How Are Ravens and Crows Different?
Do you think of a raven as a crow or vice-versa? You're not alone. While both birds are members of the same family, known as Corvidae, they are not the same bird. Yes, they're cousins, but they differ, although some people don't realize it immediately.
People do not see the differences because both birds are black. While this makes it simple to recognize them as blackbirds, they are usually found in different places—even on other continents. The raven is often seen in mountainous regions and the woods because of its larger body and wing span. Its wing span allows it to soar or to fly for a longer time.
Conversely, crows like integrating into urban and suburban areas where you'll find more humans. Their cunning and clever ways make it easier for crows to inhabit peopled areas. Their flights are often random and erratic.
Nevertheless, people still debate whether a raven is a crow or a crow is a raven. Both terms are used synonymously in bird lore and tales. That's why you have to define them taxonomically and scientifically. When you have the facts before you, it's difficult for another person to argue about a bird's identification.
Scientific Classifications: What's in a Name?
As noted, both birds belong to the same family, Corvidae. Birds in this family are known as clever and adaptable. Other birds related to crows and ravens include magpies, jackdaws, and jays.
The scientific name of the raven is Corvus corax. It's known as the largest bird of the genus Corvus. The American crow, a variety of crow, is native to the US and is scientifically defined as Corvus brachyrhynchos. Other crow species have been described and found in a variety of locales.
How Do Ravens and Crows Compare in Size?
The notable distinction between the raven and the crow is size. Ravens are bigger than crows—plain and simple. The raven may be as long as 27 inches (2 feet and 3 inches) and display a wingspan of 48 inches or four feet.
The smaller crow grows to a length of about 17 to 20 inches and exhibits a wingspan of 36 inches or 3 feet. The raven is chunkier than the crow and is slightly more graceful when flying, given that Mother Nature has designed the bird for speed.
What Are the Key Physical Differences?
The raven shows off a thicker, larger bill than crows. Its beak is stronger and appears more hooked. The hook allows the bird to shred and eat larger prey more easily. The neck feathers are more scruffy. You won't see these scraggly feathers on a crow. Nor are their beaks as straight and broad as a raven's.
How Do Their Tail Shapes Differ?
The shape of the raven's and crow's tails is also different. The raven's tail is diamond-shaped, which looks pointed when the bird flies. The crow's tail is square-shaped or looks like a fan, giving the tail a rounder appearance when the bird is flying high.
What Are the Differences in Calls?
When the raven vocalizes, it creates a guttural "gronk-gronk" sound. Therefore, when compared to the crow, its voice is lower. The raven may imitate the sounds of other birds or animals. It also makes various other noises, notably whistles and clicks. Crows, when vocalizing, often create a "caw," which sounds squeaky. Therefore, the crow vocalizes using a higher pitch. Crow "caws" are more monotone and consistent than a raven's cries, which are more versatile.
Where Do Ravens and Crows Like to Live?
While ravens and crows may look similar, they gravitate toward vastly different environments. Crows like to gather in urban and suburban settings, making them highly adaptable to living around humans. In these environments, they excel socially and can easily access various food sources.
Ravens tend to prefer solitary environments in mountainous regions and wooded areas, allowing them to exploit rare resources in remote locations. This preference for isolation reflects their more independent nature compared to their gregarious crow cousins.
How Do Crow and Raven Diets Compare?
Both birds are opportunistic omnivores, but their feeding habits reflect their different lifestyles. Crows, living among humans, scavenge garbage, consume French fries, hunt frogs and mice, eat other birds, and enjoy fruits, nuts, vegetables, and spiders. They're clever enough to drop nuts on streets, wait for passing cars to crack them, and then retrieve the meat.
As scavengers in more remote areas, Ravens feed on carrion and garbage while also consuming insects, seeds, and rodents. They cache food for later consumption and will eat fish, mammals, bird eggs, and even pet food when available.
Both species frequent parks and rubbish dumps, which offer abundant nutrients for survival.
What Are The Birds’ Social Behaviors Like?
As noted, ravens are notably more solitary than crows. They are typically found as pairs or small family groups, especially during breeding season. They value their independence and prefer smaller social circles.
Unlike their autonomous raven relatives, crows are highly socialized birds that gather in flocks numbering in the hundreds or thousands, particularly during winter. Their social nature makes them excellent at community problem-solving and information sharing among themselves.
Movies About Ravens and Crows
Remember Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “The Birds?” These birds were supposed to be crows. However, these birds were not exactly companionable. They preferred their own company to humans. The 1963 film featured both crows and ravens and even mechanical birds.
Fast forward to 2006 and the movie, “Kaw,” a reworking of “The Birds.” However, this movie was supposed to be about ravens, even if the title is counter to the bird theme. The birds got a little out of control after contracting mad cow disease, or maybe we should call it mad “kaw” disease.
How Do Ravens and Crows Think and Problem-Solve?
Both species demonstrate remarkable intelligence, though they express it differently. Ravens are often considered highly intelligent, with studies showing they can use tools and even display a sense of humor. This advanced social intelligence enables them to predict future events and understand the belief systems of other species—a trait that's as remarkable as it is mysterious.
Crows also exhibit impressive cognitive abilities and tool use. They excel at problem-solving and learning from each other, making them quick learners who adapt rapidly to environmental changes. Their group intelligence allows for collective learning that benefits entire flocks.
Cultural Significance: Omens and Stories
Both birds carry a rich cultural significance across various traditions. Scientists and folkloreists connect crows with foresight and intellect, representing revelation, hidden truths, or coming change. Storytellers often tell us that ravens symbolize transformation, indicating change, insight, or blessings, though some cultures view them as messengers of death or rebirth.
Examples of Raven and Crow Storytelling
The Native Americans recounted many stories about the raven. One tale of the Sioux tells the story of a white raven who warned the buffalo of hunters. An angry hunter eventually threw the bird into a fire, scorching the avian and turning it black.
Then there's the Aesop's Fable, called "The Fox and the Crow." A crow who has grabbed a piece of cheese sits on a branch and is noticed by a sly and wily fox. The fox, hungry for the food, flatters the crow, asking the bird if it sings as lovely as it looks. Falling for the compliment, the bird caws loudly. The fox snatches the cheese causing the bid to relaize it was duped.
Conservation Status: Are Crows and Ravens at Risk?
Neither ravens nor crows face immediate extinction threats, but both species encounter challenges from habitat loss and environmental hazards. Crows face dangers from pesticide exposure, both directly and through contaminated insects. They may also carry diseases like the West Nile virus and avian influenza. Large crow roosts sometimes create problems in residential areas.
Ravens face hunting pressure from humans who consider them livestock threats, leading to poisoning and unsafe chemical use. Natural predators include owls, eagles, and hawks. Ravens may also affect endangered species like sage grouse and desert tortoises. When they nest on power lines, they may disrupt electrical systems.
Final Thoughts
While ravens and crows are distinctly different birds, both species offer fascinating insights into avian intelligence and adaptability. Their unique characteristics—from the raven's solitary mountain flights to the crow's urban community networks—demonstrate nature's remarkable diversity. This fact is true, even if birds are from the same family.