Last week I was asked what is the difference between a raven and a crow, if any. Confidently I answered that they were two completely different birds. Then I muttered something about the crow maybe having yellow feet and the raven being all black and at that point I realized that I had no idea what the answer to that question was, aside from the obvious fact that Poe didn't write about the crow! I decided I better research this one and so far the information is amazing!

As it turns out, they are cousins, both of the family Corvidae. Ravens are much larger and heavier than crows. Both are completely black, from beak to toe. There goes my flimsy theory of the yellow crow's feet! The raven has a much thicker beak than the crow does. The sound of a crow is something we can pretty much all recall mentally, as it is the familiar "caw, caw, caw!" that we have heard many times before. The raven has a much more raspy and mournful croak. Also, the raven has a longer tail that is wedge-shaped, while the crows tail is more fan-shaped. Crows are much more commonly seen and heard than ravens who prefer solidarity. Ravens have the unique distinction of being the first bird mentioned in the Bible, as it was a raven that Noah first let out of the ark to search for dry land (Gen. 8:6). Finally, ravens are much more acrobatic fliers, reportedly even flying upside down and performing somersaults in the air.

There are quite a few similarites between the two as well, notably their intelligence. Crows are well known for problem solving skills, such as dropping hard-shelled creatures such as mollusks from heights onto rocks in order to crack them open. However, it has been reported that in one test, ravens figured out how to get to some food in a mere 6 hours, versus the crows who were still working on the same problem 30 days later! Both have been traditionally associated as harbingers of doom and death, likely because of their eating habits. Both will eat anything they can get their beaks on, including dead stuff, but I have it on good authority that crows love peanuts, just in case anyone is looking to attract crows.

Here's a couple of amusing anecdotes regarding crows and ravens. Crows have been reported to watch traffic patterns and will cross the road according to when the lights change! Crows in Tokyo have even been reported to move to the suburbs due to overcrowding, but return to the urban areas to scavenge for food during the day! Commuter crows! Ravens have been reported to sit on the top of metal roofing during the winter, waiting for innocent pedestrians to pass by underneath. Once they do, the ravens unleash a load of snow from the roof onto their heads!

Such amazing creatures, and to think that I briefly wondered if they actually were the same! I'm so glad I was asked so I could find out some of this interesting stuff! Will I ever consider them the same again? Nevermore...

Post edited by: Jenny, at: 2007/05/30 19:51

Post edited by: Jenny, at: 2007/05/30 19:56

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