If it is black and roughly crow-sized, people call it a crow. But there are at least 11 common species that get confused with the American Crow - and telling them apart is easier than you think.
Quick Comparison
| Bird | Size vs Crow | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Common Raven | Much larger | Wedge-shaped tail, deep croaking call, heavier bill |
| Chihuahuan Raven | Slightly larger | Nasal “pruk” call. SW United States and Mexico only. |
| Common Grackle | Slightly smaller | Iridescent purple/bronze sheen. Long keel-shaped tail. Yellow eyes. |
| European Starling | Much smaller | Iridescent with white speckles (winter). Short tail. Murmurations. |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Much smaller | Males have red and yellow shoulder patches. Marsh habitat. |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Much smaller | Males have brown head on black body. Brood parasite. |
| Western Jackdaw | Smaller | Pale blue-grey eyes. Grey nape. Europe and Asia. |
| Western Rook | Similar size | Bare pale face at bill base. More social than crows. Europe. |
| Black-billed Magpie | Similar length | Black and white with very long tail. Iridescent green/blue. |
| Alpine Chough | Smaller | Bright red bill, red legs. Alpine mountains. Europe/Asia. |
| Pied Currawong | Similar size | White patches on wings and tail base. Australia only. |
Crow vs Raven: The Big One
The Common Raven is the bird most often confused with crows, and the most important to learn to distinguish.
| Feature | American Crow | Common Raven |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 40-50cm | 55-70cm (noticeably larger) |
| Bill | Slim, straight | Heavy, curved |
| Tail in flight | Fan-shaped (rounded) | Wedge-shaped (diamond) |
| Call | ”Caw caw” | Deep, throaty “cronk” |
| Flight style | Steady flapping | Soars and glides, acrobatic |
| Social behaviour | Flocks | Often solitary or paired |
If the black bird is soaring and gliding like a hawk with a wedge-shaped tail, it is a raven. If it is flapping steadily in a group and cawing, it is a crow.
Grackles and Starlings
These are the most common backyard “crows” that are not actually crows.
Common Grackles are iridescent black with a purple or bronze sheen that flashes in sunlight. They have bright yellow eyes and long, keel-shaped tails. They are smaller than crows but bolder at feeders.
European Starlings are much smaller than crows, covered in white speckles in winter that wear off by spring. They are the birds that form massive swirling murmurations at dusk. Up close, their plumage has an oil-slick iridescence.
The easiest way to tell crows from other black birds: look at the tail. Crows have a fan-shaped tail. Ravens have a wedge. Grackles have a long keel. Starlings have a short, stubby tail. Magpies have an absurdly long one.
Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds are much smaller than crows but get called “crows” by people who see any black bird. Red-winged Blackbirds are obvious - males have bright red and yellow shoulder patches and live in marshes. Cowbirds are smaller with a distinctive brown head (males) and are notorious brood parasites, laying eggs in other birds’ nests.
