Recently asked in the comments interest Ask: what is the difference between a crow and a crow? Perhaps it's just a male and a female? Of course not. These two are perfect different types family Corvidae from the order Passeriformes. As a matter of fact, such confusion occurs fortunately only in Russian. For example, in my native Ukrainian, a raven is "kruk", and a crow will be "crow". In English, the word for raven sounds "raven", and the crow is called "crow".
Even more confusion occurs when trying to distinguish a raven from a crow by appearance, but knowing some characteristics, everything is quite simple. Immediately it is worth making a clarification that there are several types of crows. The most common of these are the gray crow (Corvus cornix) and the black crow (Corvus corone). And here the most interesting thing is that the black crow lives mainly in Western Europe and in the eastern part of Eurasia, but we do not have it in the CIS (except for the eastern part of the Russian Federation). We can only meet the gray crow, which has a gray body color and black wings, head and tail. Thus, it is not difficult to distinguish it from a completely black crow. We are also interested in the differences between the black crow (Corvus corone) and the common crow (Corvus corax).
What is the difference between a raven and a crow?
Dimensions. The body length of an ordinary crow can reach 60 cm, while a black crow is smaller in size - body length adult up to 50 cm. The raven is noticeably larger than the crow.
Body mass . Adult males of an ordinary crow can weigh 1-1.5 kg, and a black crow only up to 700 g.
Beak size. The common raven has a much thicker beak than the black crow. Although from a distance it is not always noticeable.
Goiter plumage. Distinctive feature old individuals of the common raven are elongated goiter feathers. They are characteristically bristling, while resembling a "beard".
Tail shape. This difference can be noticed only during the flight of a bird. The crow has a rounded tail, the common raven has a wedge-shaped ending.
Lifestyle. Black crows often gather in groups, and crows are kept singly or in pairs.
Habitat. The raven can often be found in the city, while the common raven avoids large settlements and prefers to live in the forests.
the crow has a nasal, similar to the sound "ka!" (You can listen to her voice below).
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In addition, it is worth noting that crows and crows do not get along with each other and a flock of crows often attacks a lone crow. So, this is by no means a male and a female of the same species, and even more so not a husband and wife.
The difference between a crow and a rook
Some readers may have the following question. "How is it that we don't have black crows? After all, they are found everywhere in settlements, keep in groups, sit on wires, pick up nuts and croak at passers-by." The fact is that these are not black crows, but ordinary rooks. They are often confused with each other. But the difference between crows and rooks is very noticeable. The base of the rook's beak, where the nostrils are located, is bare. Due to this, his beak seems lighter. In the crow, it is covered with black feathers.
And finally see funny video about a domestic black crow that takes care of four-legged pets and feeds them with food.
There are no fundamental differences between a raven and a crow. Both species of birds belong to the same genus of Ravens of the Corvidae family. In addition to the Crow itself and the Black Crow, the Australian crow and the Hawaiian crow, the white-necked crow and the Guam crow and rook are found in the Crow genus. Perhaps the principle by which an animal species was called a crow or a crow depended on the whim of a particular ornithologist, compiler of a reference book or translator.
Crow
Crow. Latin name— Corvus corax. The raven is the largest bird in the order Passeriformes. It is in the parameters of the body of birds that the sexual dimorphism of animals is manifested. The length of the female is not more than 60 cm, the body length of the male reaches 65 cm. The weight of the male varies between 1000-1560 g, sexually mature females weigh from 800 to 1300 g. The wingspan of an adult animal reaches one and a half meters.
Crow
The color of the feather cover of the raven is uniformly black, with a slight bluish tint. Young birds are deprived of this overflow. The iris and beak are painted black. The beak itself is quite powerful and sharp. The claws are the same - they are able to hold prey equal to half the weight of the bird. The tail is wedge-shaped.
The bird skillfully moves on the ground, and before taking off it is forced to make a couple of jumps. The nature of the flight of a raven is similar to the flight of birds of prey, and not of birds of prey.
Birds live up to 70 years, form a couple for life and are caring parents. Crows are common in the northern hemisphere, on the territory of Eurasia and North America, except for natural areas equatorial and subequatorial climate types.
