What is the difference between Raven and Crow

What is the difference between a raven and a crow. People pay attention to the Ravens but get confused most of the times as that a raven or a crow.

In this Article will check how to tell the diff between Raven and a Crow,  even when they're high in the sky! 

We will differentiate between Crow and Raven by looking at the Size and Shape of the body, Beak, Wings, and Tail and then we'll consider its actions while its landing, sitting, and flying. 

Next we'll listen to the birds various sounds and calls and then that'll help you come to the conclusion is this a raven or a crow. 

Size Difference

Let's start with Size, When looking at the birds you can see side-by-side it's an obvious difference but rarely do you see them side-by-side in the wild. 

This large bird (on the Right) is Raven and the smaller bird up here (On Left) is an American Crow. The Raven is about three times the size of a Crow.

A crow weighs about a pound to a pound and a half and a raven is about three pounds almost twice the size. 

Also pay attention to the bill or the beak. You notice the crow's is smaller and sharper where a raven's is larger and thicker. 

Also a raven many times will have a hook on the end of its beak a crow (usually) will not. 

Wings Difference of Raven and Crow 

Now when they're flying in the sky or above you you'll see the Raven is much thicker with a wingspan of 46 to 54 inches a crow has a wingspan of only 32 to about 38 inches. 

Tail Difference of Raven and Crow

As a crow is coming at you watch the tail, and then the Ravens tail it's more diamond shape where a crows seems cut off and may have a little nick in it. 

Raven Throat Hackles

A raven also has thick throat hackles that a crow does not have. 

Landing Difference of Raven and Crow

Now let's look at the actions a crow when it lands seems far more nervous will flit us feathers and we'll bob up and down. 

When a raven lands it's much more secure there are exceptions, in high winds a raven will land and will adjust itself to the high winds appear like its flitting but actually it's just gaining its balance. 

Sounds Difference of Crow and Raven

Also notice when a crow is making its call it will bob up and down as it does so. When a raven makes its call it usually just kind of leans forward and kind of flaps its wings up and down in very short motions like this. 

When the birds are flying you'll notice that a crow does a lot more flapping of its wings, that's because it cannot soar the way a raven does. 

When a Raven is in the air, if it can it will soar and it's a beauty to watch and here we use the Grand Canyon and a number of Ravens to show you what a raven can do! 

Now crows may glide as they're descending down to the ground but for the most part they cannot soar and they certainly can't catch the thermals and go high in the air the way a raven will. 

You may also notice when a crow is making a lot of racket in the air it's trying to drive out an intruder in its area. 

Notice the crow dive-bombs its opponent and ravens take great pride in getting crows to chase them. 

The crows will do this with hawks also. 

Now when a raven has an intruder in the area, it tends to escort it out flying with it rather than dive-bombing it. 

Now to me this is the most important part, listen, because Ravens don't speak crow.

 Crows make a caw caw caw and that's their number-one call. 

Listen to them when they get together as a group... 

Notice the crows pitch is much higher. Listen in this next segment, and you'll hear crows clicking and cawing, and one Raven going kronk, kronk, kronk... 

See to me crow sounds very different than Ravens. 

And here's the one Raven again... 

Ravens are also known to make a much larger variety of sounds. 

A raven pushes a lot of wind with its wings so its wings will actually make sound when it's going over your head. 

A crow will (generally) not do this... listen... 

Okay one last thing and this is one of my favorites because I have never seen a crow make this move. 

A raven will fold its wings and drop upside down sometimes for hundreds of feet. Both the male and female Ravens do this, sometimes right after one another, and sometimes in unison. 

In high winds they'll repeat this move over and over again, drop again thank you very much, that was like perfect! 

Two other birds that can be confusing, are the juvenile Ravens and the turkey vultures. 

Ravens when they're young tend to act more like crows, so therefore it could be quite confusing not only that their feathers aren't grown out all the way so they don't seem quite as big as an adult Raven. 

However I find the sounds different, much more screamish than the crows caw caw caw. 

But addition to the sound the size and the pink mouth are a dead giveaway it's a juvenile Raven. 

And then there's the turkey vulture. Of course on the ground it doesn't look anything like a raven, high up in the sky sometimes it can fool you at first, but if you watch turkey vultures tend to rock, they have lighter colored feathers underneath and their head appears small. 

So in review Ravens are bigger, their beak is thicker, their wingspan is longer, their tail has more of a wedge or a diamond shape, a Ravens actions are more calm. 

Crow appears more nervous. When flying the crow flaps and Yaks. A Raven does a lot more soaring. He's the one that's gonna catch the thermals and ride them high into the sky. 

Whereas a crow would have to flap to get that high. And finally take time to listen to them. 

The crow, for the most part is pretty limited to his caw caw caw caw caw which is his most common call, and also the clicking sound. 

Now that will make more sounds and especially the young ones but for the most part they'll never make the same types of sounds that Ravens make.