Common Raven vs Long-tailed Sylph

Corvus corax compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• Common Raven is Not Evaluated while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Raven	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Corvidae (Crows & Ravens)	Trochilidae
Genus	Corvus (Crows & Ravens)	Aglaiocercus
Species	Corvus corax	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Raven and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Common Raven

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~16.0M

Trend: Increasing ↑

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Raven	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	Omnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	60 cm	—
Average Weight	1.2 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Raven

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

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

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway