How to Tell a Crow From a Raven

What Is a Raven?

A raven is a large, intelligent songbird. (Actually, it’s the largest songbird in the world). Like the crow, ravens are termed songbirds because they have a syrinx, even though most people would be hard pressed to call their vocalizations pretty. They are scavengers and hunters, often seen alone or in pairs, and are extremely smart problem solvers who are playful and capable of planning and cooperation. They too are found across most of North America but are also seen in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and prefer wild, open habitats, but are increasingly seen near cities as well.

Where Do Crows and Ravens Live?

Part of what can make telling a crow from a raven difficult is that, depending on where you live, they may be found together.

Crow and Raven geographic habitat overlap heavily in the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and California, as well as Alaska and in some rural-urban edges. There is little to no overlap in the southeastern U.S. and in deep urban cores, where mostly just crows are found.

When they do overlap, crows often mob ravens, even though ravens are larger. Seeing a group of smaller black birds harassing a bigger one is a strong clue that the one being harassed is a raven.

In the eastern U.S., there’s an additional habitat overlap that makes ID difficult–but this has to do with the American Crow and the Fish Crow. Telling these two apart is genuinely difficult. Voice is most important–the American Crow will clearly say “caw caw” while the Fish Crow says “uh uh” or “nyah.” While both are in the east, Fish Crows are mostly likely to be found close to coasts, rivers, and wetlands, as well as nearby towns. Their size is basically the same, but Fish Crows call more frequently and American Crows form large family groups.

Are Crows and Ravens Related?

Yes–crows and ravens are very closely related. Both belong to the genus Corvus in the crow family (Corvidae). Genetically, ravens are not separate from crows but are basically a larger crow.

Genetically, ravens and crows share a common ancestor and split about 1-2 million years ago. Biologically, that’s pretty recent, and helps explain their similar plumage, intelligence, and development, but long enough ago that their calls, social systems, and sizes grew apart. Ravens likely became bigger over time as they specialized in scavenging large carcasses, soared over open landscapes, and competed with other mammals. As their size increased, their voices deepened, the tail became wedge-shaped, and their flight mechanics changed.

Bottom line: from the standpoint of taxonomy, all ravens are crows, but not all crows are ravens?

Can Crows and Ravens Hybridize?

Basically, no. Though similar, the species are genetically incompatible and there is strong behavioral isolation. This means that even when their ranges overlap, they recognize that they are each different.

Which Is Smarter–A Raven or a Crow?

Ravens are smarter than crows. However, both birds are known for being straight A students. They both have exceptionally large brains for their body size, and share genetic pathways that unlock traits like problem solving, social cognition, and long-term memory.

If you had to pick one to do your homework for you, however, go with a raven. They have shown advanced abilities to plan and greater ability to delay gratification.

Examples of raven and crow intelligence:

• They use tools such as sticks to snatch food from hard-to-reach places

• They can plan multiple steps ahead, such as moving one object to reach another

• They can solve puzzles, such as opening a box in the correct order to get food

• They can mimic sounds from their environment, and use specific calls to warn, deceive, or coordinate with other ravens

• They will play, such as sliding down snowbanks or playing catch with sticks

• They will coordinate with each others, such as working together to distract a competitor and steal food

• It is believed that ravens and crows can remember individual humans, and even hold grudges based on past encounters

• Ravens and crows can remember for months where they cached food

Which Is Bigger—A Crow Or a Raven?

In terms of songbirds, both crows and ravens can be called large. However, side by side, ravens are significantly larger than crows. 

A Common Raven is 24-27 inches long, with a 45-51 inch wingspan, weighing in at 2-4 pounds. An American Crow, meanwhile, is 16-21 inches long, has a wingspan of 33-39 inches, and weighs 11-21 ounces. Spotting them in the field, a raven will be up to 50% longer than a crow and weigh up to three times more. Visually, ravens look bulkier, with thicker necks and heavier bills. In flight, ravens look more like a hawk, and crows look more like a pigeon.

Ravens and Crows at Your Smart Bird Feeder

Although much larger than the typical songbird, both ravens and crows will visit your FeatherSnap smart bird feeder.

American Crows are opportunistic and will stop by if there’s easy food like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and corn. If one shows up, it’s likely to dominate the feeder and scare off smaller birds.

Common Ravens will visit feeders, but generally prefer to snap up food that fell to the ground. Ravens are more wary of humans than crows, and you might see them hanging out in your yard but staying away from the feeder if you’re present–meaning a smart bird feeder like the FeatherSnap can be indispensable in getting great-quality images since its motion-activated camera will capture images and send them directly to your smartphone through the FeatherSnap app.

Checklist: How to Tell a Crow From a Raven

Still not sure how to tell a crow from a raven? Here’s a handy checklist.