CORVUS.
Mostly black with metallic sheen; nasal bristles prone ; omnivorous; nest in cliffs or trees, or occasionally on ground ; eggs 4-5, pale bluish or greenish ground colour, blotched or spotted with black or brown.
Corvus corax corax L. RAVEN. Fr. Corbeau ; Ger. Kolkrabe ; ital. Corvo imperiale ; Swcd. Korp.
? Black, with steel blue and purple gloss ; throat feathers hackled ; feathers grey at base ; nasal bristles long and stiff. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing a goo-436, Q 395-420 (W.). Tarsus 63-68. Bill 62-68, greatest height 31. Young are dull black with throat feathers short and rounded.
Resident.—Europe generally, including Faroes (" C. c. varius," feather bases whitish and less purple gloss on feathers), Britain, Iceland ("C. c. islandicus," feathers rather greenish tinged), south to Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Crete (Meinertzhagen) and possibly Greece ; and in \V. Siberia.
C. corax hispanus I lartert and Kleinschmiclt. Rather smaller, wing not exceeding 430 ; throat hackles very short. Intermediate A between typical " corax" and " tingitanus " as to bill, which is high and strong and more curved than in "corax," longer than in "tingitanus." Resident.—Spain and Portugal, Corsica, Sardinia.
" C. c. sardus" Kleinschmidt appears inseparable from this race.
C. corax canariensis Hartert and Kleinschmidt. Bill as in typical "corax," but smaller, as is entire bird. Wing 390-415 (H.). From "tingitanus" distinguished by its weaker, straighter and less high beak.
Resident.—Canary Islands.
C. corax tingitanus Irby. Bill shorter, higher, stouter, length 60-64 ; throat hackles shorter ; wing not over 430 ; upper back tinged brown in worn plumage.
Resident.—N. Africa from W. Egypt (Sollum) to Morocco, south to Atlas. Accidental Madeira.
C. corax laurencei Hume. Intermediate between typical "corax" and larger eastern " tibetanus" (which has wing and very long throat hackles). Becomes very brown on head in worn plumage. Wing 400-450.
Resident.—From Greece, through Asia Minor, E. to N. W. India.
C. corax ruficollis Lesson. Smaller. Bill more slender ; head, neck, and occasional feathers on underparts brownish at all seasons except just after moult, but most marked in worn plumage ; neck feathers whitish at base. "Wing 350-420. Bill from skull 57-75. Height 20-25.5" (Meinertzhagen).
Resident.—N. Africa in desert places, from Cape de Verdes to Egypt ; south of range of "tingitanus" in Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria ; also through Palestine to India.