What is the difference between ravens and crows

Ravens are generally more graceful in the air than crows are. Pairs have even been seen playing catch with each other in mid-air. When crows nest, both the male and the female will help build the nest. Ravens, on the other hand, leave most of the construction work to the female.

Raven nests can be much, much larger, up to 1. They can be a real problem on farms, where they zero in on the abundance of food. Crows and ravens have a particular liking for grapes, soft fruits, potatoes, nuts and grains. They remove fruit directly from trees, land on trellises which collapse under their weight, and despite their size, can perch directly on stalks of grain, snapping off plants such as wheat and sorghum. The larger ravens have a reputation for attacking lambs, although many believe they only go for sick animals or those abandoned by their mother.

They are frequent visitors to roadsides, where they feast on the carnage of dead wildlife left behind by cars. They are not always welcome backyard visitors as they have a habit of scaring away the smaller native birds. Planting an understory of spiky shrubs is a good way to give the smaller birds somewhere to hide when the big bully birds show up.

But they are not always considered pests -these carrion birds help clean the environment of rotting carcasses which lines our roadways and bush. Crows and ravens are very distinctive and easily recognised. Some differences can be seen when the birds are on the ground, too. Crows usually walk, while ravens will do a combination of walking and hopping. Despite their many differences, crows and ravens have a number of similarities. Both species are highly sociable birds, with close-knit family structures.

Both can recognize human faces. They are among the few animal species that use tools, and they use clever strategies like throwing nuts onto the ground to break them open.

Is that big black bird a crow or a raven? How can you tell? Ravens seen right here often travel in pairs, while crows left are seen in larger groups. Also, study the tail as the bird flies overhead. A crow's tail is shaped like a fan, while the raven's tail appears wedge-shaped or triangular. Another clue is to listen closely to the birds' calls. Crows give a cawing sound, but ravens produce a lower croaking sound. Learn a lot more about these birds in this blog post.