Recently it was asked in the comments interesting question: What is the difference between a raven and a crow? Perhaps it's just a male and a female? Of course not. These are two completely different species of the Corvidae family from the order Passeriformes. As a matter of fact, such confusion occurs, fortunately, only in the Russian language. For example, in my native Ukrainian, raven is “kruk”, and crow is “crow”. In English the word raven is "raven", and a crow is called "crow".

Even greater confusion occurs when trying to distinguish a raven from a crow by appearance, but knowing some characteristic features, everything is quite simple. It’s worth clarifying right away that there are several types of crows. The most common of them 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). Here you can only find the gray crow, which has gray color body and black wings, head and tail. Thus, it is not difficult to distinguish it from a completely black crow. We are 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 a common raven can reach 60 cm, while the black crow is smaller in size - the body length of an adult is up to 50 cm. A raven is noticeably larger than a crow.

Body weight. Adult males of the common crow can weigh 1-1.5 kg, while the black crow can only weigh up to 700 g.

Beak size. The common raven has a much thicker beak than the black crow. Although from afar it is not always noticeable.

Plumage of the crop. Distinctive feature Older individuals of the common raven have elongated craw feathers. They characteristically puff up, resembling a “beard”.

Tail shape. This difference can only be noticed when the bird is flying. The crow's tail is rounded, while the common raven's tail has a wedge-shaped end.

Lifestyle. Black crows often gather in groups, while crows stay alone or in pairs.

Habitat. Ravens can often be found in the city, while the common raven avoids large populated areas and prefers to live in forests.

The crow has a nasal sound similar to the sound "ka!" (you can listen to her voice below).

Audio: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or higher) is required to play this audio. Download latest version. In addition, JavaScript must be enabled in your browser.

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 raven. So, this is in no way a male and a female of the same species, and certainly not a husband and wife.

The difference between a crow and a rook

Some readers may experience next question. “How come we don’t have black crows? After all, they are found everywhere in populated areas, stay 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 is there, where the nostrils are located, it is bare. Due to this, its beak appears lighter, while that of a crow is covered with black feathers.

And finally, watch a funny video about a domestic black crow, which takes care of four-legged pets and feeds them food.

There is a popular misconception that a raven is a male and a crow is a female of the same species. In fact, the raven is not the raven’s “husband” at all. Raven 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 among the most big birds in the family, because most others are inferior in size to representatives of this species. An adult raven sometimes reaches more than 60 centimeters in length and weighs about 1.5 kg!

But large sizes- not the only difference between ravens and other corvids. An important sign The species has a wedge-shaped tail, which gives crows a resemblance to birds of prey, especially in flight. The wingspan of a raven reaches 120 centimeters. The pointed feathers of the crop form a kind of “beard”. The color of the feathers is monochromatic - black, but the plumage of adults becomes shiny and shimmers into 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 living Great Russian language" cites a number of proverbs that characterize the attitude of our ancestors towards this bird: "A raven croaks at a church - to a deceased person in the village; croaks in the hut - to the dead man in the yard”; “Through which the yard the crows flew, cawing, there will be a dead man”; “Every raven should caw on its own head”; “The old raven will not caw in vain”; “Like a raven waiting for blood.” Catholic Church cursed the bird, considering it a product of dark forces. In fact, the most major representative the family does not deserve such bad fame. In the legends of many peoples, ravens are the personification of wisdom. This is a strong, beautiful and smart bird

Crows prefer to live in deserted places, although sometimes they live in small settlements, mostly in rural areas. Occasionally, small populations of ravens are found 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 mountains or forests, sometimes they can be found on the coasts, but 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 be a group of adults.

