Common Raven Identification

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Compare with Similar Species

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American Crow Adult is similar to Common RavenAmerican CrowAdult
American Crow Adult is similar to Common RavenAmerican CrowAdult
Chihuahuan Raven Adult is similar to Common RavenChihuahuan Raven
Northwestern Crow Adult/immature is similar to Common RavenNorthwestern Crow

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape
    Not just large but massive, with a thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and a Bowie knife of a beak. In flight, ravens have long, wedge-shaped tails. They're more slender than crows, with longer, narrower wings, and longer, thinner “fingers” at the wingtips.
    Relative Size
    About half again larger than an American Crow or Chihuahuan Raven
    Relative Sizecrow sizedcrow-sized
    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 22.1-27.2 in (56-69 cm)
      • Weight: 24.3-57.3 oz (689-1625 g)
      • Wingspan: 45.7-46.5 in (116-118 cm)
  • Common Ravens are entirely black, right down to the legs, eyes, and beak.
  • Common Ravens aren’t as social as crows; you tend to see them alone or in pairs except at food sources like landfills. Ravens are confident, inquisitive birds that strut around or occasionally bound forward with light, two-footed hops. In flight they are buoyant and graceful, interspersing soaring, gliding, and slow flaps.
  • Common Ravens live in open and forest habitats across western and northern North America. This includes deciduous and evergreen forests up to treeline, as well as high desert, sea coast, sagebrush, tundra, and grasslands. They do well around people, particularly rural settlements but also some towns and cities.