Identifying Ravens in the field

[Ringo1968]

What is the easiest way to tell a raven from a crow or a rook in the field? Is it the bill ? I am on the lookout for ravens in Herts and Beds.

[accipter]

Simply size its as big as a buzzard' you also should notice the shape of the tail tapered to a point, and the call if your lucky enough to hear it. have a look out for farmers ploughing the fields good luck Alan.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by Ringo1968

What is the easiest way to tell a raven from a crow or a rook in the field? Is it the bill ? I am on the lookout for ravens in Herts and Beds.

Flight call is the easier way to track them down - a very loud and harsh kronking periodically 3 or 4 times which can be heard some distances away as well as distinctive tail shape which is a short wedge. (Carrion Crows have a slightly wedged tail but not as short or distinctive). If they are on the ground, bill unless you get very good views is not as easy to spot. Also size is difficult to judge on the ground - main difference is wing length between other crow species, which is longer and narrower in shape.

[diggleken]

Hi ringo, welcome to WAB.
As Alan says, the tail stands out as a visual, wedge shaped, plus size of bird, but thats not easy when theres nothing to compare with, so its a question of experience.
However, if you see a couple of birds rolling and tumbling, showing off their aerial prowess in high winds etc, that'll likely be them.
Best of all, listen for the deep cronking noise, its unmistakeable, thats the easy way, they often let you know, from some distance, when theyre about.
Habitat, try mainly near wild rocky places, but they do stray, so can be anywhere, even seen them in the middle of Salford.....................!
Fabulous bird.
Cheers
Ken

[werdnal]

I'd 2nd the size - believe me if you saw one you'd know! We went to the Cheesewring Quarry on Bodmin Moor a couple weeks ago and there was one there patrolling his patch and chasing every other large bird away. The size is the obvious thing, and the call is so distinctive you wouldn't mistake it for anything else. They are also very black if thats not a silly thing to say, and if you get the sun on them, very glossy too.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by werdnal

I'd 2nd the size - believe me if you saw one you'd know!

only if close. At any distance they can look surprisingly crow-sized. You need something to judge them agaibst, such as other corvids. They're about twice the size of a crow or rook.

Flight call is easiest, though beware crows can sometimes mimic it. And rooks have a much more wedge-shaped tail than crows, more raven-shaped, but raven's silhouette is more 'cross-shaped' than other corvids, with a longer neck, tail and longer-tapering wings. Other corvids look more short-necked.