Crows tend to build their nests higher up, in inaccessible places: on the tops of ancient trees, cliffs or rock ledges. The material for construction is usually thick, durable branches and twigs; soft bedding is provided on the inside. In early spring, bluish-green spotted eggs appear in the nest one at a time, every day or two. In total, from three to seven pieces are usually deposited. Incubation begins when approximately half of the eggs have been laid. Sometimes future parents take turns doing this, but more often the male is busy getting food for himself and his brood mate. The chicks are born after about twenty days, and by summer they have already flown out of the nest, although for a long time need the care of 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 sexual maturity.

As for the raven’s diet, it can rightfully be classified as a feathered orderly: the main “dish” is a variety of carrion. However, the raven is also an avid hunter. Therefore, mice, small birds, their chicks and eggs, and large insects, preferably beetles, are regular additions to the diet. And if it lives near a body of water, the raven also shows itself to be a good fisherman, deftly catching shellfish and small fish.

As for keeping it in the house, you should definitely either choose a small chick or abandon this idea altogether: adult crows cannot be tamed and can bring a lot of trouble to a frivolous “owner”, creating 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 developed bird of the domestic fauna.

The crow will deftly steal shiny things from guests, hunt chickens and ducklings or other small birds, and offend neighbor's dogs and cats, tear up furniture and wallpaper, turn books and clothes into useless pieces, break dishes. At the same time, very soon he will become attached to the person who fed him, so that he will never betray him, completely not recognizing the rest of humanity. There are cases when tamed crows tried to help if the owner became ill, and even died of grief on the same day as their loved one.

In nature, adult crows make rather monotonous sounds, by which they can be easily distinguished from other birds: “Crook.” Young people more often pronounce this unfinished “kar”: “Kaa”. But raven chicks quickly learn human speech, pronouncing words clearly and clearly. Moreover, their level of intelligence allows them to use words and phrases strictly for their intended purpose, turning the bird into a real interlocutor. The raven will be able to communicate its needs (“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 tends to leave father's house and gain independence. However awkward age passes, the raven 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 in our fauna can compare with the raven in intelligence. He can decide complex tasks that life puts before him. A raven can easily distinguish a hunter from other people, a man from a woman, whom he is less wary of.

You can feed a raven almost everything that a person can eat.

More powerful than the carrion crow, big-headed, with a strong, wide beak, the raven is almost twice its size. The weight of an adult male reaches 1.5 kg, while the black crow rarely reaches 700 grams.

The plumage of a raven is blue-black, bright and shiny; it is from this color that the color of the raven’s wing appeared.

Different black color!

And the color of the crow, although black, is not so intense and bright.

Older crows develop long, bristling feathers on their throats that look like a so-called “beard.”

The tail of a black crow is rounded, while that of a raven is wedge-shaped; it is especially easy to see such a detail in a flying bird. By the way, the flight of these birds is also different. The raven can hover in the air for a long time, this feature helps it in finding food, and can perform aerobatics. And the black crow, when jumping from a place, mainly uses flapping flight.

It is very easy to distinguish these birds by their habits. Crows prefer solitude, but the black crow is a flocking bird and loves the company of its own kind.

Similarities between a raven and a black crow

Both birds are omnivores, their main food is, of course, carrion, but they do not disdain anything. Fish, worms, seeds, berries, bird eggs and small mammals. Both of them can hunt other birds and small animals, for example, hares, arctic foxes and foxes, only the raven hunts alone, and the black crows drive prey in a flock.

How long do crows and crows live?

In the wild, the lifespan of both a raven and a crow is approximately the same.

The black crow lives no more than 10 years, and the black raven lives approximately 10-15. In captivity, the latter live much longer; there are cases when tamed birds lived for more than 70 years. Obviously, this is where the belief about the legendary long life of ravens came from.

Keeping at home

The raven is considered one of the smartest birds and, according to scientists, has intelligence at the level of an ape. It is easily tamed at a young age and, having chosen one owner, remains devoted to him for life. Thanks to the tendency to imitate, some owners managed to teach their pet to pronounce individual words. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for a raven to create suitable living conditions at home, so this bird is rarely seen as a pet.

You rarely see a crow in the house!

