Raven vs. Crow

Main Difference

The main difference between Raven and Crow is that the Raven is a common name of several birds and Crow is a bird.

• Raven

  A raven is one of several larger-bodied species of the genus Corvus. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus.

  There is no consistent distinction between “crows” and “ravens”, and these appellations have been assigned to different species chiefly on the basis of their size, crows generally being smaller than ravens.

  The largest raven species are the common raven and the thick-billed raven.

• Crow

  A crow is a bird of the genus Corvus, or more broadly a synonym for all of Corvus. The term “crow” is used as part of the common name of many species. Species with the word “crow” in their common name include:

  Corvus albus – pied crow (Central African coasts to southern Africa)

  Corvus bennetti – little crow (Australia)

  Corvus brachyrhynchos – American crow (United States, southern Canada, northern Mexico)

  Corvus capensis – Cape crow or Cape rook (Eastern and southern Africa)

  Corvus caurinus – northwestern crow (Olympic peninsula to southwest Alaska)

  Corvus cornix – hooded crow (Northern and Eastern Europe and Northern Africa)

  Corvus corone – carrion crow (Europe and eastern Asia)

  Corvus edithae – Somali crow (eastern Africa)

  Corvus enca – slender-billed crow (Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia)

  Corvus florensis – Flores crow (Flores Island)

  Corvus fuscicapillus – brown-headed crow (New Guinea)

  Corvus hawaiiensis (formerly C. tropicus) – Hawaiian crow (Hawaii)

  Corvus imparatus – Tamaulipas crow (Gulf of Mexico coast)

  Corvus insularis – Bismarck crow (Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea)

  Corvus jamaicensis – Jamaican crow (Jamaica)

  Corvus kubaryi – Mariana crow or aga (Guam, Rota)

  Corvus leucognaphalus – white-necked crow (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico)

  Corvus macrorhynchos – jungle crow (Eastern Asia, Himalayas, Philippines)

  Corvus macrorhynchos macrorhynchos – large-billed crow

  Corvus macrorhynchos levaillantii – eastern jungle crow (India, Burma)

  Corvus macrorhynchos culminatus – Indian jungle crow

  Corvus meeki – Bougainville crow or Solomon Islands crow (Northern Solomon Islands)

  Corvus moneduloides – New Caledonian crow (New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands)

  Corvus nasicus – Cuban crow (Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, Grand Caicos Island)

  Corvus orru – Torresian crow or Australian crow (Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands)

  Corvus ossifragus – fish crow (Southeastern U.S. coast)

  Corvus palmarum – palm crow (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic)

  Corvus ruficolis edithae – Somali crow or dwarf raven (Northeast Africa)

  Corvus sinaloae – Sinaloan crow (Pacific coast from Sonora to Colima)

  Corvus splendens – house crow or Indian house crow (Indian subcontinent, Middle East, east Africa)

  Corvus torquatus – collared crow (Eastern China, south into Vietnam)

  Corvus tristis – grey crow or Bare-faced crow (New Guinea and neighboring islands)

  Corvus typicus – piping crow or Celebes pied crow (Sulawesi, Muna, Butung)

  Corvus unicolor – Banggai crow (Banggai Island)

  Corvus validus – long-billed crow (Northern Moluccas)

  Corvus violaceus – violet crow (Seram) – recent split from slender-billed crow

  Corvus woodfordi – white-billed crow or Solomon Islands crow (Southern Solomon Islands)