Posted by Luke Ormand on October 15, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Ravens are rare in my area - though there is a breeding pair about 30 miles away. I photographed this bird in my front yard on Saturday evening and was surprised at how large it appeared - just about double the grackles that were in my yard. I posted it to the NY Listserve and said I was not 100% but if anyone could confirm please do. Well, I got 1 e-mailer who was condfident it was a Raven and another who was confident it was a Crow, so I ask you, who have a lot more experience than folks around here.
Posted by Richard Ditch on October 15, 2012 at 11:42 AM
My vote is for Crow, but I rarely see them these days.
Posted by Brian Gatlin on October 15, 2012 at 12:57 PM
The tail looks square (outer tail feathers as long as the central ones) which is a pretty strong argument for it being a crow. the bill is perhaps a little on the heavy side, but tough to tell from just one angle, so maybe not. The legs and feet look rather small to me for a raven. I'd go with crow.
Posted by John Tobias on October 15, 2012 at 2:51 PM
My vote is for crow, tail does not seem right for raven. Flight shot would be nice.
Posted by Gary Minish on October 16, 2012 at 2:16 AM
Definitely a raven! I see ravens and crows every day and this one registered raven immediately. The large curved (Roman nose) beak is a dead giveaway. The comment you made about the surprising size of the bird cinches it for me.
Posted by Debbie Yarra on October 16, 2012 at 1:50 PM
I vote for Raven. Because of the beak and shaggy neck. It's hard to see the tail shape from this angle, but the central feather looks a bit longer than the rest which would make it more wedge shaped and the fact that you said it was so large. They are increasing in your area. Very smart amazing birds!!
Posted by Lorna Taylor on October 16, 2012 at 5:51 PM
I am thinking Crow as ,Ravens have more prominent throat feathers, ravens also have larger bills, which tend to be more slightly curved then this appears and their heads tend to be larger.As well as the square tail feather noted by others for crows.
Posted by David Graham on October 17, 2012 at 3:47 AM
I.M.O. several features argue for raven:
1. The greater length and mass of bill than in a crow
2. Prominent rictal bristles ( O.K....focus ain't great, but I think I see 'em!)
3. More prominently and "pointed" dome of head ( rather than the more gentle, lower curve of a crow's head.)
4. Rise of the forehead more steep than in a crow.
Dave Graham, East River, SD
Posted by Luke Ormand on October 17, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Thank you all for your input... I still believe in Raven - mostly because of the incredible size of the bird as it landed on the powerline. I've seen ravens only two other times and they are noticeable larger.
I was told (rudely) by the self-proclaimed "EXPERT in the WORLD on crows" that this is DEFINITEVLY a Crow because there is no way a raven would have a tail shaped like that. This "world expert" is an instructor in the Home Study Course in Bird Biology at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, so surely there is something to be said about his education and position. He admited that the bill is very large, but it's "probably just a male crow". He also scolded me on the dangers of listening to the advice of "non-experts" and that I should give more weight to people who rarely post on the listserv...
Discussion
8 replies1. The greater length and mass of bill than in a crow
2. Prominent rictal bristles ( O.K....focus ain't great, but I think I see 'em!)
3. More prominently and "pointed" dome of head ( rather than the more gentle, lower curve of a crow's head.)
4. Rise of the forehead more steep than in a crow.
Dave Graham, East River, SD
I was told (rudely) by the self-proclaimed "EXPERT in the WORLD on crows" that this is DEFINITEVLY a Crow because there is no way a raven would have a tail shaped like that. This "world expert" is an instructor in the Home Study Course in Bird Biology at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, so surely there is something to be said about his education and position. He admited that the bill is very large, but it's "probably just a male crow". He also scolded me on the dangers of listening to the advice of "non-experts" and that I should give more weight to people who rarely post on the listserv...