This is Bird Note.

So you're walking down the street, and a trash can has been tipped over, and eagerly

picking through the riches strewn across the sidewalk are several black birds.

They're crows, or ravens, not definitely crows.

Maybe?

How can you tell the difference?

Well first off, listen, crows call, while ravens croak.

And while common ravens and American crows look quite similar, there are a few ways to

tell them apart.

Ravens are larger, and they often travel in pairs.

Crows usually hang out in larger groups.

Next, try to get a look at the bird's tail.

A crows tail feathers are basically all the same length, so its tail opens like a fan.

But a raven has longer middle feathers in its tail, so it looks more like a wedge or

a triangle.

By far though, the best way to tell these two birds apart is to look at their bills.

The crow has a modest bill, but the raven has a great big chunky looking beak that pretty

much says, yeah that's right, I'm a raven.

Ravens tend to stick to the wilder parts of the world, like woodlands and open spaces.

But when you're walking past those trash cans, you're probably seeing crows.

For bird's note, I'm Michael Stein.