This article today foregrounds an ongoing confusion among bird lovers about three very similar-looking birds in the shape of a debate: raven vs crow vs blackbird.
These are often mixed up in hindsight due to the resemblances of colorization, plumage and similar distribution range and habitat zones.
However, despite all three being passerines, only crow and raven belong to the same family while blackbirds are of a different kind.
So there’s bound to be some distinguishing factors apart from the undeniable similarities, and I’m about to stress on exactly those parts!
By the end, you’ll get to paint clear pictures of all three individually without ever being baffled about the matter.
Contents
Blackbird vs Crow vs Raven: Basic Information
Here, you’ll get to learn the most basic stats about these three birds to establish a solid foundation for an effective differentiation.
Common Raven
Source: @kvanderleek
- Scientific Name: Corvus corax
- Size: 54 to 67 cm (21 to 26 in)
- Locality: Northern Hemisphere
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February to May
Common Raven comes with eight recognized subspecies that are slightly different in nature and color across various regions. Juvenile birds from the species are quite playful. Both the younglings and grown ups are prone to some common predation. These birds are opportunistic and very intelligent, thus the survival rate at almost any setting is higher than a lot of other avian species!
American Crow
Source: @bird.er
- Scientific Name: Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Size: 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in)
- Locality: USA and parts of Canada
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Early April to June
A large portion of the human population considers American Crows to be pests due to their adaptability around human settlements and level of intelligence aiding them to get away with almost anything. Despite such strength, these birds are prone to West Nile Virus infection and it led to a huge deduction of crow numbers. Still, a high reproductive rate keeps them out of concern till this day.
Common Blackbird
Source: @mrhlindvall
- Scientific Name: Turdus merula
- Size: 23.5 to 29 cm (9.3 to 11.4 in)
- Locality: Europe, Asiatic Russia, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: March to July
Common Blackbirds are the ideal representatives of all blackbirds due to their benchmark features and physical traits. While variations like Red-winged Blackbirds exist with all of their cultural connotations, the common one has paved the way for seven subspecies. This species looks oddly similar to starlings or even grackles due to the size and colorization of the feathers.
Key Differences: Raven vs Crow vs Blackbird
From this point onward, I’ll be discussing 12 of the most defining traits and habits that set apart these species from one another clearly.
Size & Shape
There’s a clear size difference between these three unique species. Blackbird stands as the smallest as opposed to Raven being the largest among them. Crows fall in between the two with an average of 18 inches height. Ravens are 23 inches on average, growing up to 26 inches at full growth. Blackbirds average at 10 inches, so the size difference is clear as daylight.
Shapewise, crows have the tightest figures composed of flexible muscles and skin-tight feathering. Ravens are somewhat similar but the plumages vary ever so slightly that can be differentiated upon close inspection. Blackbirds are the puffiest of them all with a round belly and spreaded out feathers.
Color
In terms of color, ravens and crows are quite close to each other, probably because they belong to the same Corvidae family. The black on their feathers is tinted with iridescence which is made apparent under broad daylight. To differentiate between these two species, you’ll have to check out the neck bases that’s pale brownish-gray on ravens.
Blackbirds show a completely different shade of black and it’s shinier than the rest of the two. Also, feet are fully black in raven and crow, but a grayish black for blackbirds. Lastly, the latter species hides brown feathers under the black wings. It’s a major factor while identifying visually because the two Corvidae species are deprived of it.
Source: @ravenskynaturephotography
Beaks
Beaks matter for recognizing the birds in question because they vary both in terms of colors and shape. Blackbirds are mostly orange-beaked birds that are thin & sharp, and sometimes darken in color during winter.
Both crow and raven are different in this regard with thick, black beaks. Among these two, ravens are the ones with a pair of heavier beaks, extruding out at the top part. For crows, their beaks are less noticeable and the lower bill is thicker than the top one.
Tail
Although their tails may look similar in hindsight, there exists minor yet noticeable dissimilarities that can help a bird watcher ensure an effective identification. While all three tails are quite long, blackbird tails are probably the largest out of the three proportionately.
Otherwise, crows have the most sizable tails if we consider the objective measurement. The length is around half of their entire body height at around 8-9 inches. Raven tails are quite smaller than crows and the wedge-shape renders it very unique and distinguishable.
Habitat
Raven, crow and blackbirds are species that are widely available in all parts of the world. But almost all of them seem to avoid South America for finding permanent residence since the ambience there isn’t suitable for them. A common ground to trace all three is North America, however, you’ll then have to pick a blackbird species other than the Common one.
From this trio, ravens and crows are often seen scrummaging over garbage in urban or suburban territories. The closest a blackbird’s presence is marked in such regions are either gardens or backyards, Florida is a prime example of which.
Nesting
Nesting practices are vital variation factors for ravens, blackbirds and crows. Ravens are often found around wooden territories beside large, green openings. Also, coastal areas as well host a large volume of the bird group over cliffs or ridges due to access to water and food.
Crows prefer trees over anything else for nest-building, bushes are probably the only exception leaving room for sticky nests. Similar sites are utilized by blackbirds too, but the nests are built into a cup-shape with leaves and grasses.
Breeding
Breeding seasons are completely different for each of the birds. Ravens are the earliest to start creating nests and mating calls. They’re closely followed by blackbirds in March and the latest are crows beginning in April.
