Table of Contents
What is Raven?
The black bird of bad luck is the raven, and it is usually found in North America. In mythology, the raven is a smart bird that speaks and flies. However, it is also a harbinger of death and destruction. Based on their size, ravens have bigger head and tail measurements of 24 to 27 inches and wingspans of 3.5 to 4 inches.
When people find something, they did not know they had, they will attribute that item with good luck. Therefore, the raven is good luck because of its black feathers and blood-red eyes. It is also used in religious ceremonies such as weddings where it signifies death and rebirth.
Ravens are typically easy to recognize. These feathered fighters always know how much dramatic flair they need while confronting another bird or larger animal, thus they prefer something more substantial over the smooth, hair-like characteristics that other songbirds rely on.
The fact that ravens can create tools and use them to solve issues indicates how intelligent they are. Science Magazine claims that ravens organize their activities in advance just like people do. The Native Americans would use the raven’s feathers for flight and its beak for hunting purposes. They would also eat the bird’s flesh to survive in icy regions.
What is Crow?
The crow is a black bird that is found worldwide. It is also a symbol of doom and ill omen. In addition, crows are noisy and gregarious birds. They are known to be mean and can cause serious damage to crop and property. In contrast to the raven, the crow has a short bill with no tuft of hair atop the bill. It also has large eyes that are yellow with a black pupil.
In addition, crows are smaller with a length of 27-35 cm and a weight of 1-1.5 kg. Their plumage has dark feathers with a white belly, crown, wings, and tail tips. The bill is yellowish orange with a hooked tip and they have prominent feet with two toes pointing forward and one backward.
On the other hand, the crow is usually associated with death because it belongs to the avian order of corvids. Many people consider crows to be pests since they damage crops and carry diseases. Some have even killed crows with poison to ensure their food does not become contaminated.
Difference Between Crow and Raven
Both ravens and crows are black birds that are commonly associated with death and ill omen. Both the raven and the crow are native to North America; however, the raven is more common in colder regions while crows inhabit most parts of the continent.
They are also common birds found worldwide that can be aggressive when threatened or agitated. Because of this, people consider them to be bad luck when they find one of these birds. However, those who know more about these birds can see that they can be dangerous when provoked or antagonized.
Although both birds seem black but there are many differences between both birds such as Ravens is bigger in size than crow, Crow is less wise than Raven, both have different wings, the produce different sounds, both birds act differently, and lastly their moves are different.
Comparison Between Crow and Raven
| Comparison | Crow | Raven |
| Feather | Not too shiny, some kinds of lighter marks | Shiny and wet feathers |
| Wings in the sun | Seems like purple with little green wings | Seems like blue or purple color |
| Bill | Smaller and flatter. There is no tuft of hair on the beak. | Bigger, stronger, and more curved. |
| Size | Smaller | Larger |
| Wing | wingspan 32 to 40 inches | wingspan 46 to 54 inches |
| Comparison of life span | 8 years | 30 years |