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The Wide-Feathered Currow
The Currow is a subspecies of the genus Corvus (e.g. ravens) known for its easygoing nature and domestication. The Currow is the most widely used messenger bird in Altera, and one of the most common avian housepets to boot.
Renowned for its pathfinding ability and strength, the Currow is an unrivalled messenger, able to carry even the thickest of messages and items up to a third of its bodyweight. The Currow accomplishes this gargantuan task thanks to its wide wings and tail, which in flight give it the appearance of a fan, and give it far greater lift than needed. In nature, this trait would have been selected against, as it uses greater energy than strictly required, but the Currow is the result of hundreds of generations of birdkeepers strictly breeding ravens with only the desired wings.
The Currow is a medium-maintenance animal. It can see to itself as long as it has food and shelter ready. The bird’s independent nature makes it a pet akin to a cat, though more feathery and noisier, and it is known to possess a problem-solving ability akin to the common raven.
In regards to physical appearance: the Currow is black-feathered, the feathers having a slight sheen to them, with a dark, dark blue beak, bordering on black. The wings measure between 1 to 2 meters each, making the wingspan anywhere from 2 to 4 meters, 4 being an outlier and very uncommon. The wings are additionally wider than those of a regular raven, making the Currow a very bulky bird. Weighing in at around 2.3kgs, the Currow can be almost twice as heavy as a raven.
The name of the Currow aptly describes it; the bird has very wide feathers and is a very obvious creature in the sky. Currows are slow in flight and nonviolent by their domesticated nature, making them a meal on wings for predators paying attention or a skilled archer. Despite this, Currows can be reliably used to deliver messages, with the average Currow being entirely expected to survive until death by old age. The average lifespan of a Currow is about 21 years as a pet and 22 as a messenger, though messenger Currows are at higher risk of predation. Pet Currows are usually smaller and less fit than messengers, coming in at about the size of a large raven.
