How to Tell a Raven From a Crow

Photograph by Minette Layne/Flickr Creative Commons

How to Tell a Raven From a Crow

These black birds may look similar in some ways, but several distinctive traits help set them apart. 

Brought to You by BirdNote®
Published: 10/22/2012

This story comes to you through a partnership between Audubon and BirdNote, a show that airs daily on public radio stations nationwide.

 

You’re outside, enjoying a sunny day when a shadow at your feet causes you to look up.  A large, black bird flies over and lands in a nearby tree. You wonder: is that a crow or a raven?

These two species, common ravens and American crows, overlap widely throughout North America, and they look quite similar. But with a bit of practice, you can tell them apart.

You probably know that ravens are larger, the size of a red-tailed hawk. Ravens often travel in pairs, while crows are seen in larger groups. Also, watch the bird’s tail as it flies overhead. The crow’s tail feathers are basically the same length, so when the bird spreads its tail, it opens like a fan. Ravens, however, have longer middle feathers in their tails, so their tail appears wedge-shaped when open.

Listen closely to the birds’ calls. Crows give a cawing sound. But ravens produce a lower croaking sound. 

We’re back looking up at that tree. Now can you tell? Is this an American crow or a common raven?

That’s a raven. The bird calls you hear on BirdNote come from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. To hear them again, begin with a visit to our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Michael Stein.

Adapted by Dennis Paulson from a script written by Frances Wood.
Calls provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Ambient track American Raven recorded by R.S. Little, American Crow recorded by G.A. Keller.
Forest ambient and featured raven recorded by C. Peterson
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2012 Tune In to Nature.org     September 2012     Narrator: Michael Stein

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Type: Author | From: Audubon Magazine

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You can also tell a Raven form the sound its wings when make it flies you can literally hear the wind in their wings whoosh whoos Nokia Mobiles

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Crows and ravens

on a power line at my house one raven chased away 5 crows then the raven and its mate flew to a near by tree

Crow or Raven

Which has the blue head feathers that catch the light as they turn their heads? I seem to get them both in singles and groups because I have tallow out nearly year round for my ladder backs and several types of woodpeckers. One type of the huge blackbirds however has the pretty blue sheen on the head that does not extend past the neck, what is that? (I just answered my own question, didn't I?) Don't see as many crows or ravens as a few years ago, just starlings now in big numbers.

Ravens and Crows

My apologies if I post this twice -
In my experience, Ravens are much more experienced and successful thieves than crows, although crows can do pretty well. Some jays of course are the real felons.

Ravens and Crows

In my experience, the ravens are much more experienced and expert thieves than crows, although crows can do pretty well too -

Ravens and Crows

In my experience, the ravens are much more experienced and expert thieves than crows, although crows can do pretty well too -

crows

My favorite crow fact is that a group of them is known as a 'murder of crows'.

When I lived in the suburbans, I didn't like crows much as they were very noisy and often made a mess ripping open trash bags on garbage day. Now I live in a rural area and I love crows because they chase the red-tailed hawks away from my chickens.

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