### animal | vertebrate | bird:

Raven
* All ravens are black.
* Every raven bird.
* also prey upon sick and injured animals.
* are a good indicator as to the presence of wolves
  - abundant in Canada and the Rocky Mountains
  - also good mimics
  - always around, stealing eggs from all but the more determined gulls
* are among the most intelligent members of the animal kingdom
  - of birds
  - big, black birds
  - birds of omen - used by Irish druids in augury
  - capable of flies
* are common here, being one of the most noticeably active birds throughout our harsh winters
  - in Alaska and often congregate near human settlements during non-breeding times
  - throughout southern Australia
  - even know to nest in the walls of the nation's monasteries and dzongs
  - excellent fliers, engaging in aerial acrobatics and sometimes soaring to great heights
  - forest birds that look like crows but are twice as long
  - highly specialized on finding carcasses
  - incredibly intelligent
* are large birds
  - black birds with a somewhat sinister reputation
  - more cautious or less audacious
  - omnivores, meaning they eat worms, insects, grains, berries, rodents, eggs and carrion
  - one of the most widespread birds in the world
  - pellet-producing birds, as are the hawks and the owls
  - scavengers and eat carrion and small live animals, as well as some plants
  - similar but larger with wedge-shaped tails and different calls
  - some of the earliest birds to re-establish and defend nesting territories
  - territorial
* are the largest of all the songbirds
  - perching birds
  - songbirds in North America
  - most conspicuous winter birds
  - very similar to crows, but about one-third bigger and inhabitants of wilderness
  - wrestlers
* attack in groups, which causes a problem for does trying to protect more than one kid.
* belong to the family of birds called corvidae.
* breed here every year.
* can cause trouble for people too
  - control the loss of body heat in their feet
* come to feast then fly further away.
* commonly soar like hawks and vultures, riding the rising air currents.
* consume a wide variety of both plant and animal matter.
* dominate the football game from start to finish.
* eat mostly seeds and the occasional worm
  - rodents, insects, grain, fruit, bird eggs and refuse
* feed on dead carcasses in winter.
* form cooperative relationships.
* have a close affinity with the supernatural world
  - distinct bill with a curve on the upper part
  - highly sophisticated language with hundreds of distinct sounds
  - roost outside of towns
  - entirely black feathers, as well as strong black beaks and feet
  - incentive and defense
  - larger, stouter bills than do crows, and the tip of the upper beak is more downcurved
* make a very loud, sharp, krak sound
  - their nests out of sticks, bones, and soft material such as wool or leaves
* often build a new nest on top of last year's nest
  - form loose flocks during the day and congregate for roosting at night
  - roost close to town during a cold snap
* perch on rooftops.
* play toss with themselves in the air, dropping and catching again a small twig.
* prey on other creatures every day.
* regurgitate pellets to store food for later.
* remain throughout the year, are best seen at the south-western end of the island.
* stay most of the winter.
* tend to be more solitary, but they're usually seen in pairs and they mate for life.
* typically use larger trees in denser forests.
* walk and crows hop.
* warn wolves of impending danger, and wolves allow ravens to scavenge after a kill.

Resident bird
* enjoy the benefits of trees all the year round.
* spend all year in the same general location.