A few years ago I went to the Grand canyon. There is a small bookstore on the South Rim. They had a large collection of stuffed birds and they were so beautiful. I have always loved birds and have collected anything bird related over the years, and I was thrilled with all the birds in the shop. I fell in love with and purchased a life sized Raven that was also a puppet. He was beautiful and so big! After I finished my purchase I left the shop, and, as I stepped outside I turned back for some reason to look at the unique stone building. There, above my head, on the roof overhang right above me, looking down, was a Raven! That was the first and only live Raven I have ever seen and it was so strange to see him as I was carrying a stuffed version of him out to the tour bus. I have never forgotten this amazing experience.

I once read that ravens and crows could be distinguished from each other by the shape their tail feathers formed: ravens’ in a V shape, crows’ in a C shape - easy to remember - is it true??

My neighbor (San Diego county) has a raven that pretty much lives above their owl house.  This raven seems to subsist on the regurgitated pellets that the owls kick out of their nesting box.  Pretty disgusting, but shows good adaptation.

Here in British Columbia, the ravens are much bigger than crows. They are massive, almost eagle size. Interesting too that the raven is highly revered in native indian culture here, whereas I learned last year in Utah they are considered a pest there, even with the indigenous peoples.

Ravens build incredible nests ; this article should have included photos of a raven and
a crow’s nest

I was fortunate to hear about and then got to observe a family of Ravens in Upper Treman State Park near Ithaca, NY. I watched the recently fledged young ones, perched on a ledge on the side of the gorge, try to eat and then proceed to play with sticks, leaves, and rocks. They were very curious and active. Then what seemed to be their mother came majestically soaring across the gorge to encourage them to fly after her and off they went. A beautiful sight!

Hope you enjoy

I heard an amusing mnemonic once.  I’m not sure if I have it right but it went something like this:

If you think it’s a grackle, it’s a blackbird.
If you think it’s a crow, it’s a grackle.
If you think it’s a raven, it’s a crow.
If you think it’s an eagle, it’s a raven.

Four

To say Ravens are bigger than crows is an understatement.

Ravens are enormous and tall too. Wikipedia drives home that point “It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the Thick-billed Raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird”

I saw common ravens all along hwy 10 when I drove that road through the West.

They’re impressive birds, but their overwhelming advantage vs. a vs. other birds made me wary of feeding them since they were able to take it all and leave nothing for the other birds LOL

We live in Flagstaff and have quite a few Ravens. I have many bird feeders and the Ravens will hang on the feeders and eat the seed for other birds. Also we have one we call CC (caw caw) and him and I have a good time cawing to each other. He will caw then stop then I will caw back and he returns the caw. It is like he knows what I am saying. He is around every day and struts in the yard or hangs out in the tree. Very beatiful and I would say very happy

Every morning when I go out to do horse care I am followed by the Ravens (from the description and sound recording here they have to be Chihuahuan Ravens).  They have befriended me because I drop peanuts for them ... they will even approach me now and seem to beg.  My friendly jays are gone now and I do miss them but these bold black interlopers are taking over for them.  I am located in California’s Ojai Valley home to many friendly wild things (even bears).

My children once had me catch a wounded Raven.  His wing had been shot with a BB. He (or she) allowed me to set it and lived happily in my home hopping around behind me, until the wing, thankfully, healed and just flew off one day in the yard.  This was in Riverside, CA.  That bird would come and visit regularly for many years, until we moved.  He would ‘talk’ to me, it think we had some very deep conversations.  LOL Yes he was a very big bird, indeed!

Agreeing with JohnnyMorales.  We have both ravens and crows around here (coastal San Diego).  You think of crows as big birds until you see one next to a raven - they are impressively big birds!  I see them all the time, but have never interacted with them.  It’s interesting to hear them in groups - I always wonder what they are talking about!

Crows are very intelligent, as well, and play ... We have crows in San Diego, and I see them interacting sometimes.  I think this article made crows seem like dull pests in comparison to ravens.

