Crow or Raven hangin around....

[Chicks Galore3]

I've had a couple of big black birds (not vultures) Hanging around in the trees near the coop, and now by the road. They seem to be eating something near the road. How do you tell if it is a Crow or Raven? Will one or both eat chickens?

 

[redsoxs]

I am certainly not the expert in a crow-raven debate but this is what I understand. Crows are more of an Eastern and Central U.S. bird, and ravens in the West. Raven are bigger than crows. I would think the biggest risk would be to young or baby birds and most especially eggs. A well-timed shotgun blast into the air might send them packing as (crows at least) seem quite shy around people.

 

[aart]

Actually crows might help keep hawks away. I think they are mostly detrivores, they eat dead things

Can you get a pic?

Maybe this will help

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-a-raven-and-a-crow.htm#slideshow

 

[jdywntr]

Here is some info http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/crowfaq.htm


They can go after eggs and babies but adults should be fine. The ones here keep the hawks in check so I don't do a thing to scare the crows away. I keep egg laying confined to nestboxes and I keep babies inside for a week or so with their moms.

 

[countrygirl74]

This is good information to know... I just asked about ravens in another thread somewhere. I definitely have ravens - ravens can be pretty massive birds. They do keep the hawks away around here, of which we have a lot of! All of a sudden, however, the ravens have taken an interest in my birds and they hadn't before. They have been landing on top of the run. My ducks are pretty much full-grown and my chickens are almost there, but I do have a couple little silkies. Since silkies are small, do you think they would go after them? They are safe in the run but I do let them out for supervised free-ranging. Are ravens brave enough to come after a silkie while I am in the yard with them? I am concerned too that they might be stressing out my birds and I definitely am waiting for my first eggs!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm in New England, US. We have both crows and ravens. Their behavior and diet are the same. The raven is much larger than a crow. I don't know what birds you have but say a crow is slightly bigger than the size of blue jays or black billed magpies or robins.

They both are omnivores but only eat dead animals. Hence the term for a flock of crows is a murder.

 

[animallover505]

We have a pair of crows that hang around our house. I rarely see a hawk, and before they moved in I saw hawks all the time.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Thank you bunches everybody! I will try and get some pics up soon.