All three birds are monogamous, although partial mating rituals with another member of a pair is observed across them all. Ravens are territorial and they won’t begin mating until a periphery is secured. Otherwise, they might fall prone to predatory attacks and become victims like crows. Blackbirds face similar threats but that’s due to their incapacity of properly hiding the nests.
Migration
Ravens are considered to be the most distributed passerine of all across the world due to its partial migratory trait. For most parts, they’re year-round residents like the two other birds in concern, but patterns are different to one another.
Both crow and blackbirds lack the tendency for migration, except for the inhabitants from far north. During winter, these birds fly in toward temperate regions like Texas for better food sources. Crows are the only species that don’t form flocks, ravens practice it partially at unique circumstances and for blackbirds, it’s a regular thing.
Source: @super_crow_lover
Diet
You might assume that their shared omnivorous trait should have been considered as a similarity for all three. But it’s actually not due to the fact that food materials are widely dispersed within themselves and it shows how unique each of their taste buds are in respect to one another.
Ravens and crows are known scavengers. But other than that, the former contains probably the widest diet chart with rodents, insects, small mammals, berries and grains. Crows prefer invertebrates along with human-disposed food, fish and different types of nuts.
Blackbirds hold ground beetles as favorites. Additionally, berries and seeds satisfy their hunger almost as much as other insects. Out of the three, ravens are the only predators of smaller species.
Source: @skallywag19
Symbolism
Blackbirds earned their rightful place in symbolic interpretations and across local cultures. Many perceptions place verdicts on seeing these birds in dreams or their impact on real life. Even the cultural representations from Ancient Greek to recent English pieces cherish blackbird presence uniquely.
Ravens have very often been associated with various omens like death or something negative due to their rodent trait and black feathers. Also, mythologies hold them as representatives of Gods from different cultures. In Islam, Judaism and Christianity, raven has been the first species to be released from Noah’s Ark.
Common mythologies believe crows to be connected with death or thievery that extends into mostly negative connotations. Some cultures however see them as positive signs of luck. Seeing four crows together also has sprouted out quite a few interpretations that you can look into should it interest you.
Intelligence
Crows and ravens are considered to be two of the most intelligent avian species. They are capable of competing with even apes or dogs and are known solvers of puzzles. Blackbirds can be compared with dolphins in terms of IQ, but still less smart than the other two.
Vocalization
These birds have their very own and distinct vocal range & calls that can help you to identify the species without even having a proper sighting. If broken into phonetics, raven’s deep resonating croaks can be written down like prruk-prruk-prruk.
Crows are probably the most easily recognizable out of the three because of their highly familiar CaaW!-CaaW!-CaaW! calls. Blackbirds sound somewhat like catbirds due to the cat-like sounds they make. Otherwise, chook, chook or chink-chink are the regular noises they produce.
For your convenience of identification, raven, crow and blackbird’s callings are made audible in this section.
Raven Sound
Crow Sound
Blackbird Sound
The similarities between these three are very basic and only for the ones who don’t pay close attention to their details. For instance, all three are black, they reside in the Northern Hemisphere or even share habitats to some extent.
As all three are passerines, such similarities are bound to exist among themselves like monogamy or year-round residence. But in actuality, the differences are starker and more precise than similarities.
Let’s hold the variations of raven vs crow vs blackbird side by side to make an easy assessment in the quickest possible time!
| Category | Common Raven | American Crow | Common Blackbird |
| Size (average) | 23.5 inches | 18 inches | 10 inches |
| Color | Iridescent black (with dark gray neck patch) | Iridescent black | Shiny black |
| Beak | Black, thicker | Black, less noticeable | Orange, sharp |
| Tail | Wedge-shaped | Longest | Proportionately large |
| Breeding | Starts in February | Starts in early-April | Starts in March |
| Diet | Rodents, small mammals | Insects, food waste, berries | Ground beetle, seeds, berries |
| Nesting Materials | Bones or wires | Sticks | Grasses and leaves |
| Intelligence | Most intelligent | Very intelligent | Sufficiently intelligent |
FAQ
In this section, I’ll answer a few commonly asked questions to further the knowledge-journey on raven vs crow vs blackbird!
Q: Can pet crows or ravens respond to names assigned to them?
Ans: As you’ve already heard, all three birds in question are among some of the smartest. That said, if you name your crow or raven, there’s a good chance they might respond to it given that you’ve trained them well enough.
Q: Do blackbirds, ravens or crows consume grapes?
Ans: A shared diet for these species is their omnivorous trait. Eating berries is a recognized habit for them all, but grape consumption is open to debate and requires further investigation.
Q: Does any of the three birds in the question have a white belly?
Ans: Sadly, neither of these three species have white patches on their bellies. There’s a list of birds that fit the description which you should check out soon!
Thoughts
The argument on raven vs crow vs blackbird reaches an end with this sentence. It’s been quite a fact-rich journey because even the most minor details on the species have been placed in front here.
From this point onward, I believe you’ll be able to easily identify any of these birds even when you only get a glimpse out in the wilderness.
Just make sure to read the differences thoroughly and take notes before heading out for taking pictures with your camera, or simply to sight them with your friends.
It’ll go a long way because these aren’t the only black passerines shaped this way, so isolating three from the lot with distinct knowledge is a good start in my opinion!
Similar Post:
- Grackle vs Starling: Battle of Two Common Passerines
- Crow vs Grackle: Are They Really Similar?
- American crow or fish crow?
Audio Credits: wikimedia
