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Why don't Japanese distinguish between crows and ravens?

7 Jun 2008
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There seems to be only one Japanese word, "karasu," for both crows and ravens. Why is that?

From my reading I cannot glean whether Japan is inhabited by crows, ravens, or both. Of course, there are multiple species of birds that are generally referred to as either "crows" or "ravens" in the West, but I can't figure out which family of birds the Japanese mean when they say "karasu."

I've seen both crows and ravens plenty of times, and trust me they are not the same bird. Ravens are more than twice the size of crows, and have a wingspan of more than a meter. (Four feet or so.) My wife thinks Japan has crows, not ravens, but she isn't sure. She says they're definitely not as large as Alaska's ravens.
 
Ravens are more than twice the size of crows, and have a wingspan of more than a meter.

Then I guess I've never seen a raven here...!

My bird book says there are 10 species of crows in Japan, but that includes nutcrackers, jays, and magpies. It lists one raven (watari-garasu), but says "... the raven breeds in the northern islands of Hokkaido, but there are no recent records. A few birds winter regularly on the Shiretoko Peninsula, ... inhabit cliffs at seaside, feed on dead seals and fish."

It specs a length of 61cm, but doesn't give wingspan.
 
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