WEBVTT - How Can You Tell Ravens and Crows Apart?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>Loren Vogelbaum here, it takes an eye for small details

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<v Speaker 1>to be a good bird watcher, and that's certainly the

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<v Speaker 1>case when it comes to identifying ravens versus crows, though

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<v Speaker 1>once you know what you're looking for, it's pretty easy. Altogether.

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<v Speaker 1>There are more than thirty different species of crows and

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<v Speaker 1>ravens worldwide, and they're all part of the genus Corvus,

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<v Speaker 1>which includes other black birds like jackdaws and rooks. Many

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<v Speaker 1>of these bear a passing resemblance to each other, but

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<v Speaker 1>these slight differences in their feathers, vocalizations, and behaviors are

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<v Speaker 1>just a few of the ways that you can tell

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<v Speaker 1>these two birds apart. Now, instead of comparing the key

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<v Speaker 1>traits of every single raven and crow species on Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>we'll just focus on two species from North America today,

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<v Speaker 1>the common raven and the American crow. Let's begin with

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<v Speaker 1>relative size. A raven is noticeably bigger than a crow.

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<v Speaker 1>It has a greater wingspan that can be almost four

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<v Speaker 1>feet or over a meter in total length, while the

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<v Speaker 1>distance between the beak tip and tail tip can be

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<v Speaker 1>over two feet. That's more than half a meter. Contrast

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<v Speaker 1>this with American crows, which can grow up to a

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<v Speaker 1>still impressive but smaller three foot wing span a bit

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<v Speaker 1>less than a meter. Their beak shape and size will

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<v Speaker 1>be different too. Unlike the slim and straight beaked American crow,

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<v Speaker 1>the common raven has a curved, wider beak. Of feathers,

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<v Speaker 1>including those on the wings and tails, are one more

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<v Speaker 1>thing that sets the common raven apart from the crow.

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<v Speaker 1>Ravens have pointed wings and longer middle feathers in their tails,

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<v Speaker 1>which gives them wedge shaped tails. The crow's tail feathers

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<v Speaker 1>are mostly all the same length, which gives them fan

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<v Speaker 1>shaped tails. Ravens also have shaggy feathers under their throats

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<v Speaker 1>that make them look a little bit scruffy, while crows

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<v Speaker 1>throats are smooth. The outstretched wings look different too. Crows

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<v Speaker 1>have blunt shaped wings, while ravens have pointed wings. At

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<v Speaker 1>the tips of both birds wings, you'll see the finger

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<v Speaker 1>like primary feathers that birds use to propel themselves through

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<v Speaker 1>the air. Because ravens soar as they fly, they have

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<v Speaker 1>longer primaries, Crows flap more so their primaries are shorter.

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<v Speaker 1>Both ravens and crows are considered songbirds, though their vocal

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<v Speaker 1>stylings aren't quite smooth. Jazz crows make jarring call sounds,

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<v Speaker 1>while ravens generally produce lower croaks. Both can imitate a

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<v Speaker 1>range of noises, though rescued crows and ravens in captivity

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<v Speaker 1>have been known to mimic other animals or their handler's speech,

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<v Speaker 1>and will repeat words they hear often. When it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to sociability in the wild, the two birds are light

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<v Speaker 1>years apart. A Crows amass themselves in large groups sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>called murders, and may roost together at night in huge

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<v Speaker 1>clusters of several hundred birds. Ravens are less gregarious, preferring

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<v Speaker 1>to live in mated pairs or in tight knit family units.

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<v Speaker 1>Their habitat preferences vary as well. Crows generally favor wide

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<v Speaker 1>open spaces, while common ravens tend to hang out in forests.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite all the things that separate them, these birds share

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<v Speaker 1>an impressive trait. They're both very intelligent. American crows can

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<v Speaker 1>learn to recognize the faces of people who have helped

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<v Speaker 1>or hurt them a while common ravens have shown both

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<v Speaker 1>impulse control and active planning In lab experiments. A crows

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<v Speaker 1>have been known to form special relationships with humans that

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<v Speaker 1>feed them. They'll even bring back trinkets in return for food.

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<v Speaker 1>The two birds have distinct diets, though they do share

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<v Speaker 1>some similarities. A ravens, for instance, will eat everything from

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<v Speaker 1>small mammals to other birds to reptiles, plus nuts, seeds, fruits,

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<v Speaker 1>and other plants. They're not picky about whether they're prey

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<v Speaker 1>is living or dead, and will scavenge waste from landfills.

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<v Speaker 1>A crows will also eat small mammals, seeds, fruits, and grains,

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<v Speaker 1>but they prefer other birds, mollusks, earthworms, and mice living

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<v Speaker 1>or dead, perhaps because of their striking black plumage and

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<v Speaker 1>penchant for eating dead things. There are a lot of myths, folklore,

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<v Speaker 1>and superstitions about these birds. Just for examples, the Norse

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<v Speaker 1>god Odin was said to have talking ravens who would

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<v Speaker 1>fly around the world gathering news for him, and a

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<v Speaker 1>story of Lakota Sioux origin says that the forefather of

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<v Speaker 1>all crows was once tossed into a fire as punishment

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<v Speaker 1>for his misdeeds, hence the dark feathers of its progeny.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode is based on the article Raven versus Crow,

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<v Speaker 1>What's the Difference on how stuffworks dot Com written by

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<v Speaker 1>Mark Nancini. Brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio

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<v Speaker 1>in partnership with how stuffworks dot Com and is produced

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<v Speaker 1>by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts that's from my heart Radio,

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