They got the name from the deep-throated 'croak' which is their distinctive call. Another is C. cryptoleucus , also known as the Chihuahuan raven, which lives in the SW United States and Mexico. What they Look Like Ravens are large black birds, with a blue-purple iridescence to their feathers. They are approximately 24-27 inches long at maturity, and their wingspan doubles that. The beak and feet are black, and the iris of the eye is brown.
Young birds are less glossy than adults, but they lose the dullness when they reach maturity.
Although they are frequently confused with crows, ravens differ in many ways. A raven's beak is larger and heavier than a crow's beak. Their throat feathers are more pointed and elongated, giving them a 'spiky' appearance when they fluff up. Crows' throat feathers, on the other hand, are rounded, like a semicircular fan. Most noticeably, their caw is much deeper than the crow's call, and much throatier.