“While crows commonly gather in flocks, sometimes in the thousands, ravens tend to keep their groups small, often choosing to gather only in pairs.””

James DeWalt

NEDERLAND - While my walks in and around town in my nearly 30 years up here have always tended to be solitary, I have enjoyed the company of many different neighbors at various points along those walks.

From members of our local mule deer clans, to a comical late-night encounter with a small group of cow elk, to numerous nights of sharing space (as distant as could be helped) with one of our long-time resident mountain lions now passed away, it has been quite a treat to spend time, even if brief, with our abundance of wildlife.

One of the more regular encounters is with a very common, yet typically shy (or just intelligently wary) group of critters, our corvids. In the Peak to Peak region we share space with four of these types of incredibly intelligent birds: Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens. 

The various Jays tend to be easy to identify, as well as the Black Billed Magpies who call the area home. This week’s article takes a look at the other two, somewhat more “notorious gangs,” the crows and ravens, as they can sometimes be a bit challenging to tell apart.  

While crows commonly gather in flocks, sometimes in the thousands, ravens tend to keep their groups small, often choosing to gather only in pairs. Occasionally they can be found in larger numbers. 

With the scavenging both species enjoy around towns, it can be common to see the two intermingled as they share the delectable buffet of an open dumpster. It is groups like this that are difficult to differentiate.

Worldwide there exist several different types of crows, but here in Colorado we typically only tend to see the American Crow. These birds average anywhere from 15 to 21 inches in length (both males and females), with a wingspan of 33 to 40 inches. Both sexes of the Common Raven are a good bit larger, measuring in at an average of 21 to 27 inches in length with wingspans up to nearly four feet.  

Both birds have a slightly elongated bill with a sort of “moustache” of feathers at the top base of the bill known as Rictal Bristles, which act as a kind of sensory “whisker.” 

Ravens’ bills tend to be stouter, and the rictal bristles typically longer. Ravens also have a distinguishing head feature that crows do not: a sort of beard known as hackles. Like hackles on mammals, they become “raised” when the creature is agitated, but with ravens, the raised hackles are also used in courtship.

In flight, they tend to have more differences in appearance. Crows tend to flap their wings in a sort of “rowing” fashion, as though pushing the air behind them. Ravens tend to flap their wings similarly to raptors, with seemingly more thrusting power. 

Crows also have a more fan-like tail, where ravens’ tails are more of a rounded diamond, a difference usually only noticed in flight. Though we often see ravens playing in the air, interestingly, crows are also fond of doing that. It is quite common to watch a pair swooping and diving acrobatically around each other in mid-flight. It is understood that this behavior is important in their social bonding.

One last and very significant difference between the species is their unique calls. Crows, as we know well from stories and movies, make a “caw caw” vocalization, while ravens are known for a deeper, more guttural “gronk gronk” sound. Ravens also make a sort of woody chortling vocalization I have often equated to laughter when I hear them atop a roof or telephone pole as I stroll by.  

As with all corvids, both crows and ravens are some of the smartest birds in existence. It is arguable as to which species comes out on top, since each has its own unique specialties. 

Where ravens can be taught words and are known to have abstract thought capabilities, crows have been observed crafting tools and are also known to understand the mathematical concept of zero vs one—something even young humans don’t grasp. 

Both species also can recognize and remember humans and other specific animals and have gone further to befriend by way of “gift” exchanges (they both really seem to enjoy shiny objects).

Tales of lore and superstitions regarding corvids place both species often in a sinister light. For example, grouping nomenclatures have a group of crows called a “murder,” while a group of ravens are known as an “unkindness,” and magpies are known as a “mischief.” 

None of these names carry any substance outside of curiosity. In fact, when observed closely, they all can be seen to display quite an amusing and playful side.

For additional information about James DeWalt Photography, check out https://jamesdewaltphotography.com.