The Bird Book Part 66

485a. GRAY JAY. _Perisoreus obscurus griseus._

Range.--British Columbia to northern California, east of the coast ranges.

This bird is said to be larger and grayer than the preceding.

486. RAVEN. _Corvus corax sinuatus._

Range.--North America west of the Rockies and from British Columbia southward.

The Raven is like a very large Crow, length 24 inches, but has the feathers on the neck lengthened and stiffened. Their habits are similar to those of the Crow, but more dignified, and they remain mated for life. Besides gra.s.shoppers and worms, they feed largely upon animal matter such as lizards, sh.e.l.l fish, frogs, eggs and young of birds, and carrion. They nest on ledges of high inaccessible cliffs or the tops of tall trees, making large nests of sticks lined with smaller ones and hair or wool; the eggs are laid in April or May, number from four to seven, and are light greenish in color, blotched with umber and drab.

Size 1.95 1.25.

486a. NORTHERN RAVEN. _Corvus corax princ.i.p.alis._

Range.--Eastern North America chiefly north of the United States and northwest to Alaska; south on some of the higher ranges to Georgia.

This variety is like the last but is larger. They are not nearly as abundant as the western form and are very rare within the United States.

A few pairs still breed on some of the rocky islands off the coast of Maine; more off New Brunswick and Newfoundland, and they are quite common on the cliffs of Labrador and Alaska. Their nesting habits and eggs are like those of the last.

487. WHITE-NECKED RAVEN. _Corvus cryptoleucus._

Range.--Mexico and the border of the United States; north to eastern Kansas.

This small Raven is of about the size of the Crow, and has the bases of the neck feathers white. They are very abundant in some localities, especially in southern Arizona. Their food consists chiefly of animal matter, the same as the large Ravens, and they are not nearly as shy, frequently feeding in camps upon refuse which is thrown out to them.

They build at low elevations in any tree, but preferably in mesquites, making their nests of sticks and lining them with hair, leaves, bark, wool or anything soft. During June they lay from four to six pale bluish green eggs, generally sparingly spotted or scratched with dark brown and drab. Size 1.75 1.20.

[Ill.u.s.tration 313: Pale greenish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale bluish green.]

[Ill.u.s.tration right hand margin.]

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488. CROW. _Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos._

Range.--Whole of North America south of the Arctic Circle; most abundant in eastern United States; rare in many localities in the west.

These birds, against which the hand of every farmer is uplifted, are very shy and cunning; as is well known, they nearly always post a sentinel in some tree top to keep watch while the rest of the flock is feeding in the field below. In the fall and winter, large numbers of them flock, and at night all roost in one piece of woods; some of the "crow roosts" are of vast extent and contain thousands of individuals.

Crows nest near the tops of large trees, preferably pines, either in woods or single trees in fields. Their nests are made of sticks and lined with rootlets, and the eggs, which are laid in April or May, range from four to seven in number, are a bluish or greenish white, sparingly or very densely speckled, spotted and blotched with various shades of brown and lilac. Size 1.60 1.15.

488a. FLORIDA CROW. _Corvus brachyrhynchos pascuus._

Range.--Florida.

This variety has a slightly shorter tail and wings than the last.

490. FISH CROW. _Corvus ossifragus._

Range.--Northwest coast from Oregon to Alaska.

This small Crow which is but 16 inches in length, is found only on the coast, where they feed upon sh.e.l.l fish and offal. They nest, as do the Ravens, either on ledges or in tree tops. The eggs resemble those of the common Crow, but are smaller. Size 1.55 1.05.

489. NORTHWESTERN CROW. _Corvus caurinus._

Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, north in summer to Connecticut.

From Virginia southward, this small Crow (length 16 inches) is more abundant on the coast than the common Crow which is often in company with this species. Their food consists of grain, berries, and animal matter. Their nesting habits are like those of the common Crow and the eggs are similar and have as great variations, but are smaller. Size 1.45 1.05.

[Ill.u.s.tration: American Crow. American Raven.]

[Ill.u.s.tration 314: Greenish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Left hand margin.]

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491. CLARKE'S NUTCRACKER. _Nucifraga columbiana._

Range.--Mountains of western North America from Mexico to Alaska.

The Clarke Crow, as this bird is often known, is a common resident in most of its range. The adults are grayish with black wings and central tail feathers, the tips of the primaries and outer tail feathers being white. Their tail is short and their flight slow and somewhat undulating like that of some of the Woodp.e.c.k.e.rs. Their food consists of anything edible from seeds and larvae in the winter to insects, berries, eggs and young birds at other seasons. In the spring they retire to the tops of ranges, nearly to the limit of trees, where they build their large nests of sticks, twigs, weeds, strips of bark, and fibres matted together so as to form a soft round ball with a deeply cupped interior; the nest is located at from ten to forty feet from the ground in pine trees and the eggs are laid early before the snow begins to leave. They are three in number, grayish in color with a greenish tinge and finely spotted over the whole surface with dark brown and lavender. Size 1.30 .90.

Data.--Salt Lake Co., Utah, April 25, 1900. Nest placed in pine 40 feet up on a horizontal branch, and not visible from below. The tree was at the upper edge of a pine forest at an alt.i.tude of about 3000 feet above Salt Lake City. The nest was discovered by seeing the parent fly into the tree; the next day a nest was found with three young nearly ready to fly. Collector, W. H. Parker. This set of three eggs is in the oological collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall.

492. PINON JAY. _Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus._

Range.--Western United States between the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, and from southern British Columbia to Arizona.

This Crow-like Jay has a nearly uniform bluish plumage, and is found abundantly in the pine belts of its range. Their habits are similar to those of the Clarke Crow and the nests are similarly built at lower elevations in pines or junipers. During April or May they lay from three to five eggs of a bluish white color specked and spotted with brown.

Size 1.20 .85.

[Ill.u.s.tration 315: Clarke's Nutcracker.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Grayish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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STARLINGS. Family STURNIDae

493. STARLING. _Sturnus vulgaris._