Comments on Over My Head...Is This a Murder of Crows or a Conspiracy of Ravens?tag:ipernity.com,2024-03-29:comments/doc-28042689http://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/55/6F/290645.buddy.jpg3 notes above! :) I saw this group of birds circling and cruising on the thermals as they slowly passed over the property. I heard them cawing and doing aerobatics, tumbling and doing somersaults and generally having a wonderful time! After reading the information below and reading more on the web about the differences between these birds, I am not sure. The fan-shaped tails and the fact they are in a flock suggest they are crows, but crows have more of a flat wedge of their tail, so...this suggests these birds are ravens. Here's a picture to compare: Raven vs. crow tail feathers The aerobatics and low cawing sounds suggest they are ravens. They were quite large, which says raven; crows are a LOT smaller, and these guys were definitely big. If I'd been closer I'd be able to see their faces, which would tell me for sure. Judging on the extra information from Leapfrog (Art), I'm thinking they are ravens (my original feeling)....what do you think? Here's more info though, very interesting! :D How to Tell a Raven From a Crow, a helpful guide from Audobon! These black birds may look similar in some ways, but several distinctive traits help set them apart. These two species, common ravens and American crows, overlap widely throughout North America, and they look quite similar. But with a bit of practice, you can tell them apart. Ravens are larger, the size of a red-tailed hawk. Ravens often travel in pairs, while crows are seen in larger groups. (In flight, ravens will soar and do somersaults on thermal or wind-generated updrafts, but crows do not soar. So if that big black bird is soaring, it's a raven.) Also, watch the bird's tail as it flies overhead. The crow's tail feathers are basically the same length, so when the bird spreads its tail, it opens like a fan. Ravens, however, have longer middle feathers in their tails, so their tail appears wedge-shaped when open. (but not flat along the bottom like a crow) Listen closely to the birds' calls. Crows give a cawing sound. But ravens produce a lower croaking sound. This is what a Common Raven sounds like and this is what an American Crow sounds like.2024-03-29T09:32:15+00:00ipernity.comStormlizard has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2015-07-06:comment-408147302015-07-06T11:42:06+00:002015-07-06T11:42:06+00:00Stormlizardhttp://www.ipernity.com/home/stormlizardStormlizard said:
Over here Crows rarely fly in groups but Rooks and Jackdaws do. We have so few Ravens here, in fact the only ones I have ever seen live in the Round Tower in Copenhagen.
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Trudy Tuinstra has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2015-07-06:comment-408141062015-07-06T10:41:10+00:002015-07-06T10:41:10+00:00Trudy Tuinstrahttp://www.ipernity.com/home/trudytuinstraTrudy Tuinstra said:
fantastic
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Don Sutherland has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2013-11-12:comment-276662032013-11-12T02:36:22+00:002013-11-12T02:36:22+00:00Don Sutherlandhttp://www.ipernity.com/home/285547Don Sutherland said:
Great capture.
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Shuttering Yukon has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2013-11-11:comment-276348932013-11-11T02:56:10+00:002013-11-11T02:56:10+00:00Shuttering Yukonhttp://www.ipernity.com/home/296305Shuttering Yukon said:
I am NOT a bird nerd.. but they don't look like our ravens..
I am total opposite of Leapfrog, I though the tail did not look like a Raven.. so I am out, I have no clue.
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Keith Burton has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2013-11-10:comment-276312092013-11-10T22:08:11+00:002013-11-10T22:08:11+00:00Keith Burtonhttp://www.ipernity.com/home/keithburtonKeith Burton said:
Well captured & a fascinating explanation of the way to tell the difference!
I once heard a similar description of how to tell the difference between Rooks & Crows: " If you see a Rook on its own - it's a Crow! If you see lots of Crows together - they're Rooks!"
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Eunice Perkins has added a comment:tag:ipernity.com,2013-11-10:comment-276111592013-11-10T09:33:32+00:002013-11-10T09:33:32+00:00Eunice Perkinshttp://www.ipernity.com/home/seepeeEunice Perkins said:
Quite different! The ravens sound much the same in Australia. Anyway, This is a nice shot!