Black Crow
Black Crow. Latin name Corvus corone. Within the species, 4 subspecies crystallized: common gray crow, eastern hoodie, common black crow and eastern black crow. All subspecies live only on the territory of the Eurasian continent, except for tropical latitudes.
Black Crow The color of the crow's feather is black with a greenish-violet tint. The beak, eyes and paws of the bird are black. The gray crow has a gray body with black wings and a head. The body length of the bird varies from 48 to 56 cm. There are albino crows. Ravens prefer to live alone or with their "half", which they do not change throughout their lives.
Ravens build a couple of nests and change them every few years. The female incubates the eggs on her own. After 18 days, about 5 chicks hatch from them. A month later, little crows are ready to learn to fly. There are cases when the grown-up chicks of the old brood help their parents to feed the chicks of the new brood.
Crows are omnivorous and predatory. They eat everything from grains and worms to eggs and someone else's chick. Birds possess high level intelligence development. Scientists have proven that they have abstract thinking.
Findings site
- The main difference between birds is the mass and length of the body of animals. The raven slightly exceeds the size and weight of black ravens.
- The second indicator is distribution. The area of distribution of the crow exceeds the area of the crow.
In Russian, a black bird with a black beak means the same word. Because of this, confusion arises with the varieties of birds. Raven and crow are completely different birds, although they belong to the same genus of crows (Corvus). They differ external features and behavior. Let's take a closer look at both birds. Let's start with the black crow.
Characteristic
The black raven is a massive bird from the order Passeriformes. The body length reaches 60-68 cm, the length of the wings in males is up to 473 mm, in females up to 460 mm. The mass of males is up to 1,560 grams, females - up to 1,315. Wingspan - up to 120 cm.
It is a black bird with a black beak. The plumage is uniform in color: it has a black color and a greenish or bluish tint. Young birds have no ebb. Small feathers at the base are grayish. The beak is very strong, pointed. Claws are powerful, bent. The tail is wedge-shaped in shape, which is clearly visible in flight. The flight of a raven resembles the soaring of birds of prey.
The bird lives in the countries of Eurasia, North America and North Africa. Crow habitats are forest, mountains, coasts.
Behavioral features
The raven is considered a rare living creature. It is possible to meet a raven in any season. AT winter period it appears near human dwellings, in garbage dumps. By nature, the raven is distrustful and prudent. It moves very well on the ground. Before flying, the bird jumps several times. In captivity lives from 15 to 70 years.
Ravens do not always live in the same territories. Some individuals fly away for the winter. In Turkmenistan, after the appearance of young animals, the number of members of the flock is 40-70 individuals, in the Caucasus in winter the flock is smaller - 10-12 individuals. Birds migrate over distances of up to 200 km. During nesting, crows can fly over impressive distances - to the shores of seas and rivers, to the foothills.
Bird nests form in forest areas, avoiding taiga areas. On treeless territories, rocks, cliffs of the coast are mastered. Nests are placed on trees: lindens, oaks, spruces, in mountainous areas - at heights.
Food
The raven is not selective in nutrition, it is quite omnivorous. Its main food is carrion. In this regard, the raven is considered an orderly. He hunts in the steppes, on the mountains, on the banks of the seas and rivers. Raven collects:
- bodies of dead animals - carrion;
- moles, shrews;
- rodents;
- eggs of birds and chicks;
- fish;
- insects, molluscs, insects.
Nesting
Crows are considered to have reached puberty at the age of 2 years. Birds create indestructible couples. Territories for nesting occupy 3-4 km, and sometimes up to 10. Locations do not change. If the nest was destroyed, the raven forms another one in the same area.
A pair usually creates two nests, and they use them in different period time. The nest has existed for several decades. Mating games and pair formation begin in early February or a little later, depending on the habitat.
The new nest is built by the male and the female together. It is placed on top different trees: oak, linden, aspen. The height at which the nest is located is usually 20 meters. If the bird is not disturbed, it can build nests near the human dwelling. Nesting structures are located on towers, temple belfries, on the roofs of buildings.
