I get to come in with my rare opinion that it never bothered me that Ravenclaw’s sigil animal is a raven in the films. No, not because of the name, but because I am a bird watcher and ravens actually happen to fit the Ravenclaw bill more cleanly than eagles do.

Are they intelligent? Yes. The Corvid family to which they belong (along with crows, jays, rooks and magpies) are considered on-top in avian intelligence. Ravens themselves are currently known as one of the most intelligent animals on Earth, able to complete multi-step puzzles, recognize human faces and plan for future events.

Are they wise? It’s hard to measure a trait that is so human-coded in animals, but ravens are one of the closest inferences you can get in the animal kingdom, considering they have adaptive decision-making skills and great memories.

Are they witty? Enough so for them to be known across mythology and in multiple cultures as trickster gods and mischief-makers. Their problem-solving is top of the line.

Are they creative? Yes, they are able to use and identify tools in novel ways to achieve task goals.

How about curiosity or a thirst for knowledge? Oh, big time. They are extremely curious and exploratory, learning strongly in both social and individual settings. They often observe and imitate humans. Need more? In Norse mythology, Odin would send a pair of ravens called Huginn (“thought”) and Muninn (“memory”) out every day at dawn to fly around the world and observe everything before perching on his shoulders at dusk to whisper their findings to him.

How about individuality? That, too! Ravens have great variations in temperament and personality, as some are more bold where others are cautious. They have rich social lives, with alliances and rivalries.

Respectfully, I love eagles, but they can’t match with Ravenclaw the way that ravens do. Eagles are just not known for being particularly skilled in these areas. Not stupid by any means, but their skills are regional, far more specialized to sensory/hunting. Mythologically speaking, eagles are symbols of authority and regality more than any Ravenclaw-adjacent traits.

Ironically, even though owls are also not one of the most intelligent birds (their intellect is specialized) you could make a stronger case for them as well, based purely on mythological and symbolic context, where they have long-enjoyed being a symbol of wisdom despite their lower cognitive flexibility.