Corvus Corax Bird

English Name:  Common Raven
Latin Name:  Corvus corax
Protonym:  Corvus Corax Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.105
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Corvidae / Corvus
Taxonomy Code:  comrav
Type Locality:  Europa; restricted to Sweden by Hartert (1903, Vog. pal. Fauna, 1, p. 2).
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CORVUS
(Corvidae; Ϯ Common Raven C. corax) L. corvus  raven. In fable the Raven was originally white but, despite its supposed gift of prophecy, was turned into a black bird for its treachery. The Common or Northern Raven is the largest species of passerine bird; "48. CORVUS.  Rostrum convexum, cultratum, basi pennis setaceis tectum.  Lingua cartilaginea bifida." (Linnaeus 1758); "Corvus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, p. 105. Type, by tautonymy, "Corvus", i.e. Corvus corax Linnaeus." (Blake & Vaurie in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 261).  This is the ninth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy.  Linnaeus's Corvus comprised twelve species (C. Corax, C. Corone, C. frugilegus, C. Cornix, C. Monedula, C. benghalensis, C. glandarius, C. cristatus, C. Caryocatactes, C. Pica, C. paradisi, C. infaustus).     
Var. Cervus, Coruus.   
Synon. Amblycorax, Anomalocorax, Archicorax, Coloeus, Corax, Corone, Corvultur, Frugilegus, Gymnocorax, Gymnocorvus, Heterocorax, Macrocorax, Microcorax, Monedula, Nesocorax, Palaeocorax, Physocorax, Pterocorax, Rhinocorax, Sitocorax, Trypanocorax.

corvus
L. corvus raven.
● From a local name Caa Maa crow gull, for the Black-legged Kittiwake in the Shetlands (syn. Rissa tridactyla).

corax
L. corax, coracis  raven  < Gr. κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak. Confusingly, the ancients also sometimes used this name for the Carrion and Hooded Crows.
● "48. CORVUS.  ...  Corax.  1. C. ater, dorso cærulescente, cauda subrotundata. Fn. svec. 69.  Corvus. Gesn. av. 334. Aldr. orn. l. 12. c. . Jonst. av. 38. t. 16. Will. ornith. 82. t. 18. Raj. av. 39. Alb. av. 2. p. 19. t. 20. Frisch. av. t. 63.  Habitat in Europa, victitat cadaveribus, furto deditus, loqui addiscit, feris convivalis, clamitans." (Linnaeus 1758) (Corvus).

Corax
Gr. κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak.
• (?Cathartidae; ?syn. Coragyps) "Un corbeau semblable à celui d'Europe, mais dont le bec est croisé.  Corax crucirostra Mus.  les deux mandibules sont repliées l'une sur l'autre.  Cette structure du bec ne peut être, comme le prétend Daudin (1), une difformité accidentelle.  Le bec est un organe si essentiel chez les oiseauc, que le moindre changement dans sa forme doit en apporter dans les habitudes de l'animal.  ...  (1) Ornithologie, t. 2, pag. 226." (Ledru, 1810, Voyage Iles de Ténériffe ...  Porto Ricco, pt. II, p. 204).  Probably an artefact; the Richmond Card Index treats this form as a "monstrosity."
• (Corvidae; syn. Corvus † Northern Raven C. corax) "Die Corveae des Prinzen wären weiter in  a) Archicorax, an Dendrocitta erinnernd   b) Pterocorax (scapulatus, etc.)   c) Corax   d) Corone und ?Gymnocorvus Less. zu trennen" (Kaup 1855); "Corax Kaup, 1855, Journal für Ornithologie, II, Erinnerungsschrift, p. LV (nom. nud.).  Type, by tautonymy, Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).

