northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids.
There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance,
although there are significant genetic differences among populations
from various regions. It is possibly the heaviest passerine; at
maturity, the Common Raven averages 63 centimetres (25 inches) in
length and 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) in mass. Common Ravens can live
up to 21 years in the wild, a lifespan exceeded among passerines by
only a few Australasian species. Young birds may travel in flocks but
later mate for life, with each pair defending a territory. The Common
Raven has coexisted with humans for thousands of years and in some areas
is considered a pest. Part of its success comes from its omnivorous
diet; Common Ravens are extremely versatile in finding sources of
nutrition. Some notable feats of problem-solving have been observed in
the species, leading to the belief that it is intelligent. Over the
centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and
literature. In many cultures, it has been revered as a spiritual figure
or god.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Raven>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1799:
France became the first country to adopt the metric system as
its system for weights and measures.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_metric_system>
1884:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by American author Mark Twain
was first published in the United Kingdom and Canada.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_of_Huckleberry_Finn>
1901:
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded, on the anniversary of the
1896 death of their founder, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred
Nobel (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize>
1948:
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, representing the first global expression of
rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights>
1989:
At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia,
journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the
Mongolian Democratic Union, which would be instrumental in ending
Communist rule four months later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsakhiagiin_Elbegdorj>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
canary in a coal mine:
(idiomatic) Something whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a
useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the
coming of greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or
welfare.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/canary_in_a_coal_mine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The best thing you can do for your fellow, next to rousing his
conscience, is — not to give him things to think about, but to wake
things up that are in him; or say, to make him think things for himself.
--George MacDonald
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_MacDonald>
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