Now I’m confused; I thought the big birds around my house living in the Mexican palms in San Diego were crows. But when I look at the photo of the crow, it doesn’t look like the birds I see. The raven photo looks more like them… Wondering now… People call them crows around here (in the city). Seems there is a bit to learn. We have parrots too trying to eek a living… Love the talkers…

I read a story,  I believe in the “Readers Digest”.
A owner of a car wash noticed that he was using more water than the quarters in the machines.  He installed a camera and what a surprise he got.  No it wasn’t a human;  but a raven would twist his head and up into the machine and come out with quarters,  which he flew away with.  It was apparent that he loved the quarters.

Under the permit of a wildlife rehabilitator in the Antelope Valley of CA, I raised or cared for four ravens.  A couple of Orville’s stories appeared in my book (out of print), Waltz on the Wild Side - An Animal Lover’s Journal, and also in the anthology Least Loved Beasts of the Really Wild West - a Tribute.

They are uncannily brilliant birds.  Alas, there are no ravens where I live, and if there were, there would be as many ravens as dogs and cats in the house, coming and going.

Please visit ASCAR’s site on the internet.  The archives are there and this splendid little newsletter on ravens and crows has now been abandoned because of the passing of the editor.  A very well loved publication.

I live in the Adirondacks and we are blessed with many ravens. I love to watch them and listen to their conversations. They are my favorite bird and I have a haida raven tatoo above my ankle to honor them. When I snowshoe alone in the woods in winter, they always fly above me and call; sometimes this creeps me out a bit as I wonder if they are calling “dinner!” to the local coyotes Ravens here are more wary of people than crows are in my experience. They seem to have their own society and are content with minimizing interactions with humans, and I certainly can’t blame them for that.

In the North Central West Virginia where I live crows are now making a come back.  For many years, we never saw a crow.  Also,  I don’t think I have ever seen a raven in this area.  Anyone know why crows disappeared and then came back.  Perhaps the state brought them back again.  Years ago,  as a kid,  we never saw any turkeys in this area.  Turkeys are plentiful now.  I am told they were brought into the area and released.  Now we seldom see any pheasants.  Any comments???

Every time someone complains about crows, I look at the beak.  About 80% of the time it’s a heavy raven beak

On the West Coast we often see ravens. 
It was a thrill to see a pair wading in a little stream
of fresh water at the beach. They were talking
back and forth as they strolled and hopped on
the sand, picking up bits of shell and detritus…much
the same as I was doing.

  We were staying at a motel within Death Valley when we overheard an older housekeeper instructing a young girl on how to clean rooms.  She told the girl to always be careful to leave the soap covered on the first shelf, because ravens would steal it.  When she saw my look, she said, “Really.  Watch!” and put an open bar of soap on a fencepost, and quickly ran from the fence.  With that, half a dozen ravens came and fought over the soap.
  When I pointed this out to another guest, he told me that the reason he was staying there was that he was waiting for overnight mail from his wife containing keys to his car.  It seems that he witnessed a raven fly into his open car window and steal his keys from the seat of the car.  The raven flew off with them and left him stranded.

to Sherman in North Central West Virginia:  We lost MANY birds in our area, including crows and turkeys DUE to the pestacide DDT.  It killed MANY of our local birds for years and years.

I read Bernd Heinrich’s book, “Ravens in Winter,” years ago, and found it thoroughly enjoyable, as well as educational. 
I’ve seen ravens in New Jersey, as well as at Lake Tahoe.

Raven’s are very special.  I am non-aboriginal and I revere them and understand their mystical and spiritual nature.  Here in the Washington State rain forest the sighting of a Raven and hearing its vocalizations is a transformative experience.

This past winter was the very first time I noticed Ravens in my area, Eastern WA.  I have always enjoyed enjoyed listening and watching these amazing birds They have figured out that I feed my barn cats excellent cat food (Solid Gold)so they now show up and help themselves!

Interesting, informative article.  However, e-NATURE should wash its mouth with soap for including the sentence “Confused with agriculture pests like crows and wrongly suspected in livestock depredation, ravens have suffered much at the hands of varmint shooters.”
  Please do not characterize crows as ‘pests’. Crows simply take advantage of the artificial concentration of corn and other food. If there is a pest in the system, it is Homo sap.Likewise, if there are varmints, it is the shooters.

