Common Raven

What it looks like

Ravens are entirely black and stay in one place year round. They eat anything nature has to offer, including bird eggs, insects, fruits and frogs. The wing span of the average raven is around 120 cm. The raven's tail is rounded and longer than a crow's tail.

What it was used for

The raven is believed to know many things and to have supernatural powers. The ashes of a burned raven beak, when rubbed on the chest and back of a child, were believed to impart the properties of the raven to the child. Because ravens were believed never to die of sickness, a raven was placed under the head or on the chest of a sickly infant to improve its condition. Ravens produce a variety of calls said to have many different meanings related to predicting or announcing war, sickness, death, weather and the arrival of strangers among other things.