SUBSPECIES

Common Raven (principalis)
Latin Name: Corvus corax principalis
principalis
L. principalis  first, of a prince, chief  < princeps, principis  leader, first  < primus  foremost  < super. prior, prius  first; capere  to take.
● TL. Prince's I. (= Príncipe, São Tomé & Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea) (subsp. Aplopelia larvata).
● "54. PICUS.  ...  principalis.  2. P. niger, crista coccinea, linea utrinque collari remibusque secundariis albis.  Picus maximus, rostro albo. Catesb. car. I. p. 16. t. 16.  Habitat in America septentrionalis." (Linnaeus 1758) (‡Campephilus).
● Albert Edward Prince of Wales (1841-1910) later Edward VII (reigned 1901-1910) (subsp. Phasianus colchicus).
● ex “Long-tailed Sparrow” of Edwards 1760 (syn. Vidua macroura).

Common Raven (sinuatus)
Latin Name: Corvus corax sinuatus
sinuata / sinuatus
L. sinuatus  curved  < sinuare  to curve  < sinus  curve.

Common Raven (varius)
Latin Name: Corvus corax varius
varius
L. varius  various, diverse, variegated.
● ex “Cassican de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 628, and “Pied Roller” of Latham 1781 (syn. Cracticus cassicus).
● ex “Suirirí chorreado debaxo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 187 (Empidonomus).
● ex “Huppe du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 697, “Huppe noire et blanche” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Madagascar Hoopoe” of Latham 1783 (Fregilupus).
● ex “Basterd Baltimore female” of Catesby 1731-1743, “Carouge de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 607, fig. 1, and “Chesnut and black Baltimore” of Latham 1782 (syn. Icterus spurius).
● ex “Bunter Fasan” of Frisch 1735, “Phasianus albus et rufo varius” of Brisson 1760, and "Faisan varié” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Phasianus colchicus).
● ex “Varied Parrot” of Latham 1822 (Psephotellus).
● ex “Yellow-belly’d Wood-pecker” of Catesby 1731 (Sphyrapicus).
● ex “Pied Shag” of Latham 1785 (Stictocarbo).
● ex “Ispida indica” of Aldrovandus 1599-1603, “Todus varius” of Brisson 1760, and “Todier varié” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (unident.; ?Nectariniidae).

Common Raven (corax)
Latin Name: Corvus corax corax
corax
L. corax, coracis  raven  < Gr. κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak. Confusingly, the ancients also sometimes used this name for the Carrion and Hooded Crows.
● "48. CORVUS.  ...  Corax.  1. C. ater, dorso cærulescente, cauda subrotundata. Fn. svec. 69.  Corvus. Gesn. av. 334. Aldr. orn. l. 12. c. . Jonst. av. 38. t. 16. Will. ornith. 82. t. 18. Raj. av. 39. Alb. av. 2. p. 19. t. 20. Frisch. av. t. 63.  Habitat in Europa, victitat cadaveribus, furto deditus, loqui addiscit, feris convivalis, clamitans." (Linnaeus 1758) (Corvus).

Common Raven (laurencei)
Latin Name: Corvus corax laurencei
laurencei / laurenci / laurencii
● John Laird Mair Lawrence 1st Baron Lawrence of the Punjaub and of Grately (1811-1879) British administrator in India, Chief Commissioner of the Punjab 1853-1857, Viceroy of India 1863-1869 (subsp. Corvus corax, syn. Corvus ruficollis).
● See: lawrencii

Common Raven (tingitanus)
Latin Name: Corvus corax tingitanus
tingitana / tingitanus
L. Tingitanus  of Tinge, Mauretania (= Tangiers, Morocco).

Common Raven (tibetanus)
Latin Name: Corvus corax tibetanus
tibetana / tibetanum / tibetanus
Tibet.
● ex “Paon du Thibet” of Brisson 1760, “Chinquis” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Thibet Peacock” of Latham 1783 (syn. Polyplectron bicalcaratum).

Common Raven (kamtschaticus)
Latin Name: Corvus corax kamtschaticus
kamschaticus / kamtchatchensis / kamtschathensis / kamtschatica / kamtschaticus / kamtschatika / kamtschatkensis / kamtschatschensis
Kamchatka, Far Eastern Russia (named after the Kamchadal peoples, "men of the far end.").