Once, while hiking in the redwood forest north of San Francisco, my friend and I heard what sounded like Chinese Temple Blocks, a percussion instrument we were both familiar with.  We wondered who would be playing them out here in the wilderness, and finally decided that the sound had to be coming from the large black bird high in the tree on the hill.
  The forest ranger later told us it was probably a raven, our first experience with that remarkable bird!

When I lived in Payson, Az., I had the distinct impression that the robins were afraid of the ravens and very, very carefully approached their own nests so as not to lead a predator to their young.  I admire the ravens, but I suspect they are tremendous predators on smaller birds.

As a third grader in West Texas, I had a pet Raven named Jake.  Jake was a hit with all who visited because they liked the way he would imitate their speaking to him.  Grandmother wasn’t so fond of him as she raised rabbits for food, in hutches that closed with a slotted bar over a semi-circle of metal that she kept fastened by dropping a bent nail into the semi-circle.  Jake stole the nails the moment her back was turned and once a few of the rabbits got out into the yard.  A jealous friend my age fed him raw hamburger meat with broken glass in it and he died leaving me with a broken heart and little scars on my forearms where he would pinch and nip while perched on my arm if I didn’t ‘talk’ to him.

In the Summer of 2000 I was driving with a friend on a winding road high up in the mountains just outside of Big Bend Nat. Park. We pulled into an overlook to survey the scenery. As we surveyed the rugged peaks a black bird about the size of crow, but slimmer, landed on a rock nearby. It made a distinct call and flew off and I realized I had seen a Chihuahuan raven. A thrilling encounter!

Many years ago I worked at a preschool. One day we went to the park for the day. The children were sitting at benches and tables eating lunch. There happened to be a moment when no adults were standing near to the kids. Suddenly a raven landed at one end of the long table. Slowly the black bird walked down the entire length of the table while the children watched in awe. When the bird got to the other end, it turned around and started back. The spell was broken, the kids began pushing food out to the bird. It ate its way all the way back to where it started and flew off. Bet it was the best meal that bird ever ate.

I grow more and more surprised by the friendliness wild birds can develop for people they see regularly.  It is most rewarding !

Echoing the comment on traveling in the Texas Big Bend country, my brother-in-law were riding our Harleys just east of Presidio when we slowed down to watch what I at first thought was an eagle. He seemed to just be leisurely flying along when he suddenly swirled in the air and doubled back to a particular spot, circled twice then went down behind some scrub brush. A minute later he rose and flew off with a long slender snake in his talons. The sun glinted off his black feathers and I realized I had just spotted my first Raven because it was much larger than our resident crows in southeast Texas. Quite amazing!

Reminded by the comment regarding the Adirondacks: I was camping in a park near Lake George and was awakened early by loud calls that I soon recognized as a raven’s. I located the source high in a tree and witnessed a group of crows diving and making plenty of noise themselves. Eventually I saw the raven fly up and flee. All this before coffee. Quite a wake-up call.

In 2003 my mother and I took a trip to England. We saw the ravens at the Tower and their Yoeman. The birds were incredibly friendly. They followed you around hoping for some morsel of food. They even let children come up to them without snapping or shying away. It was a great experience.

I love ravens, always have.  When I was young, maybe 5 or 6, I couldn’t tell the difference between a crow and a raven from the car so would call them cravens. 
I have two children of my own now and I talk with the ravens we meet in the wild.  My kids will always say “mom look it’s a raven friend.”
These are truly majestic animals, thanks for the article and comments.

Since crows are mentioned,  I have a question.  Have anyone ever seen a crow killed by vehicles on the road?  I never have; but a guy who boasts a lot said,  he killed two crows at one time as he drove to a location.  I have serious doubts because crows are very, very wary.

