Bird+of+the+Week+--+Raven

__Corus corvax __ (Common Raven)



__How to Recognize a Raven__: very large (over 2 feet tall and 2.6 pounds!); long, wedge-shaped tails; black, iridesscent plummage all over torso and wings (scraggly and unkempt appearing feathers at the neck area); large, slightly curved beak; __Wingspan__: 40-60 inches  __Life Span__: 10-15 years typically, though life spans of 40 years have been recorded  __Vocalization__: [] __Diet__: omnivorous, scavengers: carrion, fruit, berries, grains, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds  __Habitat__: varied: Holarctic, Arctic, and temperate regions of North America and Eurasia; deserts of Africa; Pacific islands; British Isles  __Fun Facts__: Edgar Allan Poe wrote a famous poem entitled "The Raven" about a raven that haunts a man.  Ravens are depicted in numerous cultures as being omens of death. In Swedish culture, ravens are thought to be the souls of murdered individuals.  Germans blieve that ravens are the souls of the damned.  Ravens are thought to be one of the most intelligent bird species.  Bhutan's national bird is the raven.