Ravens vs. ravens: 5 main differences

Ravens and ravens are often confused with each other. When you compare them, you can see enough similarities in physical characteristics and terminology to be considered interchangeable. But there are differences in their behavior and specific body parts that you can only recognize when observing, even from a distance. Each bird also lives in different areas and has its own symbolism in different mythologies.

In fact, these are two different species from the genus Corvuswhich makes them both corvids. While the comparison is generally true between all ravens and ravens, for simplicity, the differences will mainly be between the common raven and the American raven. Let’s make a detailed comparison below!

Comparison of crows and ravens

5 key differences between crows and crows

• Appearance: By comparison, crows are usually smaller than crows. However, there are also large crows and small crows. Hence, the best way to tell them apart is to look at their beaks, wings, and tails. Ravens have a purple or green hue on their blunt, outstretched wings, while ravens have shiny feathers with blue or purple or gray-brown pointed wings. Ravens have fan-shaped tails and smaller, straighter beaks, while ravens have wedge-shaped tails with larger, curved beaks with a tuft of hair at the top. When a crow ruffles its feathers, it looks like a mane or ruff, and a raven’s feathers look ragged. The raven’s neck also looks longer in flight.
• Habitat: Ravens are more social and inhabit settlements such as cities. Ravens prefer wilderness and countryside, where there are fewer people and are more likely to find carrion and small animals to eat, being scavengers rather than hunters.
• Group behavior: Ravens usually communicate in groups, and a group of crows is called a killer. Ravens prefer to live alone or travel in pairs. Ravens help each other raise babies, but crows do not. They are also more likely to associate with humans and are a partially migratory species, unlike ravens. Ravens can defeat ravens in flocks, although ravens are stronger.
• Variety: “Crow” refers to any bird of this genus. Corvus These include crows, crows, jays and magpies, but they are also a special species of this genus. “Raven” is a type species of the genus Corvus, which is more common in the Northern Hemisphere than any other corvid species.
• Call: A crow’s cry is a croak that usually starts with one loud “croak” followed by several shorter croaks. This is very different from a long groan or a crow’s croaking. However, while the crow’s cry is deep and guttural, the crow’s cry is louder, but higher and nasal.