Item from House of the Dragon by George R.R. Martin
Trained messenger birds maintained by maesters at every castle in Westeros. The primary means of long-distance communication across the realm.
Trained ravens are the internet of Westeros — the only reliable method of sending messages across long distances in a world without telecommunications. Each castle maintains a rookery tended by its maester, stocked with ravens trained to fly to specific destinations. Messages are written on small scrolls and attached to the bird's leg. The system is maintained and controlled by the Citadel, giving the maesters an invisible but immense influence over the flow of information. During the Dance, control of ravens means control of communication — the speed at which news of Viserys's death reaches Dragonstone versus how quickly the Greens can consolidate power in King's Landing is measured in raven flights. Cutting off a castle's ravens effectively blinds it.
Large trained birds used for carrying messages between castles. Black feathers, intelligent. White ravens are sent from the Citadel to mark the changing of seasons. The postal system of Westeros.
Also known as: messenger ravens, the birds, ravens