Are they Crows or Ravens?

22/7/2011

Thanks to everyone who has sent me their comments on whether Manly has Crows or Ravens. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the post (still learning the technology!) so invite you to add your comment here.
For those who are new to the conversation, here is what I asked:
"The recent sighting of 'crows' attacking a little penguin near Manly Wharf and then subsequent sighting of a 'crow' poking around the rocks where they nest at Federation Point has raised the issue. Are they crows or ravens? It seems they are ravens. Does anyone know?"

3 Comments

Simon Balderstone

22/7/2011 03:30:58 am

Candy,
The main differences between crows and ravens?
• Ravens have a patch of long loose ragged-looking feathers on the throat (as shown in your photo) . Crows do not.(Also , the bases of a crow’s body feathers are white, whereas a raven’s are grey)
• Ravens utter a deep “slow” (drawn-out) call; ravens a series of short notes.
• Distribution : Ravens are common in all Australian states (and including Sydney area) except Tasmania. Crows mainly inhabit northern Australia, extending south to northern NSW and northern S.A.
• In view of the above, the birds attacking a little penguin near Manly Wharf were almost certainly ravens.
(Just to confuse the issue , the raven is the largest member of the “corvus” (crow) family in Australia.
Cheers,
Simon Balderstone.

R Barnes

16/12/2014 11:39:49 am

Your statement that "Ravens are common in all Australian states (and including Sydney area) except Tasmania" is incorrect.
Tasmania only has Ravens, those being the Forest Raven and the Little Raven. We do not have Crows. The Currawong is often confused by some for a Raven and Ravens for Currawongs but the bright yellow eye in the Black and Grey Currawong along with white wing and tail tips are also identifying give-aways.

Hannah

30/9/2014 01:10:19 pm

Just to add a bit, ( I'm just learning myself) but here in Tasmania we only have ravens (so I have just learnt).
Good luck.

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