RiverQuestion of the Month

September 2009

Compiled by Jennifer Robertson, M.Ed.

RiverQuest Education Specialist

 

Question:

What's the difference between a raven and a crow?

 

Answer:

The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is one of the most widespread bird species in Pennsylvania. RiverQuest staff and guests frequently sight crows while cruising the rivers of Pittsburgh. Crows roost in large groups during the winter months but are solitary nesters in the spring. The crow has a varied diet, including but not limited to: fruit, insects, eggs, small mammals, road-kill, mussels and dead fish.

Common Ravens (Corvus corax) are larger than crows and have a wedge-shaped tail and shaggy throat feathers. Ravens are solitary scavengers that are not as widespread as crows. Historically, these birds most often lived in forested wilderness. As their habitat declined, ravens adapted to human presence. They have been known to nest on human made structures and feed in dumpsters and landfills.

In some cultures, the souls of the dead are believed to reside in crows and ravens. For example, tradition holds that King Arthur became a raven after he died. Another myth is that wicked priests and nuns will become ravens and crows, respectively, upon their deaths.

Crows can indicate good or bad luck depending upon their location, behavior, and numbers. Ravens can also be either positive or negative omens. Ravens have a bad reputation due mostly to their historical presence as scavengers on battlefields. Yet it is widely believed that England will fall if the ravens ever vacate the Tower of London.

(Word isn't in yet on what would happen if the Ravens ever vacate Baltimore.)

 

Pondering, weak and weary?

Hold your comments nevermore!  Send them to info@riverquest.org.  Thanks!

 

Sources:

  • McWilliams, Gerald M. and Brauning, Daniel W. (2000). The Birds of Pennsylvania. New York: Cornell University Press, pp. 290-295.
  • Peterson, Roger Tory (1980). Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Birds. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, pp. 206-207.
  • Tate, Peter (2008). Flights of Fancy: Birds in Myth, Legend and Superstition. New York: Delacorte Press, pp. 32-33 & 111-118.
  • Westerfield, Michael J. (1999). Food and feeding habits of the American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos. (Online) Available http://www.crows.net/food.html, September 2009.

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