American Crows VS Raven - San Francisco Bay earlier today (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Bird Watchers!

Picture # 1 and 2 is ID by me as American Crows.

But I think picture #3 is a Common Raven due to the different bill

To me it looks like the crow bills are more "POINTY" than the raven.

Or maybe it is just my imagination?

Kind Regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[rkj]

I think you have it right.

 

[Aladdin]

I think you have it right.

Thank you!

All these crows and ravens, the size can help with the ID, but the bill is what dies it to me. Now then, the second problem, there should be two different kinds of Ravens here, Common and Chihuahuan, and the looks the same in my book, different size but otherwise they look the same.

 

[rkj]

Chihuahuan Raven has never been seen anywhere near San Francisco Bay, so that need not be considered.

 

[Aladdin]

Chihuahuan Raven has never been seen anywhere near San Francisco Bay, so that need not be considered.

Thank you!

Good to know, both came up as an option in eBird.

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[bunnyrich]

EBird is a fantastic tool. I also strongly recommend getting the Merlin app to pair with it. Merlin is also made by the Cornell lab of ornithology and makes an amazing companion. Not to mention the sound id feature has been invaluable for me recently with wren and migrating warbler calls

 

[Aladdin]

EBird is a fantastic tool. I also strongly recommend getting the Merlin app to pair with it. Merlin is also made by the Cornell lab of ornithology and makes an amazing companion. Not to mention the sound id feature has been invaluable for me recently with wren and migrating warbler calls

I have the Merlin app but no netweork connection in the field. I bought a SIM card at Miami Airport, 100 US Dollars and there is only network in the cities. I was at AT &T to buy a SIM here in California.

The told me that it worked with my phone and I paid 85 US, then it was not working and they told me no refund. But I could buy a phone from AT & T and it would work- I told them that if you did business like this where I come from the police would come and arrest you.

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Butty]

Good to know, both came up as an option in eBird.

It sounds as though you may not be using a field guide? Questions such as this about birds' occurrence are answered instantly by using a field guide - alongside their many other essential qualities 👍🏻
For crow-type corvids, their call is often much the easiest way to identify them.

 

[Earnest lad]

In the latter picture, the bird's nasal feathering extends further along the upper mandible, in contrast to that of the earlier two pictures. I read somewhere that that is a feature of Raven.

 

[Butty]

nasal feathering extends . . . I read somewhere that that is a feature of Raven

That feature has been discussed a while back in this forum, and it was concluded to be so variable as to be useless for ID.

 

[KC Foggin]

You are correct Aladdin!

 

[Aladdin]

It sounds as though you may not be using a field guide? Questions such as this about birds' occurrence are answered instantly by using a field guide - alongside their many other essential qualities 👍🏻
For crow-type corvids, their call is often much the easiest way to identify them.

Hello Butty

Correct, I don't use any field guide. I use eBird as I cannot carry any books. I have camera, video camera and sound recorders and all kind of equipments.
Thats why I need a picture for ID and I spend more time with the pictures, my field guide and internet to ID the birds when I am back in my room.

Like today in San Francisco Botanical Garden, there were so many birds,but my list is only 11. The birds I have ID. I might add one or two more birds that I need to ID with my book or internet.

So if I am success full I might reach an whooping 13 birds

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[01101001]

Hello Butty

Correct, I don't use any field guide. I use eBird as I cannot carry any books. I have camera, video camera and sound recorders and all kind of equipments.
Thats why I need a picture for ID and I spend more time with the pictures, my field guide and internet to ID the birds when I am back in my room.

Like today in San Francisco Botanical Garden, there were so many birds,but my list is only 11. The birds I have ID. I might add one or two more birds that I need to ID with my book or internet.

So if I am success full I might reach an whooping 13 birds

Kind regards
Aladdin

I'm not proposing this as a replacement for this forum, rather as a help in the field: Merlin has the Photo ID feature, which--even though it's not always right--may help you narrow down your choices, after which you can more easily clinch the ID yourself using the descriptions or post it here for confirmation as you do.

EDIT: Taking good photos like yours probably takes more time than just snapping a shot with the phone, and I think Merlin should be able to deal with lower-quality photos as well (plus it works entirely offline). As an aside, the Sound ID (also offline) is worth checking out, too, if you haven't already, and that's a feature I use quite often myself.

 

[Aladdin]

I'm not proposing this as a replacement for this forum, rather as a help in the field: Merlin has the Photo ID feature, which--even though it's not always right--may help you narrow down your choices, after which you can more easily clinch the ID yourself using the descriptions or post it here for confirmation as you do.

EDIT: Taking good photos like yours probably takes more time than just snapping a shot with the phone, and I think Merlin should be able to deal with lower-quality photos as well (plus it works entirely offline). As an aside, the Sound ID (also offline) is worth checking out, too, if you haven't already, and that's a feature I use quite often myself.

Cheers!

What are you saying, the phone can ID the bird b picture or noise? I downloaded this Merlin, some years ago but never come to use it. I find eBird very annoying whe out of network which I often are. Down loading updates etc. that takes for ever.

My guide in Colorado had a handy app but only for American. I will check the Merlin app again

EDIT: Taking good photos like yours

Thanks for the heart warming words. O boy, if you only knew how many I have put in the garbage bin. I have posted some very poor pictures here, but the members have managed to ID the birds and you don't know how impressed I am. I spend hours with my books and on internet.

But I will check out this Merlin app

Thank you and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[Mendobirder]

Correct, I don't use any field guide. I use eBird as I cannot carry any books. I have camera, video camera and sound recorders and all kind of equipments.
Thats why I need a picture for ID and I spend more time with the pictures, my field guide and internet to ID the birds when I am back in my room.

Like today in San Francisco Botanical Garden, there were so many birds,but my list is only 11. The birds I have ID. I might add one or two more birds that I need to ID with my book or internet.

You can get several good field guides as apps for your phone, and they will work even if you don't have connectivity. I recommend Sibley Birds v2. Among its many useful features, you can tell it your location and month, and it will show you the list of expected birds. For the SF Bay area in spring that is still a long list, but it helps (you won't see Chihuahan Raven on there for example!) It will also show you comparisons with similar species, so you could see how to tell apart Common Raven and American Crow (size, bill size and shape, and tail shape).

 

[Aladdin]

You can get several good field guides as apps for your phone, and they will work even if you don't have connectivity. I recommend Sibley Birds v2. Among its many useful features, you can tell it your location and month, and it will show you the list of expected birds. For the SF Bay area in spring that is still a long list, but it helps (you won't see Chihuahan Raven on there for example!) It will also show you comparisons with similar species, so you could see how to tell apart Common Raven and American Crow (size, bill size and shape, and tail shape).

Thank you!

I have already checked out merlin and inaturalist and I think I will go for merlin.

Kind Regards and happy birding
Aladdin