19 February 2026

Crows are legion in Pittsburgh right now but ravens are increasingly common. They present an identification challenge so you have to look closely at flying black birds. Here in Pittsburgh they are usually crows but you might see two ravens. Yesterday I saw a pair outside my window.

Many people think ravens are just “large crows” but this is not a helpful comparison because the two species are rarely close to each other. Don’t look at size at all! Compare Tails and Voice.

Tails: My diagram below shows the difference. Ravens’ tails are long diamond shapes. Crows are rounded.

Look at the tails. Who’s in the photo at top? Who’s in the photo below?

Voice: Both species announce themselves and they definitely sound different. If you hear “Brock Brock” it’s a raven, “Caw Caw” is an American crow. Bonus in Pittsburgh: “Uh oh” is a Fish Crow.

This audio clip from Xeno Canto has both species: a raven in the foreground (Brock! Brock!) and crows cawing in the background.

Ravens also have an amazing vocal repertoire including these unusual sounds when a pair of mated ravens is together.

Pairs of American crows also make special noises to each other. No, they don’t sound like ravens.

Keep in mind that you do not have to identify every bird you see! If Tails and Voice don’t give you a definitive answer, you can just let the bird be “unknown” or “corvid species.” It’s OK.