A Murder of Crows or An Unkindness of Ravens?

Given the spooky nature of this time of the year, you're bound to notice more crows (or are they ravens?) out flying around or stalking your yard. If you ever cared to know which bird was actually hanging about, now you'll be able to tell the different between them.

Crows

• Crows like to travel in larger groups, so you won't likely see them alone or even in pairs together.
• A crow's tail feathers are all the same length, so if you see them spread their tail out, it'll look like a fan.
• Crows make a "cawing" sound.
• Crows are often much smaller than their raven friend.

Ravens

• Ravens like to travel only in pairs, you won't ever see them in groups.
• A raven's tail has longer feathers in the middle, so if you see them spread out their tail, you'll notice that it looks more wedge-shaped.
• A raven makes a low "croaking" sound.
• Ravens are quite large compared to their friend the crow.

So next time that you see black birds flying overhead or looking for worms in your yard, you'll know whether it's a murder or just an unkindness.

(via Audubon)