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American crow or common raven?

Read the tail shape, the bill, and the voice before deciding which big black bird flew over.

Scope: North America (American crow and common raven) · Last updated 2026-07-20

An American crow perched on a post in three-quarter view, showing glossy black plumage, a stout bill, and folded wings. — Photo: American Crow by Linda Tanner · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a crop.

American crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

VS

A common raven photographed in Yellowstone National Park, with black plumage, a heavy bill, and shaggy throat feathers. — Photo: Common raven by Neal Herbert / Yellowstone National Park · Public domain in the United States — U.S. National Park Service work

Common raven

Text-free illustrated comparison for “American crow or common raven?”; the field marks are listed below. — Illustrated field comparisonAmerican crow or common raven?Size is unreliable against open sky, and wing proportion is a relative judgement that flattens on a distant silhouette. Ravens do form communal roosts and gather at landfills and carcasses, so a group is not proof of crows. Use tail shape, bill, throat, flight, and voice together, and leave a brief view unresolved.

Size [1][2][3]

About pigeon-sized; slim build

Much larger — approaching a Red-tailed Hawk

Tail in flight [1][2][3]

Opens into an even, rounded fan

Tapers to a central point — a wedge

Bill & throat [1][2][3]

Slimmer, straighter bill; smooth throat

Heavy, curved bill; shaggy throat hackles

Flight style [1][2][3]

Often rows with steady wingbeats; can glide or soar

More often soars and glides; may roll

Voice [1][2][3]

Often a clear caw, among many other calls

Often a deep croak, among many other calls

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SOURCES & STATUS

Source-checked editorial guide. Last updated 2026-07-20.

U.S. National Park Service — Common Raven ↗
National Audubon Society — How to Tell a Raven From a Crow ↗
Bell Museum, University of Minnesota — Crows & Ravens ↗
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — American Crow ↗
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — Common Raven ↗

Wing shape [4][5]

Fairly broad and rounded, wingtip feathers spread like fingers

Longer and narrower, with longer, thinner fingers at the tips

Company kept [4][5]

Very social; sometimes forms flocks in the thousands

Less social; often alone or in pairs away from rich food sources