Crows Are Always Jerks to Ravens, Research Confirms
A new study shows that although crows are smaller than ravens, they are almost always the aggressors when the two species interact.
Living alongside a group of crows can be murder for a raven.
Across North America, common ravens are regularly harassed by gangs of crows, according to a new study published Wednesday in The Auk: Ornithological Advances. In 97 percent of reported interactions between crows and ravens, scientists report, crows were the aggressors.
This grudge match goes way back. In North America, ravens are both competitors and predators of the crow. Given the chance, brazen, jet-black ravens will happily make a meal out of a crow’s clutch of eggs. And one on one, a crow doesn’t stand a chance against a raven, which can reach up to three times a crow’s size and weight. (Read more about how ravens hold