Ravens are also known as the “Wolves of the Sky”. With that in mind it would be interesting to note that for centuries Ravens and Wolves have shared a unique relationship. Ravens would help Wolves hunt from the air…spotting a potential meal. The Wolves would then follow the Ravens lead and when the hunt was complete the Ravens would take their share. Where I live, in Northeastern Nevada, the Ravens here are very big, up to two feet tall and I have seen a few bigger. One day I saw one flying very strangely and thought it to be an Eagle. It was imitating the flight dynamics of an Eagle and I didn’t think this was possible because of the differences in wing structure. It immediately reminded me of the story ‘Johnathan Seagull’. I used to find myself in argumentative discussions with those that believed there were no Ravens in our area and called them Crows when in fact it was the opposite. There are definite differences between the two as they have been described in the above article.

The Tower of London is exactly where I learned the difference between a crow and a raven. I couldn’t believe the size of them! Their feathers are so black, the almost look blue.

I don’t know if either of these is true but I was told that ravens are the only species that will eat there own species, and, ravens cannot walk.  They can only hop.

Concerning Ravens relationships with other birds ... here I have seen them argue loudly with the scrub jays over scattered nuts but never physically attack them ... and I have seen them quarrel, both loudly and physically with one another ... but for the most part they will feed from the same dish and just crowd one another aside if needed.

When I used to do tours for Pima College I would tell people, “If it is a large bird and it flaps a lot, it’s a raven; if it flaps sometimes, it’s a hawk; if it rarely flaps it’s a vulture, or it’s a raven pretending to be a vulture.
I once watched two ravens tag team a hawk to get it to drop a rabbit it was carrying. When the hawk finally gave up and dropped the prey, the ravens flew off cawing. It sounded like laughter.

Female raptors are larger than male raptors so they can chase off the mate before the young look like prey. Unlike raptors, where the young of the same specie are always potential meals for the others, including their older siblings, I have never witnessed this behavior in ravens. They do attack other young birds in their nests and take them.

Unfortunately, crows do get hit by cars in my area, West Vancouver, BC. I have seen several over the years. The only ravens I get to see anymore are “hanging out” under the Granville Street Bridge. My son gets to see the babies when the adults bring them down to the yard he works in. He offers puppy chow and peanuts.

Upon looking at the photo of the raven I am thinking the black birds I saw so much of in Washington State were ravens not crows but then they were not “enormous” as one poster put it yet shaped just like the raven in the e Nature photo.  They were just a little larger than the southeastern fish crow or American crow but not sleek as they.  These birds were stocky and had that shaggy look around the head.  What say ye PNWesterners? Have you ravens all over the place?

I lived in a tourist trap in Northern Arizona for many years.  The ravens were everywhere.  Tourists would ask what the heck they were and I just got into the habit of telling them those were crows on steroids.  I worked next to a large supermarket and would help the stockboy take the trash out every morning to the compactor.  There would always be a half-dozen ravens waiting patiently because they know we would both give them leftover cakes and meats.

When I started at my current job I noticed a huge black bird in a tree in the back lot. I realized what it was immediately. One of my coworkers came out and noticed it and he said ‘WOW that’s a HUGE crow!’ I said ‘that’s not a crow it’s a raven.’. He said ‘Are you sure?’ I said ‘Yes. Ravens are bigger than crows and their beaks look different. They also have a different call.’ He was amazed that I knew so much about it.
Only problem is that I’ve noticed that whenever the raven appears something bad happens around the office.

J’ai longtemps etudie le systemes des communication des oiseaux,surtout des corbeaux et des milans qui sont les especes les plus commun au senegal.les corbeaux ont des facultes de communications extraodinaires,ils nous parlent a tout instant,nous les entendons mais nous les ecoutons psa et n’essayous pas de compremdre ce qu’ils disent…Dans la plus part des cas la supertitution empechent de voir ce que ces oiseaux nous disent….Ils ont un systemes de defense e voient de loin des choses que les hommes ne peuvent pas voir…par exemple au Senegal certain pensent que c’est un oiseax porte malheur alors que le corbeaux peut prevenir les dangers…il y’a bien d’autres choses qu’on peut dire…..

