NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Recently on social media, New Mexico residents were debating on whether or not there are crows or ravens in the state. Some claimed we only have ravens, others claimed we have both. You know, the internet. According to Ashley Bauer, Assistant Curator of Birds and Ambassador Animals at the ABQ BioPark, New Mexico is home to both crows and ravens. "The primary species you're going to find in New Mexico are the American crow and the common raven," said Bauer. "Both are widespread across the whole country so they are very common." However, if you spot one out in the open, there are a few ways to tell them apart. "In general, ravens are going to be larger than crows," said Bauer. Ravens have a bigger body mass and are the largest of the perching bird or songbird groups, of which crows are also a member of. Ravens also have a thicker bill than crows, their faces will look a lot broader. Andean bear settles into new habitat at the ABQ BioPark If you see them in flight, it's probably difficult to get a good look at their bills though. Bauer said you can tell what's flying overhead better by the shape of the tail feathers. Raven tails are going to be wedge-shaped. "They're flying and the tail is spread out kind of, in the middle you'll see almost a point so it looks like a wedge. And a crow's tail is going to be..they're squared. All of their tail feathers are going to be the same length so it looks like they have a squared tail when they're flying," Bauer said. Crows are also going to be more social whereas ravens are either going to be seen by themselves or in a breeding pair. The other big difference between crows and ravens is how they sound. "Crows are the stereotypical cawing sound that you hear and ravens are more of a croak. It's usually lower-pitched," said Bauer. Ravens and crows can be found year-round, but crows are more adapted to city life. "The raven, you could probably still see them in the foothills and things like that around the city but you're going to find them in more of the boreal and mountain forests – where there are less people," Bauer said. ABQ BioPark preparing for elephant to give birth One aspect crows and ravens share is their eating habits. "Both are omnivorous, so they are going to eat everything from plants and seeds to rodents, small squirrels, and things like that. They are scavengers and they are also opportunistic feeders, so anything that's available, they're going to eat," Bauer said. She adds that these habits have a positive impact on the environment. "[Crows and ravens are] helpful in cleaning up dead things and roadkill so they're really cool to have around, they're really important for our ecosystems and environments, and for keeping us safe and healthy," said Bauer. "Without animals like crows and ravens or vultures, we'd have a ton of diseases that we'd have to deal with like rabies and stuff like that."