{"id":2190830,"date":"2026-04-29T06:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T05:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2190830"},"modified":"2026-05-03T13:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T12:48:40","slug":"crow-vs-raven-whats-the-difference-between-these-two-very-similar-looking-black-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/crow-vs-raven-whats-the-difference-between-these-two-very-similar-looking-black-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Crow vs raven: what’s the difference between these two very similar-looking black birds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The crow family, corvidae, includes some unmistakable characters. It\u2019s hard to confuse a magpie with anything else. The same goes for a\u00a0jay. But for every colourful\u00a0corvid, there are many others whose wardrobes are uniformly funereal.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Eurasian Magpie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Distinguishing the predominantly black corvids of Britain and Ireland \u2013 carrion\u00a0crow, rook, raven,\u00a0chough\u00a0and jackdaw \u2013 usually requires looking beyond the plumage.<\/p>\n

\"Carrion
Carrion Crow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Roook\"
Rook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Raven\"
Raven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Chough\"
Chough<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Jackdaw\"
Jackdaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some are more straightforward to identify than others. Take the rook, for example, which is about the same size as a crow and is often seen in the same habitats. The rule of thumb, \u2018a rook on its own is a crow; a crow in a group is a rook\u2019, is best not relied upon.<\/p>\n

More dependable is the rook\u2019s grey, featherless face patch, which is unique to the species (though absent in very young birds). A chough isn\u2019t too tricky to identify either. The long, red, down-curved bill and red legs are the giveaway here.<\/p>\n

Its highly localised distribution on the west coasts of Wales and Scotland also helps. The\u00a0jackdaw, meanwhile, is characterised by its small size and two-tone plumage, which is mostly black but draped with a grey hood sporting a black head-cap.<\/p>\n

How to tell the difference between crows and ravens<\/h2>\n

Ravens\u00a0and carrion crows \u2013 both sturdy, glossy, jet-black birds \u2013 are perhaps the most difficult to tell apart. This isn\u2019t an issue in Ireland or the north-west of Scotland, where the carrion crow is replaced by the hooded crow, with its characteristic grey waistcoat.<\/p>\n

\"Hooded
Hooded Crow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here, if your corvid is all black and has a fully feathered face, it\u2019s almost certainly a raven. Confusion is more likely in southern Scotland, Wales and England, where the all-black carrion crow is dominant. The most striking difference between them is in terms of size.<\/p>\n

Ravens are huge. Weighing as much as 1.5kg \u2013 more than double that of a crow \u2013 and with a wingspan of up to 1.5m, they are the largest of all the passerines, or perching birds, an enormous group that includes more than half of all avian species.<\/p>\n

Which is all well and good if you\u2019re lucky enough to see a raven and a crow side by side or, in the case of a single bird, something to gauge its size by. But that\u2019s often not possible in the field, especially for a bird on the wing. But ravens are not only bigger; they are chunkier, too. With a heavy head and bill, thick neck and barrel chest, they have the physique of a bodybuilder compared to the crow\u2019s sleeker, all-round-athlete look.<\/p>\n

Then there is the raven\u2019s playful acrobatic flight, which often involves periods flying upside down and contrasts with the crow\u2019s purposeful style. In flight, the raven\u2019s diamond-shaped tail is also distinctive, as are its raptor-like, fingered wing tips.<\/p>\n

If all else fails, wait for it to\u00a0call. The raven\u2019s deep, throaty, resonant\u00a0cronk\u00a0<\/em>makes a crow\u2019s\u00a0caw-caw-caw\u00a0<\/em>seem almost delicate<\/p>\n

This article\u00a0<\/a><\/em>by Stuart Blackman was first published by Discover Wildlife on 17 April 2026. Lead Image: Crow \u00a9 Getty Images.<\/em><\/p>\n

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