Common Raven (Corvus corax)

Distinguished from similar American Crow by larger bulk, longer tail, shaggy throat feathering and heavier bill. Sometimes called Northern Raven, they are claimed to be the world's largest passerine based on body size. They complete for this title with the Thick-billed Raven (Corvus crassirostris) of Africa. Eight or more subspecies in three clades are usually recognized with California birds (C. c. clarionensis) among the smallest. Recent genetic studies indicate that California birds are more closely related to the Chihuahuan Raven (C. cryptoleucus) than they are to other Common Raven populations.