web| title=Raven| work=Online Etymology Dictionary| url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=raven| access-date=14 May 2007}}</ref> The [[collective noun]] for a group of ravens is an "unkindness".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lipton |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVNazQEACAAJ |title=An Exaltation of Larks |date=1991 |publisher=Viking |isbn=978-0-670-30044-0 |language=en}}</ref> In practice, most people use the more generic "flock".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=flock+of+ravens,unkindness+of+ravens,treachery+of+ravens,conspiracy+of+ravens&year_start=1900&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cflock%20of%20ravens%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cunkindness%20of%20ravens%3B%2Cc0t1;,flock%20of%20ravens;,c0;.t1;,unkindness%20of%20ravens;,c0|title=Google Ngram Viewer|website=books.google.com|access-date=2020-01-05}}</ref> ==Extant species== {{seealso|List of Corvus species}} * ''Corvus albicollis'' – [[White-necked raven]] (eastern and southern Africa) * ''Corvus corax'' – [[Common raven]] (Northern Hemisphere) * ''Corvus coronoides'' – [[Australian raven]] (Australia) * ''Corvus crassirostris'' – [[Thick-billed raven]] (Horn of Africa) * ''Corvus cryptoleucus'' – [[Chihuahuan raven]] (United States and Mexico) * ''Corvus mellori'' – [[Little raven]] (southeastern Australia) * ''Corvus rhipidurus'' – [[Fan-tailed raven]] (eastern Africa and Arabian peninsula) * ''Corvus ruficollis'' – [[Brown-necked raven]] (northern Africa, Arabian peninsula, greater Middle East) * ''Corvus tasmanicus'' – [[Forest raven]] (Tasmania, southern Victoria and north-east New South Wales in Australia) ==Extinct species and morphs== * †''Corvus moriorum'' – [[Chatham raven]] * †''Corvus antipodum'' – [[New Zealand raven]] * †''Corvus corax varius'' morpha ''leucophaeus'' – [[Pied raven]] (extinct morph of common raven) ==Gallery== <gallery widths="200px" heights="200px"> File:Head of Raven.jpg|Head of a [[common raven]] File:Corvus corax jouveniles.jpeg|Common ravens File:Corvus cryptoleucus Arizona 2.jpg|[[Chihuahuan raven]] File:Fan-tailed raven.jpg|[[Fan-tailed raven]] File:Australian Raven Sydney University.jpg|[[Australian raven]] File:Ravaged Raven in Flight.jpg|A raven with a damaged wing. It can still fly with ease. </gallery> ==See also== * [[Cultural depictions of ravens]] * [[Ravens of the Tower of London]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote|Ravens}} {{Wikisource1911Enc|Raven}} * [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/crows-corvidae Raven videos] on the Internet Bird Collection * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101229105854/http://enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?allSpecies=y&searchText=raven North American ravens] on eNature {{Animal common name}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Ravens| ]] [[Category:Bird common names]]'