Arrangement of the nest is carried out in the stem forks in the trees. The nest itself is made of strong branches, with wool as a flooring. Egg laying begins in mid-February. How north territory, the later laying begins.
The number of eggs laid is 4-6, sometimes up to 7. The interval between clutches is 1-2 days. The size of the egg is 50x33 mm. Color - greenish-blue. Experts do not know for sure whether the female incubates the eggs alone or alternately with the male. Both parents provide food for the chicks. The chicks hatch in mid-May. After that, they live with their parents for a long time, the mortality rate among young individuals is very high. Grown up chicks leave adult birds only in autumn.
Legends and stories
According to biblical tradition, earlier this black bird with a long beak was white. The coloring changed in punishment after the Flood. When Noah released the raven from the ark, the bird did not return to tell the righteous man whether the water had gone, but began to eat the corpses. Noah cursed the raven, and he became black and predatory.
However, it was the raven that fed the prophet Elijah in the desert, so the biblical attitude towards these birds is not always negative.
The legend of the elders speaks of Saint Paul of Thebes, to whom a raven brought a piece of bread every day.
Voron Voronovich is found in the tales of the ancient Slavs. It is he who brings living and dead water.
In England, it was believed that with the departure of the ravens, the monarchy would collapse. For this reason, Churchill ordered the birds to be fed during the war so that people would not be disturbed.
In Stalin's times, NKVD cars were black, for which they were called "funnel".
This is the basic information about the crow. Let's move on to the description of the black crow.
General information
It is a black bird with a black beak. She lives in Europe and East Asia. In Russia, it settles in the Siberian regions and on Far East. Many species of this bird are known.
Black crows are divided into four main subspecies:
- gray;
- eastern gray;
- black;
- eastern black.
The territories of the settlements of these birds often mix, as a result of which new varieties of crows appear. The description of the bird will be considered below.
External Data
The black crow looks like a rook. They belong to the same genus Corvus. She has black feathers with a greenish, bluish or purple tint. This is especially clear when hitting sun rays for plumage.
The beak and paws are also black. There are small feathers on the nostrils. The tail is rounded. Compared to the raven, this bird has a more modest size. The length of her body is 48-52 cm. It weighs 700 grams.
Behavioral features
The crow is a bird that creates pairs. AT winter time can form flocks and occupy the nests of other birds. Often they get their own food in the same area as rooks with magpies.
The crow makes characteristic sounds. You can easily recognize this bird by its voice. Her voice has one timbre, the bird utters a cry of "k-r-a-a." Sitting on the upper level of the tree, the crow behaves noisily, because it croaks many times without stopping, forming only short pauses.
Sometimes the croaking lasts for hours. In intervals, the bird changes its location. The flapping of her wings is unhurried, there is no haste and fuss in her flight.
The black crow feeds on carrion, grains, insects, mammals and human food waste. In search of food, birds fly to human settlements. The crow finds food in the garbage dumps not far from human houses. However, finding products better than ordinary garbage, he will prefer them. There are cases when urban crows easily stole food from stores during unloading.
Offspring
Reproduction of crows begins when they reach the age of two years. Birds make pairs. Nests are built from reliable branches and placed on the tops of buildings or treetops.
In places where there is no person, the nest can be located on the ground. The female incubates the eggs. Their number is 4-6 pieces. The male takes care of the food of the family. After 17-19 days, chicks appear. At first they are naked, and after a month they are covered with feathers.
Grown up birds do not always form their own families, often continue to live with their parents and help feed new generations of chicks.
Interesting stories
A crow is a bird often called a winged rat for its intelligence and courage.
When feeding chicks, adult females pre-soak bread in puddles.
Crows are able to reproduce the sounds of human speech. Ornithologists say these birds can solve protozoa logical tasks. Birds distinguish traffic signals. When red, they slowly eat carrion on the road. With a green signal, they fly away quickly.
Experts recorded the entertainment of crows. Birds near the tennis court got a ball and began to drive it along the roof. The game ended only when the ball rolled down from the roof.
