American Bald Eagle vs Common Raven

Haliaeetus leucocephalus compared with Corvus corax

Key Differences

• American Bald Eagle is carnivore while Common Raven is omnivore.
• American Bald Eagle is 4.2x heavier than Common Raven.
• American Bald Eagle lives longer (28 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Bald Eagle	Common Raven
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Corvidae (Crows & Ravens)
Genus	Haliaeetus (Sea Eagles)	Corvus (Crows & Ravens)
Species	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Corvus corax

Evolutionary Relationship

American Bald Eagle and Common Raven share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

American Bald Eagle

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~316.7K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Common Raven

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~16.0M

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Bald Eagle	Common Raven
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	28 years	15 years
Average Length	90 cm	60 cm
Average Weight	5.0 kg	1.2 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Bald Eagle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 10 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Ecuador).

Common Raven

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

American Bald Eagle

The national bird of the United States and a symbol of American conservation success, bald eagles have a wingspan of up to 2.4 meters and inhabit forests and wetlands near open water across North America. Powerful aerial predators and scavengers, they specialize in fish but also take waterfowl and carrion. Nearly extinct by the 1960s due to DDT poisoning and hunting, the bald eagle recovered dramatically following pesticide bans and the Endangered Species Act.

Common Raven

One of the most intelligent birds known, common ravens demonstrate problem-solving abilities rivaling great apes, including tool use, planning, and deceptive behavior. Found across the Northern Hemisphere from Arctic tundra to deserts, ravens are highly adaptable omnivores. They form complex social hierarchies, engage in cooperative foraging, and have been observed engaging in play. Their intelligence and black plumage have made them figures of mythology across many cultures.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States