As humans evolved, their senses moved from basic to best in 1000s of years. During the hunter-gatherer days, the humans could use their body, vision, hearing, smell etc for optimal survival. Where they needed more help, they employed the right animals that could make their task better.
Hunters employed dogs. Trackers monitored spiders and geckos. Landscape specialists studied termites.
Tantrics/Witches took the services of Ravens. Not the common house crow but the Raven. There is a difference!
To an observer, the Raven’s complete black colouring, Wing span, type of feathers around head/neck and call is distinctly different from a crow. But there is an internal difference that is not apparent to the eye. The connect of feather to skin. Most birds have feathers attached deep into the skin that can detect even a small shift in the air. With the combination of skin perception, acutely sharp vision and sharp brain, the raven is a blessing for the person dabbling with left-hand practices. The raven and owl are also vessels that have been widely employed to house spirits for short periods of time. It is no wonder that for Pitr pooja, the first prashad is offered to a raven. It is not just for disembodied beings, even for otherworldly beings, these birds serve as good cover. There have been many an instance where, when a chosen being was born, several guardian spirits protected the child to adulthood, assuming forms of wolves, ravens and owls.(Romulus)
The Raven is also a symbol of clairvoyance and prophetic sight. When ravens circles the city center and caw, you should take heed like the royals of Panchalankuruchi did, when Oomaidurai betrayed Kattabomman to the British army(1799). Royals in India and Britain have a history of using Ravens as oracles to the palace.
Ravens can recognize faces. A crow or raven getting hurt in India will pass on this information as collective knowledge to ravens/crows all over the world. In the book of animal behaviour, this almost-magical ability of these birds is discussed at length. How do they transfer knowledge? Even more, how do they transfer facial details of people? How do they do this across generations?