Differences between Falcon and Raven

Falcon and Raven are two classes of birds that belong to the Falconidae and Corvidae families respectively.

Falcons are birds of prey. They are known for their agility and sharp vision. They have superior hunting skills, characterized by quick identification, chase, and capture. Their back, head, and wings are bluish grey, while their neck and belly are white with greyish black markings. The skin around the beak, the legs, and feet are yellow. The beak of Falcons is sharply bent at the tip, where they also have a sharp tooth that helps in killing the prey. The talons on the feet are long, sharp, and curved. The Falcon family includes about 40 species.

Ravens are large perching birds. They are noisy and can make different sounds. They are intelligent birds with an ability to make their own tools and save useful items for the future. There are 10 species of Ravens. They have black plumage, dark legs, and long tail. The species living in western North America have white feathers on their neck, while those in the rest of North America, south Asia, Australia, and Africa have white or brown neck feathers. Ravens are like Crows in many ways. But their feathers are more ruffled, and their beak is larger and arched.

Where are Falcon and Raven found?

Falcons live everywhere where they can find food. They flourish near coastlines, but can be found in river valleys, mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests too. They exist in all parts of the world, except Antarctica.

Ravens live in open grasslands, forests, coasts, deserts, agricultural fields, and cities. They can be found across the world except Antarctica. They are heavily populated in Canada, North America, northern Europe, and India.

What do Falcon and Raven eat?

Falcons are carnivores and chiefly eat other birds, pigeons being their favorite. They prey on birds like doves, gulls, ducks, bats, and waterfowl. Falcons are capable of seizing birds in mid-air. They sometimes also eat fish, frogs, squirrels, mice, and insects.

Ravens are omnivores and scavenging birds. They eat rodents, reptiles, eggs, small nesting birds, berries, fruits, vegetables, and human refuse.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Falcon and Raven

• Both Falcon and Raven eat Fish.
• Both Falcon and Raven eat Frogs.
• Both Falcon and Raven eat Lizards.
• Both Falcon and Raven eat Snakes.
• Both Falcon and Raven eat Turtles.
• Both Falcon and Raven eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Falcon, but not by all Raven.
• Baby Ducks are consumed by both Falconand Raven.
• Mice are eaten by both Falcon and Raven.

Size of Falcon and Raven?

When it comes to size, Falcons are usually 15-60 centimeters long. Their wingspan could be 74-120 centimeters.. Ravens are usually about 2.1 feet long and have a wingspan of four feet. Some species of Ravens may be smaller. The Thick-billed Raven is the largest among the species.

The average weight of Falcons is 1.5-3.3 pounds. The male birds weigh 0.73-2.20 pounds, while the females weigh 1.5-3.3 pounds. The Gyrfalcon is the heaviest of all species. It weighs 3.3 pounds. while The average weight of Ravens is 1.5-4.4 pounds. The Thick-billed Raven weighs about 3.4 pounds.

Where do Falcon and Raven nest?

Falcons do not build their nests. They use tree holes, ledges in cliffs, or discarded nests of other birds to lay their eggs. Both partners engage in incubating the eggs, which hatch in 29-32 days. The young birds will be able to fly when they are about six weeks old. Nevertheless, they stay under their parents’ care till they are about 10 weeks old.

Ravens naturally make their nests on treetops or cliffs. In cities, they build their nests on top of roofs, power lines, or billboards. The nest looks like a basket with woven sticks and wires. The male helps the female by fetching the sticks and breaking them into smaller pieces. The eggs are 4.4-5.2 centimeters long and 3.1-3.6 centimeters wide. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs, which hatch in 20-25 days. The young ones leave the nest when they are five to seven weeks old.

How long do Falcon and Raven live?

The average lifespan of Falcons is 13 years, although they may live up to 16-20 years in the wild. Many birds die young due to malnutrition. Several adults are also recorded to be dying early because of habitat loss, DDT poisoning, airplane accidents, and environmental issues.

The average lifespan of Ravens is 10-15 years. Among the banded birds, the longest-lived Raven has been a wild Common Raven that lived for 23 years and three months.

Are Falcon or Raven migratory birds?

Not all Falcons migrate. Peregrines from Alaska and Greenland migrate to USA and South America during winters. The Amur Falcon migrates in winter from Russia and China to India and South Africa. Most other species remain in their habitats throughout the year if the climate is favorable.

Ravens are not migratory but some species from the northern hemisphere may travel south during winters. During the breeding season, some species may relocate for nesting. On a daily basis, Ravens travel about 40 miles in search of food.

