26 replies to this topic

[QuiteContrary]

Abramelin, on 19 February 2013 - 03:57 PM, said:

I don't know people, but I am getting the feeling some here confuse normal ravens for large crows.

About the "two feet" size

The smallest corvid is the Dwarf Jay (Aphelocoma nana), at 41 g (1.4 oz) and 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). The largest corvids are the Common Raven (Corvus corax) and the Thick-billed Raven (Corvus crassirostris), both of which regularly exceed 1400 grams (3 lbs) and 65 cm (26 inches).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvidae

The Golden Eagle is a large, dark brown raptor with broad wings. Its size is variable: it ranges from 66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in) in length and it has a typical wingspan of 1.8 to 2.34 m (5.9 to 7.7 ft). In the largest race (A. c. daphanea) males and females weigh 4.05 kg (8.9 lb) and 6.35 kg (14.0 lb).

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Golden_Eagle

So a regular sized common raven is as large as the smallest of Golden Eagles (Japanese Golden Eagles).

But this is what I quoted: "enormous ravens bigger than golden eagles", and obvioulsy the Golden Eagle they compared it with is the North American one.

.

My mom's huge crows were suburban social creatures that visited regularly in a group (murder) to her birdbath to drink. I thought ravens were more carrion eating, wilderness areas and less social. And they "cawed", even if they may look terribly similar to the untrained eye, do they sound the same? I know crow sounds.

I've seen my husbands pictures of ravens, they don't look that similar to me to crows. Heavier bodied, not so sleek. I don't see confusing the two.
But can I be 100% certain, no, probably not.

Edited by QuiteContrary, 19 February 2013 - 08:02 PM.

[rashore]

Some calls for comparisons....

Raven calls: http://www.allaboutb...on_raven/sounds
American Crow calls: http://www.allaboutb...can_Crow/sounds

[Abramelin]

QuiteContrary, on 19 February 2013 - 07:59 PM, said:

My mom's huge crows were suburban social creatures that visited in groups (murder). I thought ravens were more carrion eating, wilderness areas and less social. And they "cawed", even if they may look terribly similar to the untrained eye, do they sound the same? I know crow sounds.

Ravens are VERY social, but won't show up in large groups in urbanized areas. They prefer to stay away from cities and large groups of humans, as far as I know.

But when you say they 'cawed', then yes, it must have been crows. Ravens don't caw, but they do make lots of weird sounds. In general, they 'quork'..

Now I am getting really curious. Can you (or anyone) show a photo of these crows?

[Abramelin]

rashore, on 19 February 2013 - 08:02 PM, said:

Some calls for comparisons....

Raven calls: http://www.allaboutb...on_raven/sounds
American Crow calls: http://www.allaboutb...can_Crow/sounds

Great !

In general, ravens make more of a "Rrarrarra" sound, plus the quorks.

[QuiteContrary]

Abramelin, on 19 February 2013 - 08:05 PM, said:

Ravens are VERY social, but won't show up in large groups in urbanized areas. They prefer to stay away from cities and large groups of humans, as far as I know.

But when you say they 'cawed', then yes, it must have been crows. Ravens don't caw, but they do make lots of weird sounds. In general, they 'quork'..

Now I am getting really curious. Can you (or anyone) show a photo of these crows?

I talked to my mom last night. I though for sure she had taken photos of these birds. She claims she doesn't think she did, but I told her to look anyway. She's good at keeping photo albums up-to-date. This was 1980-1990.
I'll remind her again next time we talk.

I did check and where she lived borders raven range, but these were crows, I've really no doubt. I like crows and watch them whenever I can. Their sounds, behavior, body type, even beaks, I never thought anything else.
I've never seen any so large in my life.

Edited by QuiteContrary, 19 February 2013 - 08:26 PM.

[QuiteContrary]

QuiteContrary, on 19 February 2013 - 08:26 PM, said:

I talked to my mom last night. I though for sure she had taken photos of these birds. She claims she doesn't think she did, but I told her to look anyway. She's good at keeping photo albums up-to-date. This was 1980-1990.
I'll remind her again next time we talk.

I did check and where she lived borders raven range, but these were crows, I've really no doubt. I like crows and watch them whenever I can. Their sounds, behavior, body type, even beaks, I never thought anything else.
I've never seen any so large in my life.

But were we fooled somehow, idk?

[Spore]

[Nathan DiYorio]

Spore, on 19 February 2013 - 10:05 PM, said:

Are you saying this isn't normal?

[Abramelin]

QuiteContrary, on 19 February 2013 - 08:26 PM, said:

I talked to my mom last night. I though for sure she had taken photos of these birds. She claims she doesn't think she did, but I told her to look anyway. She's good at keeping photo albums up-to-date. This was 1980-1990.
I'll remind her again next time we talk.

I did check and where she lived borders raven range, but these were crows, I've really no doubt. I like crows and watch them whenever I can. Their sounds, behavior, body type, even beaks, I never thought anything else.
I've never seen any so large in my life.

Another 'possibility': they are raven-crow hybrids.

I don't even know if it is possible at all, and I have only heard stories about there being raven-crow hybrids, but never seen one.

+++

EDIT:

This is supposed to be one:



And another one:




But does hybridization also happen in the wild?

,

Edited by Abramelin, 20 February 2013 - 08:39 AM.

[PersonFromPorlock]

Ravens generally come in pairs (mate for life, IIRC) and sound like ancient winos dying of something with nasty pulmonary complications. Crows come in flocks of up to several hundred and 'caw'; a flock of crows will pound the snot out of any raven it can isolate. A 'murder' of crows is the formal name for a flock, and well deserved.

[K_Bonita]

I love crows/ravens...where I used to live out of the city,across the street was a big national park lots of types of animals that lived there would wander across the streets at night. Seen HUGE raccoons,snakes,foxes,deer. The one that stood out the most was the crows they were huge never seen any that big before really I was actually frightened when I came across one.

I guess it was his territory because he would chase away the seagulls or other smaller crows. His wings were long when they were spread. Beautiful though.

[mysticwerewolf]

sounds like the mountain raven. i don't think they are as big as a golden eagle but they are much bigger than the american crow ( that is what my book calls them anyway) i would hazard a guess that they get 18 to 20 inches tall.