Community Chat

[Kachina624]

It seems to me we had a discussion on this subject not too long ago.

[ROMARY]

Thank you for the info.

We see many very large black birds around here......I'll take a better look next time.

The ones here chase away the blue birds, etc. and/or eat their eggs as well as racoon's babies/litter(s), etc. 

I guess they eat mice/rats/and just about everything else.  Discarded food, over-filled trash bins, etc.  

Oh, well.........Have a nice Sunday, and next week everyone. 

[rockygems123]

@Kachina624 

Fascinating.  After comparison I don't think I've ever seen a raven.  Have you?

Looking it up it appears they live in our areas.

[Kachina624]

@rockygems123.  The differences are subtle and not easily seen at a distance.

[Kachina624]

@rockygems123.  After reading this , I think I saw a raven playing with a young deer on a gravel beach while on a cruise in Alaska.  It was quite a bit larger than crows I've see.

noticeably bigger than a crow; it has a greater wingspan that can be 46 inches (or 1.16 meters) in total length, while the distance between the beak tip and tail tip can reach 27 inches (68.5 centimeters). Contrast this with American crows, which have 36-inch (0.9-meter) wingspans

[Lilysmom1]

@Kachina624 We have them both.  I always thought a raven had a brighter sheen than a crow.  My brother had a 'pet' raven when we were growing up...as much as you can have a wild bird as a pet.  

We definitely have crows here overlooking the lake.  We are on a hill and they roost in the big old oak trees.  In the summer they can be quite vocal.

[We rescue cats]

We are fortunate to have crows that visit us daily, about a dozen of them and we enjoy the visits. They pick thru our daily offerings of baked goods and proteins. We also see and hear a few ravens a few times a week, they are impressive birds, the call is so distinctive!

[just bee]

American Crow versus Common Raven. 

If you have some time on your hands, check out Cornell's All About Birds website.

You can compare different types of crows to different types of ravens.  You can listen to a variety of caws, rattles and croaks.  (Very helpful feature!)

American Crow flying over your head.

Common Raven flying over your head.

I suspect, here in the Southwest, we may even have the Chihuahuan Raven.

[Desertdi]

I think I might have BOTH in my backyard. 

They spend the summer in my pine tree and in my oversize birdbath.    I have noticed some "differences" among the birds, but never could quite determine "which is which".

[THEY CallMe Mr Wilkes]