The forest raven (Corvus tasmanicus), or Tasmanian raven, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae native to Tasmania and parts of southern Victoria and New South Wales. It is 50 to 53 cm (20 to 21 in) in length, its plumage, beak and legs are all black, and its feathers have grey bases. Adults have white irises; younger birds have dark irises with a blue rim. New South Wales populations form a subspecies, C. t. boreus. This raven lives in a wide variety of habitats in Tasmania, but in closed forest on mainland Australia. Breeding takes place in spring and summer, occurring later in Tasmania than in New South Wales. The nest is a bowl-shaped structure of sticks sited high in a tree. An opportunistic omnivore, it eats a wide variety of plant and animal material, as well as food waste from urban areas and roadkill. It has been blamed for killing lambs and poultry, and is unprotected in Tasmanian law. It is sedentary, with pairs generally bonding for life in permanent territories. (Full article...)