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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.

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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

Corvus corax

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

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

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Source-checked editorial guide. Last updated .