Widespread across the UK, it is not uncommon to see these jet black birds walking around your garden with real purpose. They drop onto the ground and then appear almost to strut around as if they are inspecting the whole area. But when you see them in the garden, are you looking at a Crow or Raven?. In this article, I will answer the question: What is the difference between a crow and a raven?
Generally, there are a few distinct differences between Carrion Crows and Ravens. Carrion Crows are smaller than Ravens, who are much bigger and chunkier. The tail of the Carrion Crow is shaped like a fan, while the Ravens tail is more wedge-shaped, almost triangular in appearance. Carrion Crows make a distinctive, loud and harsh ‘caa-caa’ call in contrast to the Ravens very deep and throaty ‘cronk-cronk’ sound.
Crow (Carrion)
Carrion Crows are large birds compared to most UK garden birds and are black with quite glossy plumage. They are quite gregarious birds and tend to make quite a noise with their harsh ‘caa-caa’ call, which can often be heard from far away. The male, female and juvenile Carrion Crows all look quite similar to each other, and it’s only a slight size difference that gives them away. Carrion Crows are quite solitary birds, and you will most notably find them on their own, at the top of very tall trees, flying low over fields or gardens or perched on a fence post. I see this in my own garden on occasion as I have very tall poplar trees that they like to sit upon.
| Crow | Figures |
| Length | 45-47cm |
| Wingspan | 93-104cm |
| Weight | 370-650g |
| Food | Carrion, insects, worms, seeds, fruit, eggs and any scraps |
As a general rule, Carrion Crows are fairly solitary birds, and you will often see them on their own. However, they of course, do pair up to mate and are also known to form social groups, especially in autumn and winter. You may have heard them on a cold misty morning in or around farmland with their distinctive ‘caa-caa’ calls. Around this time, they are known to mix with other groups of corvids, such as rooks and jackdaws.
Interesting Fact: A Corvid is a name given to members of the Crow family.
When in flight, they tend to stay fairly close to the ground, unlike other birds like gulls that tend to circle at height. Carrion Crows also tend to maintain a fairly straight flight pattern, with a slow wing beat, and their flight tends to be relatively predictable compared to other species that often change direction.
Carrion Crows are known to be fairly opportunistic in their approach to food and tend to have a very broad range of foods that they feed on. Carrion Crows are at home in both farmland and cities and are known to eat seeds, nuts, fruits, and other opportunistic foods such as carrion, eggs, young birds, and food scraps from our cities and towns.
Visits to UK gardens are normally short ‘hit and run’ visits, preferring to gobble up any easily obtained bread, seed or fat balls quickly and then make their escape.
When and where you find them?
Carrion Crows are resident in the UK and, aside from a few exceptions in North West Scotland, North West Ireland can be found right across the country. As a result, you can also find Carrion Crows all year round.
Interesting Fact: The name carrion means ‘the decaying flesh of dead animals’ is where the name Carrion Crow stems from
Raven
The Raven is considerably larger than the Carrion Crow, which is much smaller in comparison. Similarly to the Carrion Crow, they are black, but unlike the Carrion Crow, they have a metallic sheen to their feathers. Ravens have a large, powerful blunt bill and a shag of throat feathers that are called hackles, and they make a different call to that of the Carrion Crow, and it sounds like much more of a deep and throaty ‘cronk-cronk’ sound compared to the ‘caa-caa’ call of the Carrion Crow.
| Raven | Figures |
| Length | 60-68cm |
| Wingspan | 120-150cm |
| Weight | 800-1,500g |
| Food | Carrion, mammals, birds and eggs, insects and other invertebrates |
Listen to the two calls side by side:
Carrion Crow
Raven
In the UK bird world, Ravens are deemed very intelligent birds and have regularly been seen engaging in playful behaviour with other Ravens. Unlike the Carrion Crow, which tends to have a straight, predictable and fairly level flight. The Raven prefers to soar at a much greater height and is even known to flip upside down with its wings tucked up. The exact reason for this is not known, but experts believe that it could be as simple as a ‘fun’ activity. The thought of a bird flying upside down just for fun is heartwarming!
Like the Carrion Crow, the Raven is a fairly solitary bird but can often be found in pairs, especially around autumn and winter. Ravens are known to come together around this time of the year to roost, but it tends to be the younger birds as the older ones are more likely to have found a mate. Like the Carrion Crow, the Raven is a meat eater and will eat carrion as well as insects and live small prey.
When and where you find them?
Ravens are resident in the majority of the UK except for eastern part of Scotland and England. In England, this stretches as far as London, East and South East. As residents of the UK, Ravens are typically found all year round.
Other related questions asked
How big is a raven compared to a crow? Generally, a Raven is much bigger than a Carrion Crow. A Raven is around 60-68cm in length compared to 45-47cm of a crow. The wingspan of a crow is 93-104cm compared to 120-150cm of the Raven.
Are crows and ravens related? Both Carrion Crows and Ravens are members of the Corvidae family of birds, including the Chough, Hooded crow, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie and Rooks.
See Also
- What is the difference between Sparrow and Dunnock?
- Birds of Prey: South and South-East England
- 15 ways to deter pigeons from your garden
- Why don’t birds use my birdfeeder?
- Do bird feeders need to be cleaned?