To Sherman & Sandi - The more recent decline of crows may have been from avian flu that hit crows hard in some areas.  Pheasants are not native birds and rely on agricultural areas to thrive.  The native bob white quail also needs rough edge areas around agricultural fields.  The maturing forest, more manicured agricultural areas and development (housing and commercial) have reduced this type of habitat.

No decline of crows in Vancouver, BC. They are everywhere. I get a kick out of their ability to recognize people, even in the densely populated downtown core where I live. I have a neighbour who never leaves home without a pocketful of peanuts (in the shell) for the crows. I swear, within five seconds of leaving his apartment building, a crow will spot him (admittedly, he has an unusual gait) and sound the alert and half a dozen crows will appear from nowhere and follow him, picking up peanuts along the way until he reaches the bus stop. Once I saw them flying after the bus after watching him get on!

Hello to all of those who have commented from the west & south of me. I live in the"Northeast Kingdom” of Vermont.
  Along with our 100 year old farmhouse, we got some neighbors, who have lived in the same nest, in the same tree, since before we came here, 12 years ago. We love our family of ravens, who start sprucing up their nest in late winter/early spring & come & go, overhead, often calling & talking to each other.
  Last summer a family of “lumberjacks” appeared in “our’ woods with chainsaws. They had gotten permission from several seasonal homeowners to cut/clear their properties, without them around to see what they were doing. All summer & fall, we saw the trees falling & the view extending. They were coming closer & closer to the ravens’ nesting tree. I tried to clean up my gardens,near the woods, but was too sickened by the sound of chainsaws & the thunderous boom, every time a big tree fell.  (Continued in next post)

(continued..) I considered chaining myself to the nesting tree, but our firewood guy, warned us that these guys were particularly nasty & wouldn’t even blink to take revenge. A neighbor told us that they were the 17 home-owners on a list to sue these guys for cutting, but not paying & they were far from the last on the list. There’s no other way to describe what was happening except to say that they were raping our neighborhood forest. After the ravens’ tree was cut down the, they seemed confused & headed off into the woods across the street.(cont’d next)

I live in a tiny town off the waters of Colvos Passage, Puget Sound and I see or rather mostly ‘hear’ a Raven most every day.  Just the other day the crow’s were giving it a rather hard time while it was in a nearby tree.  What a racket!  I too am very glad to have him around. I love to listen to his raucaus calls while he soars around, sometimes down the middle of our tree-lined roads.

(cont’d, final part)
The lumberjacks had no problem just continuing into neighboring properties, cutting as they went, UNTIL they dared to tread on my next door neighbor’s land. She’s now the hero of the neighborhood. She went face to face, toe-to-toe, with them & they backed down! Last time I heard, they were cooling off their chainsaws in the county jail, with the whole list of lawsuits staring them in the face!
  Much to our delight, there was a cluster of 3 tall pines on the edge of the hero’s property, which the ravens claimed as there new home. When I can’t stand to look at all the devastation, i focus on the “Ravens’ Tree” & hope they will always be our neighbors!

Pheasants craw into holes to get out of the cold weather,  in wet seasons they may drown,  or in some smaller holes they can’t get turned around and die that way.   
Years ago,  I read an article in the Wild Wonderful WV magazine,  “We don’t fence Deer tracks anymore”.  Which meant that if a farmer found a deer track on his place,  he would place a fence around it so he could brag he had a deer on his property.  The deer in WV were imported from Michigian   We are now killing more deer by automobile than hunters kill in the season.

As a Baltimore resident I of course love ravens.  Yet we see very few around here.  I did get to see one close up once, and it struck me as so majestic. If anyone has an occasion to go to the Baltimore Zoo be sure to see Rise and Conquer, our 2 West African Ravens. And to Hollis that posted on 6/22- I will be using that saying!

Ravens do walk…strut is more like it! Does anyone know where the ravens nest in Vancouver, BC?

tons of smart ravens here! We live in Oregon on Mt. Hood and frequent the ski resorts during the harsh winter months.  The ravens always greet you in the parking lots.  They look in truck beds for food wrapers to rumage through and to show how smart they are they’ll open a zipped back pack with their beeks and look for your lunch:) sneaky sneaky