Do Falcon and Raven fly in flocks?

A group of Falcons is called a cast or cauldron. Falcons are solitary birds. They live, hunt, and migrate alone. They socialize only in the breeding season.

A group of Ravens is called unkindness or conspiracy. Ravens may live in pairs or small groups. They are known to forage in small flocks. They also roost in colonies during winter.

Are Falcon or Raven protected?

Falcons are protected across the world under various laws like Migratory Bird Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, and the International CITES treaty. The vulnerable species are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Ravens are protected in several countries like the USA, UK, Canada Australia, and India under laws for wildlife and migratory bird protection. Some countries like France offer protection to certain species of Ravens.

Are Falcon or Raven endangered?

Falcons are not endangered. The American Peregrine was classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970. However, it was removed from the list in 1999. The existence of the bird was threatened owing to DDT poisoning. However, the banning of DDT together with other recovery projects have saved the species from becoming extinct.

Ravens are not endangered or threatened. They are listed as birds of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Ravens however face threats of habitat loss, poisoning, and hunting.

Can Falcon and Raven fly?

Falcons are splendid flyers. They have thin, tapered wings that help them to cut down drag and fly in high speeds. With sharp eyesight, the birds can dive at speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour to capture their prey. The average flying speed of Peregrine Falcons, the fastest animal in the world, is 242 miles an hour. Falcons are solitary travelers that fly about 15,500 miles each year. Amur falcons are the longest migratory birds in the world. They fly over 13,600 miles at a stretch.

Ravens fly by soaring and gliding. They rarely flap their wings. The birds sometimes fly upside down to uphold their position in territorial hierarchy. The average flying speed of Ravens is 50 miles per hour. A wild Raven can fly up to 100 miles a day.

Can Falcon and Raven swim?

Falcons do not swim. The structure of their body and feet are not ideal for swimming. However, some Falcon species dive into water to catch the prey.

Ravens are not water birds. They neither have webbed feet. Therefore, they cannot swim.

Mating patterns among Falcon and Raven

Falcons start mating when they are about two years old. The male performs courtship displays in the air to attract the female. He also fetches preys for the female, who in turn shows her acceptance by perching in a suitable spot. The female typically lays three to four eggs, which are around two inches long and pink or brownish in color. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs. After the eggs hatch, the female usually sits on the young ones to keep them warm while the male gets food for her. The partners protect the young ones by attacking anything that intimidates them.

Ravens start mating when they are three to four years old. In the breeding season, the partners fly together, soaring and diving, and performing joyful aerial dances. Their mating ritual also includes several vocalizations, stroking of beaks, and grooming each other’s feathers. The female Raven lays three to seven eggs in a clutch. The partners take turns to incubate the eggs and share responsibility of raising the young ones.

When is the mating season for Falcon and Raven ?

Falcons are lonely birds that come together only during mating. The mating season depends on the location. It is generally March-July.

Ravens have the earliest mating season among all birds. The season occurs from January until May.

Do Falcon and Raven mate for life?

Falcons are monogamous and mate for life. They also tend to use the same nest every breeding season.

Ravens are monogamous and mate for life. They also return to the same nesting territory every year.

How do Falcon and Raven sleep?

Falcons are active during the day, although they may take occasional naps. They sleep during the night while standing on one leg and resting their head on their back.

Ravens sleep on large trees, cliff ledges, billboards, or windowsills of tall buildings. They sleep while standing on both legs to be able to react swiftly in case of predator attack. The birds generally roost in flocks.

Can Falcon and Raven be eaten?

Falcons were eaten in the past in some cultures like Hare and Strait. They ate the bird meat by boiling, frying, or roasting. However, consumption of Falcons is no longer permitted by stringent conservation laws.

Raven meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. However, modern laws do not permit killing of Ravens for meat.

Can you hunt Falcon or Raven?

Hunting of Falcons was widespread for sport, falconry, feathers, skin, and meat. Although hunting has reduced due to strict laws, falconry is still practiced in countries like United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Austria.

Ravens were hunted in the past for meat. Contemporary conservation laws do not allow harming or hunting of the birds. Nevertheless, in countries like the USA, permit can be obtained to kill Ravens that annoy farmers on agricultural lands and poultry farms.

Can you feed Falcon or Raven?

It is illegal to feed wild birds in many countries. However, in countries like the USA, one can own and feed Falcons. The birds are carnivores and should be fed insects, rodents, and ground meat.

Feeding Ravens in public is not encouraged. In captivity, they are fed worms, mice, eggs, meat, and fruits.