There is speculation as to the origin of the term, with some suggesting it draws on the creature's symbolic association with witches and death. Others relate it to ravens' kleptomaniac habits when it comes to other birds' eggs.

But in light of recent findings the collective name could be regarded as an unkindness in itself.

Scientists at the #link:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/f-sf-bro012315.php:Institute of Research in Game Resources (IREC)# discovered that ravens have a significantly lower impact on the population growth of their prey than other predators.

Whether that means they are wrongly maligned is a matter of opinion, but one thing is sure, these winged creatures are highly intelligent with well-honed social skills.

Not only are they able to figure out the dynamics in their own group, but in others they have never been a part of. The only other beings known to be capable of that are humans.

Fights between ravens are pretty common, and generally occur between members of the same sex. And on that note, there is an indusputable, and perhaps even undisputed, gender hierarchy within each group: it dictates that males always rank above females. Anything unkind about that?