Crow vs Raven

Crows and ravens are birds which are familiar to almost all. Though both these birds look similar, there are many differences between the two ranging from the physical features to behavior and habitat.

The family of crows covers different species of birds like the magpies, ravens, and jays. Owing to the similarity in the appearance, many use the names of the birds wrongly. The first visible difference between a crow and a raven is the size. Ravens are usually bigger in size than the crows. When a raven can be up to 64 cm in height, a crow’s height ranges up to 46 cm. Similarly, the wings, feet, and beak sizes also differ. Being bigger in size, the ravens are very much heavier than the crows. The age spans of ravens are more than that of crows. When a crow lives up to 8 years, a raven can live up to 30 years.

Raven’s feathers are shiny and have a tint of purple when the sun rays fall on it. But crows have plain black feathers which can also have lighter markings on them. And talking about the tail, a raven’s tail has a triangular shape and that of a crow is squared off and even. Crows have thicker beaks than ravens which help them in the food habits. Another difference in the beaks is that a crow has a sort of flat beak while a raven has a curved and powerful one.

And if you have listened to the cries of both the birds, you will know that a crow’s sound is more irritating than that of ravens. A raven has the capability to imitate certain sounds as well. You can find crows in your garden, neighboring places, electric lines, and even in highly bustling places. But ravens cannot be found like that. They like solitude and privacy and hence are found in the woods and hills where human population is less or nil. Like the habitat, the food habits of ravens and crows also are different. When crows scavenge for fruits, vegetables, and other foods in groups, ravens hunt solitarily. So crows are never the friends of a farmer as it destroys the crops. Though both the birds are omnivorous and scavenge on carrion, ravens feed more on the carrions, especially sheep.

There are different types of crows around the world like the American crows, Jungle crows, and Carrion crows. Similarly there are many different varieties of ravens as well.

Summary:
1. Crows and ravens differ in the size and ravens are bigger.
2. Ravens have a purple shiny tint on the feathers when sunrays fall on them, while crows have plain dark feathers.
3. The life spans of crows are very less compared to that of ravens.
4. Crows scavenge in groups while ravens hunt in solitude.
5. Crows can be found among the dwellings of humans, but ravens prefer to stay away in the hills and woods.

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