Mobile bird identification
Adult Male and Female
The Raven is the worlds largest Crow, a heavy powerful completely black bird with large bill and rough feathers around the neck. In flight it has a distinctive diamond shaped tail and long fingered eagle like wing tips.
Raven
Corvus corax
Thanks to:https://www.flickr.com/photos/42244964@N03/ (Modified)
Distribution:
Resident common breeder across most of Europe. Adults stay within their territory.
Habitat:
The Raven is not fond of lowland areas and prefers higher regions and coastal cliffs, however they do appear almost anywhere. They mostly nest on cliffs and crags but occasionally on buildings.
Notes:
The Raven is a bird surrounded by superstition and folklore, largely due to their liking for human flesh on ancient battlefields and at gallows. It is easy to confuse it with a Carrion Crow when the bird is at a distance and size cannot be established, however at closer distances it cannot be mistaken due to it's sheer size alone. The Raven has a large vocabulary and research has established that it is actually capable of communicating to other Ravens about where a food source can be found, which is usually carrion.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Species: C. corax
Raven feeding on carrion
Thanks to:https://www.flickr.com/photos/invvigren/ (Modified)
Diamond shaped tail in flight
Thick powerful bill
Long tail
Rough throat feathers
Eagle like fingered wing tips
Note the long powerful neck and bill with rough feathers around the throat area.
The Raven in flight is distinguished from other crows by the diamond shaped tail, long neck and long eagle like wings. The Raven is a master of the wind currents soaring for hours often in small family groups.
Crow comparison
Raven
Carrion Crow
Rook
Jackdaw
Diamond tail, fingered wings, long neck, largest crow.
Square tail, medium size, short neck.
Round tail, pointed wings, medium size, pointed bill.
Greyish colour, small size, short wings.
Hooded Crow
Square tail, medium size, short neck, grey body.