18th century illustration of a common raven (Corvus corax), also known as the western raven, or northern raven when discussing the raven at the subspecies level. It is a large all-black passerine bird. Found across the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. From Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique (Natural History of Birds of Africa), Volume 2, by Franeois Le Vaillant (1753-1824), published in Paris, France in 1799.