Corvids: how to identify the crow family

• Big, heavy birds with glossy black plumage 
• Large, blunt, black beak 
• Males, females and juveniles all look similar 
• They tend to be solitary or in pairs, but will also form social groups 
• They fly straight and level, with slow wing beats, often quite close to the ground 

Carrions Crows (usually just referred to as ‘Crows’) are often seen on their own, flying low over fields and gardens, or sitting in trees or on fence posts looking for their next meal. You do also see them in pairs or small groups, and like most corvids, they become a bit more sociable in winter, even joining mixed flocks of Rooks and Jackdaws. They’re opportunistic birds and have a broad diet, eating everything from scraps on city streets, to seeds and fruits, carrion (hence their name), eggs and young birds. They will visit garden feeders, most often making nervous hit-and-run raids on open bird tables.  

Crows build their stick nests in a variety of locations, including on buildings, cliffs, pylons and trees. They tend to be more secretive about their nests than Rooks or Magpies. 

All year round 

Crows are really adaptable and can thrive in many different habitats. They could turn up anywhere from big cities to the seaside. You’ll also spot them on farmland, moorland, woodland and in suburban gardens. They’re widespread across the UK, except in the north and west of Scotland, and Ireland, where they’re largely replaced by the distinctive grey and black Hooded Crow. Hooded Crows and Carrion Crows do sometimes interbreed resulting in interesting colour variations along the borders of their range. 

• Rooks are also big, heavy birds with black plumage, but they have a purple sheen to their feathers in bright sunshine 
• Adults have a pale grey beak with a distinctive patch of grey skin at the base 
• In juveniles, the beak is all black, so they look more like Crows 
• The beak is longer and looks pointier than a Crow’s 
• Rooks tend to appear dishevelled with ruffled plumage and feathered ‘pantaloons’ on their legs 
• In flight, their tail looks slightly wedge-shaped 
• They’re sociable – nesting, roosting and feeding together all year 

Rooks are sociable birds and spend much of the year together in big groups, feeding, roosting and even nesting in close quarters. This behaviour can be a useful distinguishing feature for Rooks and Crows, particularly in the breeding season, but it’s not definitive, as both species can be seen singly and in groups. In winter, Rooks can join up with other corvids (particularly Jackdaws) to roost together. These groups often perform impressive dusk and dawn displays where they fly around together, calling loudly. Like all corvids, Rooks are opportunistic, resourceful birds, and they have a broad diet including insects, seeds, small birds and eggs, as well as small mammals. 

Rooks nest communally in the top branches of mature trees. These ‘rookeries’ can be very large and distinctive, with the messy nests clearly visible in bare branches over winter. Rookeries are often in use for years, sometimes decades. Rooks are early nesters, and from February they can be seen flying back to their rookery carrying comically large sticks as they seek to repair winter damage. 

All year round

Rooks are most common in the countryside, and you might see rookeries in banks of mature trees between farm fields and in rural villages. They will venture into towns too, if the right habitat is available. Large flocks of Rooks are often seen in fields or mobbing birds of prey.  

• Black feathers, with a glossy metallic sheen  
• Much bigger and chunkier than Crows and Rooks, but it can be tricky to judge scale when they’re flying 
• Powerful blunt beak and shaggy throat feathers called hackles 
• Distinctive diamond or wedge-shaped tail in flight 
• Often seen in pairs or small family groups – males, females and juveniles all look similar 

Ravens are super-smart birds and can often be seen engaging in playful behaviour. They have a distinctive heavy, soaring flight and sometimes flip upside down with closed wings, possibly just for fun. They’re often seen in pairs, but particularly in the winter, young birds can come together to roost in big groups. Ravens are mostly carrion eaters, but they will eat insects and hunt small live prey. 

Ravens usually mate for life and remain together in pairs throughout the year, defending their territories even in winter. They’re early breeders and build their stick and moss nests from mid-February on cliff ledges, in large trees, or sometimes on buildings or other structures like bridges. They tend to have a few well-used sites and rotate between them on alternate years.

All year round

Ravens were once heavily persecuted as pests on farmland and game estates, but protection has helped their numbers recover. They do sometimes nest in big cities, and if you look up, you might see them soaring and tumbling high above. You’ll also see them on farmland, in the uplands and mountainous areas, or near seaside cliffs. You’d be very lucky to see one in your garden!

• Smaller than Crows and Rooks 
• Short, stubby beak 
• Black body, with a grey ‘hood’ around the back of the head and a black cap 
• Distinctive pale blue-grey eyes  
• Males and females look similar, juveniles are browner with darker eyes 
• They often live near people and are slightly less timid than the larger corvids 

Jackdaws seem to be more comfortable with people than Crows or Rooks, though they’re still cautious. They often nest in buildings and can be seen perched on chimneys and rooftops, or walking around pavements looking for food, often singly or in pairs. In the air, they have a faster flight than the bigger corvids and can be very playful, with tumbling aerobatics. In the winter, Jackdaws often come together in groups to roost, sometimes with Rooks, and perform noisy display flights at dusk and dawn. They eat insects, seeds and fruit, but will also take eggs and young birds.

Jackdaws are well known for nesting in chimneys, but they also nest in outbuildings, large buildings like churches, on cliffs, in tree holes, or in large nest boxes.

All year round.

Jackdaws aren’t as common in big urban centres, but they will live in smaller towns and villages, or older suburbs where there are houses with chimneys. They also live in parks, woods, farmland and around sea cliffs. They will visit gardens looking for food or nesting materials, and come to feeders and bird tables, but they don’t tend to hand around for long.