A crow is rarely brought into an apartment deliberately. This usually happens when a bird is injured and can no longer live without human help.

If the bird is mature and wild, then taming it takes a lot of work and patience. But if you succeed, you will get a cunning and resourceful, but very difficult pet. If you do not have the opportunity to keep a selected bird at home, try to give it into the hands of lovers, who can easily be found on forums and social networks; sometimes zoos and youth clubs take injured birds. As you understand, a raven and a crow are different birds, although very similar!

Among the representatives of the earth's fauna there are a wide variety of representatives: some of them are very cute, others cause disgust or bewilderment; some are timid and even shy, others, on the contrary, are scandalous and noisy; some are rare, endangered species, others are common on almost all continents and are known to everyone.

The life and habits of “our little brothers” are described in many books and television programs, but very often it is not some rare, almost fantastic exotics that are more unexpected, but our closest neighbors. Here they are - they live nearby, “nearby”, and we usually ignore them.

Why? Probably because it seems to us that we have already learned almost everything about nature and its inhabitants that surround us. Why then and even now few people know that the raven is not at all the “husband of the crow”, but separate species birds, which includes females and males? Previously, I was also mistaken until I found out this question for myself in a little more detail.

So, the black raven and the crow are different birds, and belong to the corvid family of the passerines. Although many of us do not distinguish between these birds, which at first glance are very similar to each other.

The raven is the largest representative of the corvid family of the passerines, its length reaches 70 cm, and its body weight reaches 1.5 kg. This bird is distinguished by its blue-black plumage, thick, slightly bent cone-shaped beak, long wings and tail medium length. There are now 65 known species of ravens, which are distributed almost everywhere. to the globe except New Zealand and South America. They live in forests, steppes, mountains and deserts.

In winter, birds live in flocks in landfills near cities. Nests are built on trees, rocks, coastal cliffs and tall buildings. The same nesting site is occupied from generation to generation.

The crow is smaller in size than the raven. Mainly distributed in Russia hoodie. She has a black head and tail, and her body is smoky gray. The hooded crow lives in Northern Europe, North America, throughout Scandinavia and even beyond the Arctic Circle. On the territory of the former Soviet Union The hooded crow is widespread up to the Yenisei, beyond which the domain of black crows begins.

Crows, our closest neighbors, are well adapted to survive in urban environments. They are not afraid of street noise, noisy human bustle, or polluted habitats. These are omnivorous birds: in forests they feed on rodents, insects, carrion, in cities they pick up leftover food near human habitation, in landfills and garbage dumps.

It should be noted that we see crows all year round, however, some are mistaken in believing that these are the same individuals. When scientists first started ringing crows, it turned out that Moscow birds winter near Kiev and Kharkov, St. Petersburg birds near Paris, Murmansk birds near St. Petersburg, and Arkhangelsk crows visit the Moscow region in winter. In the spring they return to their native lands and renew old nests.

When the first rays of the sun begin to warm up in the spring, on poplars and willows, where crows have chosen to build their nests, work begins to boil under loud croaking, which drowns out all surrounding sounds. Birds are busy in their houses, completing their construction and laying them with new branches, lining the bottom with moss, feathers, and dry grass. All these are undeniable signs of spring, from which human hearts rejoice, even despite the fact that the voices of these birds are harsh and tuneless.

As already noted, a crow is half the size of a raven, and it lives half as long. It is believed that Ravens live for 300 years, but their real life expectancy is much less. According to scientists, in wildlife these birds live up to 10-15 years. However, at home with proper care and favorable conditions lifespan can double or even triple.

The Carrion Crow is a mighty bird that nests in trees deep in the forests. Crows live exclusively in pairs. These birds are distinguished by great devotion and fidelity to their mate. They often sit huddled close to each other and fly side by side, as if connected by the threads of crow love.

