Crows vs. Ravens: 5 Main Differences Explained

Crows and ravens are often mistaken for one another. However, when taking a closer look at ravens and crows, there are key differences in their behavior and appearance. They are different species of the genus Corvus, making them both corvids. Appearance, intelligence, habitat, lifespan, and behavior, the five key differences, are generally true for all crows and ravens. For simplicity, comparisons will focus on the common raven (Corvus corax) and the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Continue reading to discover the five main differences between these two species.

Appearance

Common ravens are generally larger than crows, weighing 1.5 to 4.4 pounds, while American crows weigh 1 to 1.5 pounds. Ravens also have greater wingspans of 3.3 to 4.9 feet, while crows have wingspans of 2.8 to 3.3 feet. Ravens tend to fluff their feathers into a mane, whereas a crow will not. Crows have splayed wings and fan-shaped tails, while ravens have pointed wings and wedge-shaped tails. While crows have a purple or green tint on blunt, splayed wings, ravens have shiny feathers with blue or purple-tinted or grey and brown-tinted pointed wings. Crows have fan-shaped tails and smaller, straighter beaks, whereas ravens have wedge-shaped tails and larger, curved beaks with a tuft of hair on top.

Intelligence

Crows are intelligent creatures known to devise plans for securing food and surviving in urban environments. Research has found that for certain water displacement tasks, New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) perform as well as 7-year-old human children. Crows can form special relationships with humans who feed them and are known to bring shiny gifts in exchange for food.

Ravens are brainy birds that perform just as well as great apes across tasks like tool use, bartering, and future planning. Additionally, ravens are adept at mimicking and are known to mimic human voices and tones.

Habitat

Crows are adaptable and are found in various environments. These include suburban and urban areas, grasslands, woodlands, agricultural fields, and even landfills. Members of the Corvus genus have a global range, with the exceptions of South America, Antarctica, and some Pacific Islands. The range of the American crow is from Canada to Mexico.

Ravens are also adaptable, but are not as social as crows. Therefore, they are often found in areas with fewer people. Ravens are found in diverse environments, ranging from deserts to tundras, wilderness to countryside, and from boreal mountains to coastal cliffs. They are widespread throughout these environments across the entire Northern Hemisphere.

Lifespan

The average life expectancy for crows and ravens varies considerably. On average, crows live 5 to 15 years in the wild, depending on the species. The oldest reported crow in captivity was Tata, who was said to have lived to 59 years and passed away in 2006, though this record is not officially verified in scientific records.

Ravens have similar average life expectancies as crows, approximately 10 to 15 years in the wild. In captivity, some ravens have reportedly lived up to 69 or even 80 years, though such cases are rare.

Behavior

Crows tend to socialize in groups, called a murder. Ravens are often solitary or travel in pairs. Crows help each other raise their young, whereas ravens do not. Crows are also more likely to form bonds with humans and are a partly migratory species, whereas ravens are generally resident throughout their range, with only limited local movements.

The crow’s call is a caw-caw sound that usually starts with one loud caw followed by several shorter caws. It is different from the long gronk or croaking sound of the raven. While the raven’s call is deep and guttural, the crow’s call is louder but higher-pitched and nasal.