Something about these corvids seems almost spooky, making them the unofficial mascots of Halloween. Flocks of them aren’t called an “unkindness of ravens” or a “murder of crows” for nothing. Can you tell the difference in ravens and crows?
Common Ravens and American Crows overlap widely throughout North America, and look quite similar. Ravens are larger, the size of a Red-tailed Hawk, and often travel in pairs. Crows are seen in larger groups. Watch the bird’s tail as it flies overhead. The crow’s tail feathers are mostly the same length, so when it spreads its tail, it opens like a fan. Ravens have longer middle feathers in their tails, so their tail appears wedge-shaped.
Crows give a cawing sound. Ravens produce a lower croaking sound. While crows caw and purr, ravens croak and scream bloody murder.
A raven’s strut is often punctuated by a few two-footed hopping flights. Ravens ride the thermals and soar and crows do more flapping. Ravens have bigger, curvier beaks relative to crows. While both species have bristles at the base of the beak, the raven’s are noticeably longer. Its throat feathers are quite shaggy. Look for ravens foraging in pairs; crows are highly sociable and will hang out in murders and communal roosts.
THE CROW
