Quoth the raven, "Nevermore...will I see the pigeon I was carrying!"

I was trying to get myself ready for church(actually Stake Conference) on Sunday, between trips out into the hall to shout at my children to get dressed, stop fighting, etc, when Niall started crying out in distress. Leith assured me that Niall was playing a trick and that I should ignore him. I understood his suspicion, but when Niall came and begged me to follow him, I was too curious to resist. He led me to his window to show me a giant black bird on the roof across the street. The bird's size, relative to the birds we see commonly, was alarming. But, to add to the drama, Niall had seen it fly into view carrying a pigeon in its "talons"-his description- which it had dropped into the bushes.
I decided to skip doing my hair in favor of watching out the window as long as possible. Niall ran for the field guide and Leith raced for the binoculars. We alternated between watching it look for its prey while fending off the attacks of two of our neighborhood magpies and turning the pages of the guide looking for a match.
I knew its beak and coloring were not those of any bird of prey I had ever seen. But, its wing span, appearance when flying, and choice of breakfast seemed very predatory.
Apparently, it was a 'common raven'. I had no idea they were that big, 27" tall and "hawklike in flight", eating anything edible-including peaceful pigeons for Sunday brunch. Fascinating!