American Crows and Common Ravens
How good are your crow and raven ID skills? American Crows and Common Ravens are both large, black birds in the corvid family with a lot of similarities. They’re easiest to identify by sound, but if you’re not in a position to listen in there are also visual cues that can help you make an ID.
| ID Key | American Crow | Common Raven |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Usually smaller than ravens; 20″ in length | Usually larger than crows; 27″ in length |
| Bill | Moderate bill, often slightly smaller than the head | Large bill, often longer than the head |
| Tail | Slightly rounded tail when flying | Tapered tail creates a diamond shape when flying |
| Wings | Five broad feather “fingers” visible when flying. Average wingspan 36″ | Four long and narrow feather “fingers” visible when flying. Average wingspan 46″ |
Have you got all of that? Put these cues to the test with Bird Academy’s SnapID tool and practice distinguishing between American Crows and Common Ravens. You can replay the quiz as many times as you want. Each time you hit “Play Again,” you’ll have new photo matchups to practice on. Just click “Start SnapID Challenge” to get started!
Small warning: SnapID photos are randomly selected images taken in the wild, and these birds are scavengers. You might see pictures of these birds eating prey as you play.
Test Your ID Skills
Are you curious about corvids? Learn about the exciting behaviors of the American Crow with the self-paced, online course, Anything but Common: The Hidden Life of the American Crow. From their complex social lives to their impressive problem-solving skills, there’s so much to love about these intelligent birds. With world-renowned crow biologist Dr. Kevin McGowan as your guide, this course will give you an inside look into what makes crows so compelling.