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The common raven (''Corvus corax''), 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. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the thick-billed raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the common raven averages in length and in mass. Common ravens can live up to 21 years in the wild, a lifespan exceeded among passerines by only a few Australasian species such as the satin bowerbird〔Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme ''(Satin Bowerbird )''〕 and probably the lyrebirds. Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory. Common ravens have coexisted with humans for thousands of years and in some areas have been so numerous that people have regarded them as pests. Part of their success as a species is due to their omnivorous diet; they are extremely versatile and opportunistic in finding sources of nutrition, feeding on carrion, insects, cereal grains, berries, fruit, small animals, and food waste. Some notable feats of problem-solving provide evidence that the common raven is unusually intelligent. Over the centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and literature. In many cultures, including the indigenous cultures of Scandinavia, ancient Ireland and Wales, Bhutan, the northwest coast of North America, and Siberia and northeast Asia, the common raven has been revered as a spiritual figure or god. == Taxonomy == The common raven was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, ''Systema Naturae'', and it still bears its original name of ''Corvus corax''. It is the type species of the genus ''Corvus'', derived from the Latin word for "raven". The specific epithet, ''corax''/κοραξ, is the Ancient Greek word for "raven" or "crow". The modern English word ''raven'' has cognates in all other Germanic languages, including Old Norse (and subsequently modern Icelandic) ''hrafn''〔''Oxford English Dictionary'' entry for "raven."〕 and Old High German ''(h)raban'', all which descend from Proto-Germanic '' *khrabanas''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 work=Online Etymology Dictionary )〕 An old Scottish word ''corby'' or ''corbie'', akin to the French ''corbeau'', has been used for both this bird and the carrion crow.〔Goodwin, p. 144〕 Obsolete collective nouns for a group of ravens (or at least the common raven) include "unkindness"〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Baltimore Bird Club. Group Name for Birds: A Partial List )〕 and "conspiracy".〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=University of California Golf Club. List of Collective Nouns )〕 In practice, most people use the more generic "flock". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Common raven」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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