Crows steal the eggs of large birds - bustards and little bustards. They love to eat other people's eggs.
In nature, a bird lives 10-60 years.
So, what is the difference between these birds?
Differences in manners
Raven and crow differ in nuances of behavior. These include:
- Flight feature. The raven flies in the same way as other predators - it flaps its wings heavily and leisurely. The crow, on the other hand, waves often and lightly. Her flight is faster.
- Start of flight. The crow starts its flight by jumping, and the crow takes off immediately.
- Various sounds produced. The raven croaks and the crow clicks.
- Raven intelligence. This bird is considered very smart and developed, in terms of intelligence it is not inferior to primates.
External differences
In appearance, it is difficult to confuse the two species of these birds. Raven is very large bird up to 70 cm long, it is one and a half times larger than a crow. The crow has a more modest size - up to 56 cm long.
The plumage of birds also differ. The feathers of the raven are pure black, the feathers of the crow are black and gray.
The shape of the tail of a raven is wedge-shaped, while that of a crow is rounded.
In a raven, the goiter has a shaggy plumage, in a crow there is no plumage at all.
Differences in lifestyle
Many differences can be seen in the way of life. Raven, having reached adulthood, finds a mate to whom he remains faithful throughout his life. The crow is looking for a mate only for the nesting period. The rest of the time she lives in a pack.
The raven builds two nests, which, together with the female, use them in turn for many years. Migration of the crow family is rare, only when real threat. The nests of these birds are high, it is almost impossible for a person to find them. In addition, the nest has an impressive size.
A crow may well build a nest where a person lives. Most often, these birds live in various settlements. The behavior of the crow in the city indicates a good adaptation of birds to such living conditions. You can see the lack of fearfulness and their restrained caution.
Birds are able to distinguish people. They watch who approaches them, are able to critically assess the situation and build their behavior. Depending on the situation, the bird either flies away or continues to watch the person.
When combined in flocks, birds become aggressive. They can attack animals - cats and dogs. In a flock, birds are sensitive to the behavior of its members. If someone shows concern, the pack will respond responsively.
Ravens love to stray into flocks, and they adjoin the groups of rooks and jackdaws. In autumn, such flocks move great distances. The raven does not join flocks - it makes any flights alone.
The chicks are also different. In a crow, the chicks are large, a month after the appearance they practically do not differ from adults. They leave their parental nests early. Crows have much smaller chicks, they are in no hurry to leave their parents.
Other differences
In addition to those listed above, there are other differences:
- The raven lives in lands with subtropical and temperate climatic conditions in Eurasia and North America. The crow settles in Eurasia and Northeast Africa. This is the essential difference. Crows have a much more modest habitat.
- Life span. The lifespan of a raven is much longer than that of a crow. Average term life last - 8 years. There are legends about the life of a crow, according to which they can live up to 300 years.
- The crow is not embarrassed by the neighborhood of a person. She settles quietly in cities. Raven is used to living alone or in pairs.
Are there common features?
Despite many differences, there are common signs, combining these black birds with a black beak. Here they are:
- Both those and others feed on carrion, performing a sanitary function. Both species of birds are omnivorous and do not disdain any food.
- Both of them have developed intellect. Both types of birds have their own language, they are capable of logical thinking, they know how to handle tools, imitate human speech. It is even possible that these birds can count.
Be that as it may, both the raven and the crow are beautiful birds that live next door to us.
There is a misconception among the people that the raven is a male and the crow is a female of the same species. In fact, the raven is not the "husband" of the crow at all. Crow and crow are two different species. Sexual differences among individuals of almost all species of corvids are only in size: as a rule, males are somewhat larger than females.
Male ravens are one of the largest birds in the family, because most of the others are inferior in size to representatives of this species. An adult raven in length sometimes reaches more than 60 centimeters and weighs about 1.5 kg!
But large size is not the only difference between ravens and other corvids. An important feature of the species is the wedge-shaped tail, which gives the crows a resemblance to birds of prey, especially in flight. The wings of a raven in a span reach 120 centimeters. The pointed feathers of the goiter form a kind of "beard". The color of the feathers is monophonic - black, but the plumage of adults becomes shiny and shimmers in sunlight all the colors of the rainbow. Therefore, the flight of a raven in the rays of the sun is a magnificent sight!
