The whole crow situation is a case that points out the need to take good
field notes on even the common species (in my case what you can't do you
teach). Johnston work is probably now out of date as the crow "problem" has
been quickly developing over the past 30 years or so (probably within Gene
Hunn's time as a Washingtonian).

Just in the last 3 years or so, Wenatchee crows have become urbanized.
Formerly they were just in the riparian zones and principally in the
summer. Now we have them all year around in town.

Before they moved into town, I listed both Northwestern and American Crows
on my Chelan Co. list on the basis that our summer crows appeared smaller
than our winter crows. In comparison to the summer birds, the winter birds
looked like ravens! I felt that if the AOU regarded them as separate
species, then ANY indication of Northwestern blood was good enough to tally
(speaking as a lister rather than as a biologist).

However, I am no longer observing that difference. The winter birds are now
similar to the summer, and urbanized birds. What has happened? Did a
different population move into the Wenatchee area? Or has the urban ecology
of Wenatchee changed sufficiently to support crows when before it couldn't?
Do I know what a raven looks like? We don't have good notes on the before
picture. What questions should we be asking for the after?

Does the change in the Wenatchee crows fit into the bigger picture of
change in the Pacific Northwest?

Jerry Tangren
Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center
Washington State University, Wenatchee
e-mail (try in order):
jerry_tangren at tfrec.ncw.net
tangren at coopext.cahe.wsu.edu
gsw$en at wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu