What is a Murder?

Or for that matter…what is a Corvus? The term “murder” is not as sinister as it may sound. Quite simply, a group of crows is called a “murder,” though this term usually appears in poetry (think EAP which is rather sinister come to think of it) rather than scientific contexts.

Corvus on the other hand is a bit more scientific. From Wikipedia:

The genus Corvus consists of large Passerine birds. They are either black all over, or mainly black with white or grey patches. They range in size from the relatively small Jackdaws (still larger than most other passerines) to the very large Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia. The 40 or so members of this genus occur on all continents except South America and Antarctica, and on many offshore and oceanic islands.

Members of the group as a whole are known as “True Crows”. Most species are known as “crows”, others as “jackdaws”, “raven” or “rook”; some of these names reflect relationships within the genus, while others do not.

Also from Wikipedia:

The “True Crows” are large passerine birds that form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-sized jackdaws (Eurasian and Daurian) to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents (except South America) and several offshore and oceanic islands (including Hawaii). In the United States, the word “crow” is used to refer to the American Crow. The crow genus makes up a third of the species in the Corvidae family. Other corvids include rooks and jays. Crows appear to have evolved in Asia from the corvid stock, which had evolved in Australia.

Although many continue to view crows as a mere nuisance, when starting the firm in 2008, the three principal partners with Corvus Communications drew parallels in these birds and their own personal philosophies. Hence the name and the simple prominent black color palette. And now you know…and knowing is half the battle.