The common raven Corvus Corax is the largest species of the Corvidae family of birds, and one of the most intelligent of all birds. Its ability to evade hunters, no matter how wily, and to elude traps, no matter how cleverly set, has intrigued people from time immaterial. Ravens raised as pets have often learned the English Language to a degree envied by parrots and parakeets, so it's not unreasonable for a raven to go strolling round and about the community quothing "Nevermore".
The raven's glossy black color, demonic appearance, and large size (over four foot wingspan) tend to spook simple superstitious folk. It's dietary preferences (eagerly chowing down on well-ripened days-old animal carcasses) enhance the image.
So what if Poe had written "Quoth the meadowlark, Nevermore", or "Quoth the penguin, Nevermore", or "Quoth the wren, Nevermore", or "Quoth the woodpecker, Nevermore", it just wouldn't have worked. It had to be a raven. No other bird will do. Well, maybe a buzzard, but buzzards just aren't smart enough to match the mystique of a raven.
Now you've gotta realize that the raven is a member of a truly illustrious botanical lineage. Its closest relatives are the common crow Corvus brachyrhynchos, the carrion crow Corvus corone, the hooded crow Corvus cornix, the Kodiak crow Corvus caurinus, the fish crow Corvus ossifragus, and the Indian house crow Corvus splendens.
The raven's more distant relatives who, I'm certain, must visit from time to time for family reunions, include the common jay Garrulus glandarius, the blue jay Cyanocitta cristata, the Canada jay Perisoreus canadensis, the Steller's jay Cyanocitta stelleri, the scrub jay Aphelocoma coerulescens, the green jay Cyanocorax yncax, the common magpie Pica pica, the yellow-billed magpie Pica nuttali, the Asian magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha, and the green magpie Kitta chinensis.
Hey, folks! With illustrious relatives like these, wouldn't you look forward to family reunions? I'm certainly not at all surprised that such a talented poet as Poe would have chosen the raven to be worthy of immortality.
I like ravens. They're fun people. I always invite a few of them to all of my parties.