Dahl in " explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language ”gives a number of proverbs characterizing the attitude of our ancestors to this bird:“ A raven croaks in a church - to a dead man in the village; croaks in the hut - to the dead man in the yard "; “Through which the yard the raven flew, croaking, there will be a dead man”; “Every crow would croak on his own head”; "The old raven will not croak for nothing"; Like a raven waiting for blood. Catholic Church cursed the bird, considering it a product of dark forces. In fact, the largest representative of the family does not deserve such notoriety. In the legends of many nations, the raven is the personification of wisdom. This is a strong, beautiful and smart bird.
Ravens prefer to live in deserted places, although sometimes they live in small settlements, mostly in rural areas. Occasionally, small populations of ravens come across even on the outskirts of large industrial cities, although this, of course, is rather an exception: these birds prefer ecologically clean areas. More often, they settle in the mountains or forests, sometimes they can be found on the coasts, but at the same time, the crows remain small in number, never forming large colonies. However, having found a suitable place to live, the family often stays there for life. In this case, the family can either consist of a single pair with chicks, or turn out to be a group of adults.
Crow nests tend to build higher, in inaccessible places: on the tops of centuries-old trees, cliffs or ledges of rocks. The material for construction is usually thick, durable branches and rods; soft bedding is provided from the inside. In early spring bluish-green spotted eggs appear in the nest one by one, every day or two. In total, they are usually deposited from three to seven pieces. Incubation begins when about half of the eggs have been laid. Sometimes future parents do this in turn, but more often the male is busy getting food for himself and his mate. The chicks are born in about twenty days, and by the summer they already fly out of the nest, although for a long time they need the care of their elders and stay close to their parents at least until autumn. Young crows start their own families at the age of two years, having reached puberty.
As for the raven's diet, here it can rightfully be attributed to feathered orderlies: the main "dish" is a variety of carrion. However, the raven is also an avid hunter. Therefore, mice, small birds, their chicks and eggs, large insects, preferably beetles, serve as regular supplements to the diet. And in the case of living near a reservoir, the raven also shows itself to be a good fisherman, deftly catching mollusks and small fish.
As for the content in the house, here, definitely, one should either choose a small chick, or abandon this idea altogether: adult crows are not tameable and can bring a lot of trouble to the frivolous "owner", arranging a real bedlam in the house in a matter of minutes. However, a baby crow brought into the house will also cause a lot of trouble at first. But it's worth it: after all, this is the most intellectually highly developed bird of the domestic fauna.
The little crow will deftly steal shiny things from guests, hunt chickens and ducklings or other small birds, offend neighbors' dogs and cats, tear up furniture and wallpaper, turn books and clothes into useless shreds, beat dishes. At the same time, very soon he will become attached to the person who nurtured him, so that he will never betray, while not recognizing the rest of humanity at all. There are cases when tamed crows tried to help if the owner became ill, and even died of grief on the same day with a loved one.
In nature, adult crows make rather monotonous sounds, by which they can be easily distinguished from other birds: “Crook”. Young people often pronounce such an unfinished “kar”: “Kaa”. But crow chicks quickly learn human speech, pronouncing words clearly and clearly. Moreover, the level of intelligence allows them to use words and phrases strictly for their intended purpose, turning the bird into a real interlocutor. Raven will be able to communicate his needs himself (“I want to eat”, “I will sleep”, etc.) and respond to simple questions. Problems with tame crows occur only during puberty, when, like any teenager, the chick seeks to leave his father's house and gain independence. However, the transitional age passes, the crow grows up and can stay with the owner all his life: at home, crows can live up to seven decades.
Perhaps not a single bird of our fauna can compare with the raven in quick wits. He can decide challenging tasks that life puts before him. A raven can easily distinguish a hunter from other people, a man from a woman who is less wary of.
You can feed a crow with almost everything that a person eats.
