Raven Vs Crow: Differences in Appearance, Behavior, and Symbolism (2024)

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Do you know the difference between a raven and a crow? While it may be difficult to tell them apart at first glance, there are plenty of distinguishing features that can help with identification.

• Size: Ravens are significantly larger than crows, with the common raven being up to 27 inches long with a 4.5 foot wingspan, compared to the 16-21 inch length and 3 foot wingspan of the American crow.
• Flight patterns: Ravens soar and glide frequently, while crows flap continuously in flight.
• Vocalizations: Ravens have a wider repertoire of calls, including deep croaks, while crows emit the familiar caw sound.
• Intelligence: Both corvids are considered intelligent, but ravens have shown impressive problem-solving abilities and memory skills surpassing crows in scientific studies.
• Diet: Ravens are omnivorous scavengers, feeding on carrion, insects, rodents, seeds, fruit and more. Crows have a more specialized diet focusing on insects, plants and small invertebrates.
• Nesting: Ravens nest on cliffs, in trees and on structures like cell phone towers.

So while ravens and crows may seem identical at first, their differences in size, flight, calls, intelligence, diet and nesting behaviors reveal them to be distinct species. On a symbolic level, ravens are associated with dark omens but also wisdom in mythology, while crows are considered tricksters and pranksters across cultures.

Whatever their common associations, both the raven and crow remain fascinating bird species.

What is the Difference Between a Raven and a Crow?

You’d know it’s a raven by its deep croaking call, longer neck, larger bill, and wedge-shaped tail as it soars overhead doing somersaults. Crows caw in pigeon-sized flocks using tools and bringing gifts with their fan-shaped tails.

Ravens are larger with thick throat hackles, longer primaries for soaring, and swishy wing sounds. Crows are highly intelligent, recognizing faces and using tools. Ravens prefer carrion, while crows eat various birds, fruits, nuts.

Culturally, ravens symbolize death in Celtic myths, while crows represent war in Irish tales. Understanding the distinctions in appearance, habits, diet and folklore between these corvid cousins illuminates their unique nature and place in the world.

Physical Appearance

You’ll notice that ravens have a larger, wedge-shaped tail compared to the fan-shaped tail of crows. Ravens are also substantially bigger, with a longer neck, thicker throat hackles, and longer primaries that produce a distinctive swishing sound during flight, unlike crows.

Size and Body Shape

Girl, that big ol’ wedge-shaped hunk of feathers dwarfs those dainty pigeon-sized fan tails in a New York minute. The common raven is much larger than the American crow, with a thicker neck, larger bill, and longer wing primaries.

Objectively, ravens have a distinctive wedge-shaped tail that fans in flight, while crows have a more squared, fan-shaped tail. Their body proportions and feather shapes make size and silhouette key physical distinctions between these corvid cousins, though both cut dashing figures across the sky.

Flight and Behavior

You can distinguish them while soaring – the raven’s longer finger feathers make for deeper, slower wingbeats. Common ravens soar effortlessly on thermals, performing aerial acrobatics like somersaults.

Their primaries produce a distinctive, deep swishing sound. The American crow has shorter primaries producing a sharper caw during flight. While less aerial, crows exhibit intelligence through gift-giving, facial recognition, problem-solving and tool use.

Crows are omnivorous but prefer small vertebrates, fruits and seeds. Ravens prefer carrion but also opportunistically prey on small animals. Both corvids hold deep cultural symbolism across mythology, folklore and religion.

Vocalizations

Man, that eerie deep croaking of the raven haunts like the wails of a banshee, while the crow’s caw rings shrilly as a school bell at morn. The vocalizations of ravens and crows showcase key differences between these intelligent birds.

Ravens produce a wider range of calls like knocks, clicks, rattles, and deep croaks. Crows give the familiar caw caw but also make softer coos and cackles. Raven calls can indicate alarm, food discovery, or mating availability.

Scientifically examining the sounds of corvids reveals the complexity of avian languages. Their unearthly voices imbue ravens and crows alike with an air of mystery in literature and lore across cultures.

Intelligent birds like these give us a glimpse into the sophistication of animal communication.

Intelligence and Problem-Solving Abilities

Recently, scientists discovered crows not only use tools, but also make them to solve problems. Crows display impressive cognitive abilities and innovative problem-solving skills in scientific tests. Researchers have challenged crows with complex puzzles and tasks requiring them to create or modify tools, revealing their capacity for insightful tool manufacture.

Multiple studies demonstrate crows can master cause-effect relationships, recognize patterns, and creatively manipulate objects to retrieve food rewards.

While less studied, ravens likely possess similar intelligence. With large brains packed into relatively small skulls, corvids like crows stand out for their agile minds. Scientists seek to better understand the evolutionary origins and neurological basis of avian intelligence through ongoing research on crows and other clever bird species.

We’ve much more to learn about the remarkable thinking skills these birds demonstrate in the wild and laboratory experiments.

Diet and Feeding Habits

Having unsupervised access to trash and carrion allows the raven to thrive, don’t you think? While crows primarily feed on insects and other small invertebrates, fruits, seeds, nuts, and even human garbage, the common raven possesses a more generalized and opportunistic diet.

Ravens are omnivorous birds, feeding on eggs, nestlings, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and carrion. Their diet varies seasonally with availability; in winter and early spring, they scavenge on winter-killed carcasses and uneaten hunter kills.

In spring and summer, the corvids prey more on eggs and nestlings of other birds and small invertebrates.

