The Common Raven and the American crow are similar looking, but they do have distinct differences. First of all size, ravens can weight up to four pounds and have a wingspan up to four feet, while a crow is only one to one and half pounds with a wingspan up to three feet. Common ravens have massive bills, a shaggy throat, a wedge-shaped tail, and they soar in flight. American crows have a square-ish tail and seldom glide more than a few seconds. Their sound is different as well, ravens have deep guttural “croaks” or “raahks”, while a crow has a higher pitched “caw caw”.

They are also similar in ways . Both birds are social, loud, have black plummage with long legs and stout beaks. Both are intelligent, crows have 24 different calls, while a raven has 64 distinct vocalizations. Both can mimic sounds including dogs, frogs, along with nature or industrial sounds. Ravens and crows have been known to follow wolf packs or hunter gunshots looking for kills to obtain food. They will eat ANYTHING.