Black crows are very hardy birds, they have sharp vision, excellent hearing and keen sense of smell. These qualities make them accurate hunters of rodents and small game. And the fact that they can withstand both heat and cold equally well makes it possible for them to settle in the north, in the tropics, deserts, on plateaus at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters above sea level and in other places.

Crows in myths and legends of the peoples of the world

Crows and ravens are recognized as the most highly developed among other birds. They are distinguished by rare intelligence and dexterity. In some countries, these birds are protected by law.

However, despite all the advantages of these birds, their image in folklore is associated with dark forces. In particular, the black raven is often mentioned in folk legends and fairy tales, where it is necessary to resurrect a murdered young man with the help of dead and living water, which this bird most often brings.

The fact that the raven readily feeds on carrion has given reason for many centuries to consider it a harbinger of death, associated with bloodshed, violence and war. During times Kievan Rus flocks of these birds were perceived as harbingers of a Tatar raid.

And to this day people say: “If a raven croaks over a house where a sick person lies, it is a bad omen.” And historians also know this fact. When Alexander the Great entered Babylon, a great flock of ravens accompanied his army. And only after Alexander died did it become clear to everyone why the crows appeared at that particular time and in such large numbers.

It should be noted that the ancient Greeks greatly revered the raven. They considered it a sacred bird accompanying Apollo, the patron of the augurs. According to the latter, this bird has supernatural powers and can predict the future.

The Scandinavians dedicated the raven to the god Odin. It was believed that Odin has two ravens, which he sends every morning to collect information about what has happened in the world. In the evening they return and whisper to him what they learned. And according to legend, the raven was once white, but because of his talkativeness he was painted black.

In Tibet, the raven is considered a symbol of mediation between heaven and earth. He has long been revered there through sacrifices.

In Russian folklore, the raven is considered a bird: “The old raven will not caw by.” There are many different beliefs in the East and West that this bird has the gift of magic, prophecy, and the ability to predict weather changes and death.

In the old days, superstitious people listened every morning to how many times a crow would caw. Depending on whether this number is even or not, the weather was predicted. According to folk beliefs about sorcerers and witches among the Slavs, crows were their faithful assistants.

Is a raven better than a parrot?

It has been noticed that the raven can imitate human speech, and therefore is perceived as a messenger who can speak the language of people. And since the color of his plumage is black, and his voice itself is considered dissonant, it is associated exclusively with bad news, although true.

Crows are considered very smart birds: They quickly learn to understand a person and easily obey her orders. If they are captured young, they quickly learn them by repeating incoherent words.

Some may argue that many birds are known, in particular magpies, starlings, and parrots that perfectly imitate human speech. However, crows' imitation of human voices in terms of clarity of word pronunciation is very high and even better than that of parrots.

And the crows that now live in the courtyards on Yaroslavov Val also know how to speak and entertain people with their dialogues! Vocabulary crows have a very large one - up to 30-40 words. Raised by humans from chicks, crows become extremely loyal to them. This is confirmed by many testimonies of people who kept these birds in their homes. Having become accustomed to their owners, they may even try to protect them, showing aggression towards to strangers or animals.

Of course, you shouldn’t specifically catch crows for home care, but if fate gives you a chick with a broken wing or a little crow that has fallen out of the nest, then raise it with love. The bird will grow big, beautiful, strong over the summer and will be a very loyal raven to you.

There will be no problems with food for him, since crows are unpretentious and omnivorous. Of course, representatives of the corvid family should be fed as varied as possible: pieces of meat, fish, poultry, bread, cheese, steamed grain, and the like. However, it is worth adhering to certain rules and requirements:

Chicken eggs should be added to the diet once every 1-2 days;
- chicks need to be given minced meat;
- Do not feed birds spicy, salty or fried foods.

Regarding the living conditions, the cage should be spacious, because crows love freedom, so they will not survive in a parrot cage. It’s even better to do without a cage at all, using an aviary, which is much more spacious. Or after the bird gets used to it a little, leave the cage open, allowing him free movement.