Ravens exhibit feeding behaviors such as scattering and hiding surplus food items for later consumption. Their intelligence and problem-solving abilities also allow them to adapt to a wide variety of habitats and food sources, ranging from remote wilderness to urban environments.

Cultural Significance and Symbolism

The raven is prominent in the mythology and folklore of Pacific Northwest cultures, Celtic mythology, and the Old Testament, while the crow is associated with war, death, and the otherworld in Irish and Cornish folklore.

Raven in Mythology and Folklore

You’re enthralled by the raven’s recurrence throughout mythology as a deity, omen, and trickster. In Celtic mythology, the raven links to the Morrígan, a shapeshifting goddess of battle and sovereignty who appears as a raven.

Pacific Northwest cultures depict the raven in totem poles and myths as a revered trickster creator deity. The raven even arises in Old Testament passages as a messenger or harbinger of events. Clearly, the raven occupies major symbolic roles across belief systems and narrative traditions.

Crow in Mythology and Folklore

You’ve heard crows associated with war and death in Irish tales, but did you know they symbolize the Otherworld in Cornish stories?

• In Native American cultures, crows often represent wisdom and intelligence.
• Celtic mythology links crows to prophecy, destiny, and magic.
• English folklore portrays crows as ominous signs of approaching death.
• Crows appear in works from Poe to Game of Thrones as dark omens.

Crows have rich symbolic meanings across world cultures, from harbingers of doom to wise guides. Their intelligence and adaptability underpin diverse cultural representations across mythology and folklore.

Nesting and Reproduction

Ravens build large stick nests high up in trees or on cliffs, while crows construct smaller nests of twigs, bark, and grass in the fork of a tree. Ravens lay larger blue-green eggs with brown blotches, whereas crows produce smaller eggs colored green to blue with brown spots.

Nest Structure and Location

Ravens prefer tall conifers, cliffs, and transmission towers, while crows nest in the branches of deciduous trees. Both build cup nests from sticks, bark and vegetation, shaping the interior with hair and grass.

The raven’s nest is bulkier with a stick canopy and side entrance. Crows construct more delicately woven nests. Urban-dwelling crows incorporate man-made materials like wire, paper and cloth scraps.

	Raven	Crow
Nest Height	60-100 ft up	10-60 ft up
Nest Materials	Thick sticks, mud	Twigs, bark, grass
Nest Entrance	Side	Top
Eggs Laid	3-7	3-9
Incubation	20-25 days	16-18 days
Fledging	4-7 weeks	4-5 weeks

Egg Characteristics

They lay ’em big, even the crows! Those huge blue-green eggs blend right into their nests, so you gotta keep a sharp eye to spot ’em.

• Raven eggs are speckled green-blue and average 2.2 inches long by 1.5 inches wide.
• Crow eggs are pale blue-green and a bit smaller, averaging 1.6 by 1.2 inches.
• The eggshells have a rough, grainy texture to help camouflage in the nest.

Raven and crow eggs are larger than expected for birds their size due to the nestlings’ slow development and need for ample nutrition. The egg coloration and textures aid in concealment from predators during incubation.

Lifespan and Longevity

Ravens can expect to live 10-15 years in the wild, with the oldest known raven living over 40 years in captivity. Their average lifespan is influenced by genetics, aging processes, and environmental factors.

Ravens employ survival strategies like caching food, flocking in winter, and nesting in relatively inaccessible places to improve longevity. Still, ravens face threats from predators, disease, harsh weather, and human activities.

Lifespans of wild ravens tend to be on the shorter end, while those in captivity under optimal conditions may more fully experience their potential for longevity. With care and some luck, ravens could possibly live 20 years or more in the wild.

But 10-15 years is typical for these intelligent, adaptable corvids that have fascinated humankind across cultures and through the ages.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat

Everyone would agree that crows are more comfortable in human environments and ravens prefer wilder areas. Crows have adapted well to living alongside humans, with some species even thriving in cities and suburban areas.

In contrast, ravens tend to avoid inhabited zones and can be found in more remote wilderness and mountainous regions. The habitat preferences between the two corvids reflect differences in their behavior and ecology.

Ravens occupy a broader geographic range across the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting tundra, forests, deserts, and mountains. They require large open spaces suitable for their wide wingspans and lengthy aerial displays.

Crows primarily live in more populated temperate zones, where they scavenge in fields or urban garbage. While ravens avoid areas of dense human activity, crows often grow accustomed to roads, buildings, and noise pollution.

Both corvids demonstrate flexibility in utilizing habitats modified by humans, though ravens are more sensitive to disturbance. Understanding the habitat distinctions aids identification and reveals key variations in the natural histories of these two iconic birds.

Common Misconceptions and Misidentifications

You often misidentify crows and ravens due to their similarities. Look beyond size to distinguish them. Focus on tail shape, hackle feathers, and calls. A raven’s wedge-shaped tail and thick throat hackles contrast the crow’s fan-shaped tail and smooth neck.

Listen for the raven’s deep croaking versus the crow’s cawing. Observe behavior too. Ravens soar more often, doing aerial acrobatics, while crows stick to short flights between perches. Expect ravens in wilder areas and crows in urban ones. Don’t assume their diet; both eat carrion, fruits, nuts, and more.

While folklore portrays the raven as a dark omen and the crow as trickster, this ignores regional variations.

So go beyond first impressions when identifying them. Look and listen closely to pick up on key differences.