Crow vs Blackbird
Verdict: Check the size and the shine. A crow is a large, all-black bird around 16 to 21 inches with a hoarse caw, while blackbirds are smaller, and red-winged males carry red shoulder patches.
In North America, blackbird usually points to the red-winged blackbird and its relatives such as the common grackle, so this page compares those with the American crow. A crow is a big, heavy-billed bird with plain black plumage. Red-winged blackbirds are well under a foot long, while a grackle sits in between.
Size, color, tail and voice separate them. A crow is entirely black, including its bill and legs, with a short, rounded or squared tail and a hoarse caw. A grackle has a long tail with a keel-like crease, bright yellow eyes and purple-bronze gloss. Female red-winged blackbirds are streaky brown and look like large sparrows.
Crow vs Blackbird side by side
| Trait | Crow (American crow) | Blackbird (red-winged; common grackle) |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 15.8 to 20.9 in | Red-winged 6.7 to 9.1 in; common grackle 11 to 13.4 in |
| Wingspan | 33.5 to 39.4 in | Red-winged 12 to 16 in; grackle 14 to 18 in |
| Weight | 11 to 22 oz | Red-winged 1.1 to 2.7 oz; grackle 2.6 to 5 oz |
| Color | Entirely black, including legs and bill | Male red-winged glossy black with red and yellow shoulder patches; female streaky brown; grackle iridescent purple and bronze |
| Tail | Short, rounded or squared at the end | Grackle has a long tail with a crease down the middle |
| Bill | Heavy and straight | Red-winged slender and conical; grackle longer and tapered |
| Build | Heavy bill, broad rounded wings | Red-winged stocky and hump-backed when perched; grackle lanky with long legs |
| Voice | Hoarse caw | Red-winged has a rich, musical song |
| Habitat | Open woodlands, fields, towns and cities | Red-winged on cattails, marshes and wet fields; grackles in farmland, towns and groves |
Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.
When you are looking at which
Crow (American crow)
- The bird is large and entirely black, with a heavy bill, black legs and a short tail.
- It gives a hoarse caw, and it flies with steady, rowing wingbeats that rarely pause to glide.
- It feeds on garbage, carrion or fields, and its wingspan is about 3 feet.
- You see it in a city park or farm field, sometimes in a large flock.
Blackbird (red-winged; common grackle)
- A smaller black bird perches on cattails with red-and-yellow shoulder patches showing.
- A streaky brown bird looks like a big sparrow, perching low in marsh vegetation.
- A glossy bird with a long tail, a golden eye and purple and bronze iridescence walks across a lawn.
- The bird sings a musical, rising song from a perch, and is much smaller than a crow.
How this works
The quiz covers five cues: size, color, tail, voice and setting. Each answer scores for crow or blackbird, and the side with more answers decides the result. Size is easiest to judge when the bird sits near another bird or an object you know, such as a fence post.
Blackbird here means the North American red-winged blackbird and the common grackle. Other crows, ravens and blackbirds look different, and juveniles vary, so size and color carry the most weight and a regional field guide covers the rest. Answer only the questions you can see clearly, and skip the rest.
Where these numbers come from
The figures and defaults on this page are based on:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: American Crow identification, Crow size, all-black plumage, heavy bill, short tail and hoarse caw. (checked October 2026)
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Red-winged Blackbird identification, Red-winged size, male and female plumage, bill and habitat. (checked October 2026)
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Common Grackle identification, Grackle size, long tail, golden eye and iridescence. (checked October 2026)
- National Audubon Society: American Crow, Crow size, voice, diet, flocking and habitat. (checked October 2026)
Field-identification guide. Compares the American crow with red-winged blackbirds and grackles.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell a crow from a grackle?
Crows are larger, 16 to 21 inches against 11 to 13.4 inches, entirely black with a short tail. Grackles look slighter, with iridescent purple and bronze plumage, bright yellow eyes and a long tail.
Are crows a type of blackbird?
Crows are not the birds usually meant by blackbird in North America. Crows are big, plain black birds, while blackbirds such as the red-winged blackbird are smaller with different bills and calls.
What does a female red-winged blackbird look like?
She is dark brown with heavy streaking, a paler breast and often a whitish eyebrow stripe. She looks like a large, dark sparrow and lacks the red shoulder patches.
How big is a crow compared with a red-winged blackbird?
A crow is roughly twice as long, 15.8 to 20.9 inches against 6.7 to 9.1 inches, and weighs 11 to 22 ounces against 1.1 to 2.7 ounces. A crow's wingspan is about 3 feet.
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