Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: KP on March 06, 2015, 07:55:36 PM

Title: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: KP on March 06, 2015, 07:55:36 PM

This winter, I have been hearing and seeing Common Ravens along the Etobicoke Creek.  The first time looking across the Etobicoke Creek in the sky at the Toronto Golf Club and the other time at Marie Curtis Park.  I see North American Crows at the Etobicoke Creek.  Other than size, there is not much else to tell them apart.  The other thing that makes both of these species different is the call.  The call I was hearing was the exact same call of the Common Raven.  I have never heard or seen Common Ravens around the Etobicoke Creek before.

Title: Re: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: Brian Bailey on March 06, 2015, 10:59:15 PM

Ravens are definitely moving into Toronto, but be cautious identifying them by call alone.  I had a (large) crow at Sam Smith Park last year that I initially identified as a Raven based on the call.  I later had a good view of it in flight and it was a crow making a sound that until that point I thought was pure Raven.

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Title: Re: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: KP on March 07, 2015, 12:32:11 AM

Hi Brian.  You made a good point.  I was listening to the various calls of Common Ravens and North American Crows on a website called All About Birds.  None of the North American Crow calls resembled what I heard.  If you listen to the Common Raven calls on the All About Birds website, the calls resembled from the top, #1 and #4.

Title: Re: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: Rotarran on March 07, 2015, 09:20:59 AM

Additionally I would like to advise people to carry around a camera with a strong zoom.  I have such a device, it is reasonably light and has 50x zoom.  Even from great distances I can take good ID shots.  This was very instrumental to my early days of birding and I highly recommend using such a device to resolve any ID doubts.   :)

Title: Re: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: mc on March 07, 2015, 09:48:29 AM

i have found this video helpful....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBwMUAWAJI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBwMUAWAJI)

Title: Re: Common Ravens Along The Etobicoke Creek
Post by: Brian Bailey on March 08, 2015, 09:46:32 AM

Quote from: "mc"

i have found this video helpful....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBwMUAWAJI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBwMUAWAJI)

That's a great video! Some good pointers as well as showing how difficult the distinction can be in some circumstances.  


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