Carrion Crow vs Common Raven

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

How to recognise a carrion crow?

General appearance

The Carrion Crow is roughly 46-51 cm long with a wingspan of 93–104 cm. It has a pure black plumage, slightly glossy, with a strong, black bill, and black legs. Its eyes are dark brown or grey. It flies with a slow heavy flapping, and has a distinct 'cash' sound.

Male vs female

Males are slightly larger than females, but otherwise, the sexes are very similar in appearance. Generally, females may have a slightly lighter build, but it is challenging to distinguish between the two based solely on physical appearance.

Juvenile

Juvenile Carrion Crows are remarkably similar to adults, still black but slightly less glossy. Their eyes initially are blue, gradually changing to brown in the first year. They lack the ruffled plumage around the neck seen in adults.

Size

18.9 - 20.9 in/14.0 - 21.2 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

Carrion crows typically inhabit open areas, farmlands, coastlines, woodlands and urban areas across Western Europe and Eastern Asia.

Additional range

They thrive in a range of climates, from chilly European winters to warm, humid Asian summers. Unexpectedly, they can also adapt to highly urbanized areas, including city centres.

Range Map

What do carrion crows like to eat?

Natural diet

Carrion crows have an omnivorous diet. They consume carrion, small mammals, birds' eggs, young birds, insects, and other invertebrates. They are also known to eat amphibians, reptiles, and some plant matter like seeds, fruits, and grains. Their opportunistic feeding habits allow them to adapt to various environments.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, carrion crows are attracted to various types of food typically provided for other birds. They often consume peanuts, sunflower seeds, suet, and occasionally leftover scraps of food. Their adaptable nature makes them common visitors to bird feeders, where they capitalize on the readily available food sources.

What does a carrion crow sound like?

The carrion crow's vocalizations are loud and usually high-pitched, often characterized as harsh sounds or caws. Its primary call is a hard, sharp "kraa" or "kraa-kraa" that it repeats several times. Some describe its typical calls as raucous, varied, and repetitive. Though lacking a melodic song, the crow can mimic sounds from its environment including other birds and human-made noises. These behaviors, complemented by its complex communicative system, make its vocal repertoire quite diverse.

Call

Audio by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

Call

Audio by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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Common Raven

Corvus corax

Also known as: Western Raven, Northern Raven

How to recognise a common raven?

General appearance

The common raven is a large bird, about the size of a heron or a mallard. Its size ranges between 53-69 cm. It has a black coloration throughout its body. Its wings are fingered, long and narrow. The tail is distinctive, having a wedge shape. The raven's throat feathers are shaggy and it has a very thick bill.

Male vs female

In terms of coloration, size, shape, and overall appearance, male and female common ravens are similar. They exhibit sexual monomorphism, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the sexes.

Juvenile

Juvenile common ravens are similar to adults. However, juveniles might have a slightly more slender appearance and lack the shagginess of the adult neck feathers. As they mature, they will gain this more robust appearance and the distinctive shaggy throat.

Size

22.8 - 27.2 in/24.3 - 57.3 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The common raven predominantly resides in boreal and mountain forests, tundra, and on coastal cliffs. It often chooses heavily forested regions as its habitat.

Additional range

In addition to its primary habitats, the common raven can survive in extreme climates, ranging from the tundra above the Arctic Circle to the hot desert areas of the southwest. Surprisingly, it may also inhabit prairies, provided there are suitable nest sites, like cliffs, nearby.

Range Map

What do common ravens like to eat?

Natural diet

Common ravens are omnivorous and have a diverse and adaptable diet primarily consisting of animal matter. They feed on a variety of insects such as beetles and caterpillars, small rodents, lizards, frogs, and the eggs and young of other birds. Ravens also consume carrion and can often be seen scavenging. Additionally, they may eat some plant matter and can adapt to a wide range of available food sources.

Bird feeders

While not typically dependent on bird feeders, common ravens may be attracted to them if they contain food items that resemble their natural diet. They may be drawn to seeds, nuts, suet, and occasionally, other high-calorie offerings that are available at bird feeders, especially in areas where food is scarce.

What does a common raven sound like?

The common raven vocalizes with deep, varied, and guttural croaking sounds. Its calls can mimic a hollow 'wonk-wonk' noise and they tend to follow a simple, flat pattern. Additionally, its calls can sometimes be odd and raucous. Overall, the raven's signature sound can be described as a croak or quack, setting it apart in avian communication.

Call

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

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Carrion Crow

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Common Raven

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

General appearance

The Carrion Crow is roughly 46-51 cm long with a wingspan of 93–104 cm. It has a pure black plumage, slightly glossy, with a strong, black bill, and black legs. Its eyes are dark brown or grey. It flies with a slow heavy flapping, and has a distinct 'cash' sound.

Male vs female

Males are slightly larger than females, but otherwise, the sexes are very similar in appearance. Generally, females may have a slightly lighter build, but it is challenging to distinguish between the two based solely on physical appearance.

Juvenile

Juvenile Carrion Crows are remarkably similar to adults, still black but slightly less glossy. Their eyes initially are blue, gradually changing to brown in the first year. They lack the ruffled plumage around the neck seen in adults.

Size

18.9 - 20.9 in/14.0 - 21.2 oz

There's more to learn about Carrion Crow

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Common Raven

Corvus corax

Also known as: Western Raven, Northern Raven

General appearance

The common raven is a large bird, about the size of a heron or a mallard. Its size ranges between 53-69 cm. It has a black coloration throughout its body. Its wings are fingered, long and narrow. The tail is distinctive, having a wedge shape. The raven's throat feathers are shaggy and it has a very thick bill.

Male vs female

In terms of coloration, size, shape, and overall appearance, male and female common ravens are similar. They exhibit sexual monomorphism, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the sexes.

Juvenile

Juvenile common ravens are similar to adults. However, juveniles might have a slightly more slender appearance and lack the shagginess of the adult neck feathers. As they mature, they will gain this more robust appearance and the distinctive shaggy throat.

Size

22.8 - 27.2 in/24.3 - 57.3 oz

There's more to learn about Common Raven

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How to tell the Carrion Crow from the Common Raven

Visual differences

The Carrion Crow (18-21 inches) is smaller than the Common Raven (21-27 inches). Both have black plumage, but the raven's is generally more robust with pronounced shaggy throat feathers. The raven has a thicker bill, a wedge-shaped tail, and long, fingered wings. In contrast, the crow has a rounded tail and shorter wings. The raven typically exhibits a larger, more imposing silhouette compared to the sleeker crow. Both species have glossy black feathers, with the crow's gloss being slightly less prominent.

Key differences and behavior

Carrion crows (Corvus corone) and common ravens (Corvus corax) differ significantly in their behaviors and habitats. Carrion crows thrive in urban and open areas, adapting well to diverse environments, while ravens prefer remote areas like boreal forests, tundra, and coastal cliffs. Both birds exhibit intelligence; however, ravens are renowned for complex problem-solving and acrobatic flying. In courtship, carrion crows perform aerial acrobatics and mutual preening, forming lifelong bonds, whereas ravens engage in soaring and bill-touching. Carrion crows build nests in trees and urban areas, using bones, while ravens prefer cliff ledges and tall conifers for nesting. Their diets overlap, but crows are more opportunistic feeders in urban settings. Ravens often scavenge carrion and hunt in tandem for food. These behavioral differences can help distinguish them in the field.