So, if you do everything right, care for and love your winged guest, then the reward for you and your family will be the mischievous sparkle of the black-blue beads of his eyes and the devotion of the bird that will never leave you.

In Russian, a black bird with a black beak is denoted by the same word. Because of this, confusion arises with bird species. Raven and crow are completely different birds, although they belong to the same genus of ravens (Corvus). They are different external features and behavior. Let's take a closer look at both birds. Let's start with the black raven.

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 weight of males is up to 1,560 grams, of females - up to 1,315. The wingspan is up to 120 cm.

This is a black bird with a black beak. The plumage is of a single color: it is black and has a greenish or bluish tint. Young birds have no low tide. Small feathers at the base are grayish. The beak is very strong and pointed. The claws are powerful and curved. The tail is wedge-shaped, 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. The raven's habitats are forests, mountains, and coasts.

Features of behavior

The raven is considered a rare living creature. It is possible to meet a raven in any season. IN winter period it appears near a person’s home, in garbage dumps. By nature, the raven is distrustful and prudent. He moves well on the ground. Before flying, the bird jumps several times. In captivity, they live from 15 to 70 years.

Crows do not live in the same territories every time. Some individuals fly away for the winter. In Turkmenistan, after the appearance of young animals, the number of flock members is 40-70 individuals; in the Caucasus in winter, flocks are smaller - 10-12 individuals. Birds migrate to distances of up to 200 km. During nesting, crows can fly impressive distances - to the shores of seas and rivers, to the foothills.

Birds form nests in forest areas, avoiding taiga areas. In treeless areas, rocks and coastal cliffs are developed. Nests are placed in trees: linden, oak, spruce, and in mountainous areas - at heights.

Food

The raven is not selective in its diet and 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 shores of seas and rivers. Raven collects:

• the bodies of dead animals are carrion;
• moles, shrews;
• rodents;
• bird eggs and chicks;
• fish;
• bugs, mollusks, insects.

Nesting

Crows are considered to have reached sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Birds create unbreakable pairs. Nesting territories occupy 3-4 km, and sometimes up to 10. The locations do not change. If a nest has been destroyed, the raven forms another in the same area.

A couple usually creates two nests and uses 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 male and female build a new nest together. It is placed on the tops of 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 human habitation. Nesting structures are located on towers, temple belfries, and on the roofs of buildings.

The nest is constructed in the stem forks of trees. The nest itself is made of strong branches, and wool is used as flooring. Egg laying begins in mid-February. How territory to the north, the later the laying begins.

The number of eggs laid is 4-6, sometimes up to 7. The interval between clutches is 1-2 days. Egg size - 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 to the chicks. The chicks fly out in mid-May. After this, they live with their parents for a long time; mortality among young individuals is very high. Grown-up chicks leave adult birds only in the fall.

Legends and stories

According to biblical tradition, previously this black bird with long beak was white. The color changed as 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 it 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.

In the fairy tales of the ancient Slavs, Voron Voronovich appears. It is he who brings living and dead water.

In England it was believed that the monarchy would collapse with the departure of the ravens. For this reason, Churchill ordered birds to be fed during the war so that people would not worry.

In Stalin's times, NKVD cars were black, which is why they were called “voronok”.

This is the basic information about the crow. Let's move on to the description of the black crow.

General information

This 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. There are many known species of this bird.

Carrion crows are divided into four main subspecies:

• gray;
• eastern gray;
• black;
• eastern black.

The settlement territories of these birds often mix, as a result of which new species of crows appear. We will consider the description of the bird further.

External data

The carrion 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 clearly visible when hit sun rays to the 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 is more modest in size. Its body length is 48-52 cm. It weighs 700 grams.

Features of behavior

The crow is a pair-bonding bird. IN winter time can form flocks and occupy the nests of other birds. They often find their food in the same habitat as rooks and magpies.

