Assistant conservation evidence officer
Crows, rooks and ravens are all part of the crow family, known as the corvids. The family also includes jackdaws, jays, magpies and choughs. These birds are intelligent, adaptable and able to exploit a wide range of food sources. The smaller members have distinctive features, but crows, rooks and ravens can be trickier to identify. Here are our tips on how to tell them apart.
The hooded crow, Corvus cornix, is the carrion crow’s close relative. Found in northwest Scotland, the Scottish Islands, Isle of Man and Ireland, it was recently recognised as a separate species. It's the same size and shape as a carrion crow but has a grey body with black head and wings.
Appearance: fully black, with black feathers covering the face all the way up to a black beak. Fairly large with a wing span of 93-104cm.
When to see: year-round.
Where to see: primarily England and Wales. Common in both rural and urban areas, from city centres to woods and moorland. It is absent from the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Behaviour: generally quite solitary. This is the corvid you are most likely to see visiting your garden.
Appearance: the key distinguishing feature of a raven Corvus corax is its huge size! Their wingspan is 120-150cm – much larger than crows. They have thick necks with shaggy throat feathers and a thick, black bill.
When to see: year-round, though ravens are much less common than crows and rooks.
Where to see: primarily the west and north, mainly in coastal and upland areas. You’re unlikely to see wild ravens in urban areas.
Behaviour: unlike crows, ravens often gather in flocks. They nest on cliffs, rocky outcrops and large mature trees.
Appearance: similar in size to crows, but their defining feature is bare white/greyish skin at the base of the slender grey bill.
When to see: year-round.
Where to see: common in the UK, often seen feeding in flocks on fields. In springtime, look up at groups of tall trees in farmland and woodland.
Behaviour: a very sociable species so you’re unlikely to see a rook on its own. Rooks build their nests right at the tops of trees, in noisy groups known as rookeries. You are unlikely to miss them!
The Nature’s Calendar project tracks the effects of weather and climate change on wildlife across the UK – its records date all the way back to 1736! Rooks collecting nesting material is one of 150 wildlife events you can record for the project.
Join Nature’s Calendar to record your sightings – every record helps us better understand the effects of weather and climate change on our wildlife. By taking just a few minutes to share what you see, you'll be adding to hundreds of years' worth of important data. We couldn't do this work without you!
Have you seen your first butterfly or swallow of spring? Or your first ripening berry or autumn leaf tint? Let us know what's happening to animals and plants near you and help scientists track the effects of climate change on wildlife.
Join Nature's Calendar
Visiting woods
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Trees woods and wildlife
Find out more about our declining woodland bird populations, and how protecting woodland habitats is more important than ever.
Blog
Charlotte Varela • 10 Apr 2019