The crow makes characteristic sounds. You can easily recognize this bird by its voice. Its voice has one timbre, the bird emits a cry “k-r-a-a”. Sitting on upper level tree, the crow behaves noisily because it caws many times without stopping, forming only short pauses.

Sometimes the croaking lasts for hours. At intervals the bird changes its location. The flapping of her wings is leisurely, there is no rush or fuss in her flight.

The carrion 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 garbage dumps near human houses. However, having found better products than ordinary garbage, he will prefer them. There are cases where city crows easily stole food from stores during unloading.

Offspring

Crows begin breeding when they reach the age of two years. Birds make couples. Nests are built from durable branches and placed on the tops of buildings or treetops.

In places where there are no people, 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 family's nutrition. After 17-19 days, the 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; they often continue to live with their parents and help feed new generations of chicks.

Interesting stories

The crow is a bird often called the winged rat for its intelligence and courage.

When feeding the chicks, adult females pre-soak the bread in puddles.

Crows are able to reproduce the sounds of human speech. Ornithologists say these birds can solve protozoa logical tasks. Birds distinguish between traffic lights. When it's red, they slowly eat carrion on the road. When the signal turns green, they quickly fly away.

Experts recorded the entertainment of crows. The birds, not far from the tennis court, got hold of a ball and began to bounce it around on 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 feast on other people's eggs.

In nature, the bird lives 10-60 years.

So, how do these birds differ?

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 waves often and easily. Her flight is faster.
• Start of flight. The raven begins its flight by jumping, and the crow takes off immediately.
• Various sounds made. The raven croaks and the crow clicks.
• Raven intelligence. This bird is considered very smart and developed, its level of intelligence is not inferior to primates.

External differences

In appearance, it is difficult to confuse the two species of these birds. A raven is a 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 varies. The raven has pure black feathers, while the raven has black and gray feathers.

The shape of a raven's tail is wedge-shaped, while that of a crow is rounded.

The raven's crop has shaggy plumage, while the crow has no plumage there at all.

Lifestyle Differences

Many differences can be noticed in the lifestyle. A raven, having reached adulthood, finds a mate to whom it remains faithful throughout its 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 he and the female use in turn for a period of time. many years. Migration of the crow family occurs rarely, only when real threat. The nests of these birds are located high up, making them almost impossible for humans to find. 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 populated areas. The crow's behavior in the city indicates that the birds are well adapted to such living conditions. You can notice the lack of fearfulness and their reserved caution.

Birds can distinguish between people. They observe who is approaching them, are able to critically assess the situation and structure their behavior. Depending on the situation, the bird either flies away or continues to watch the person.

When united in flocks, birds become aggressive. They can attack animals - cats and dogs. In a flock, birds closely monitor the behavior of its members. If someone shows concern, the pack will respond responsively.

Crows like to gather in flocks, and they join groups of rooks and jackdaws. In autumn, such flocks move vast distances. The raven does not join flocks - it makes all flights alone.

The chicks also vary. The raven's chicks are large, and a month after hatching they are practically no different from adults. They leave their parents' nests early. Crows have much smaller chicks; they are in no hurry to leave their parents.

Other differences

In addition to those listed earlier, there are other differences:

• The raven lives in subtropical and temperate lands climatic conditions in Eurasia and North America. The crow lives in Eurasia and Northeast Africa. This is the significant difference. Crows have a much more modest habitat.
• Lifespan. The life span of a raven is much longer than that of a crow. Average term life of the last one is 8 years. There are legends about the life of a raven, according to which they can live up to 300 years.
• The crow is not embarrassed by the proximity of a person. She calmly settles in cities. Raven is used to living alone or in pairs.

Are there any common features?

Despite many differences, there are also general signs, uniting these black birds with a black beak. Here they are:

• Both of them feed on carrion, performing a sanitary function. Both species of birds are omnivores and do not disdain any food.
• Both of them have developed intellect. Both species of birds have their own language, they are capable of logical thinking, 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.