There's a discussion on BIRDCHAT that many in Washington might find
interesting. Here's one useful tidbit.


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From: marty at mich.mv.com (Marty Michener)
To: BIRDCHAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: Northwestern (?) Crow
Date: Thu, 12 Mar


Dear Chatters:

Last summer, in the course of developing my database of
bird vocalizations, I made audio recordings throughout
several mornings in the Seattle, WA, area. I was well
aware that the current advice said: Probably mixes of
_Corvus_brachyrhynchos_ X _C._caurinus_ everywhere in
western WA except perhaps the coastal beaches.

Realizing that often vocalizations are now deemed the key
to species isolating mechanisms/ species identity, I
made recordings in the Redmond/Bellvue/Isaquah area
(it WAS easy) and compared them to recordings in the
beach area a bit north of Seattle proper.

I have no great mathematical analysis to present, but, given
the extreme vocalization variations in crows, generally, but
especially in the summer months of feeding half-to-full grown
young, my conclusion:

There is no easily perceived difference between the sounds of
crows recorded inland from those on the beach among the rats
and Glaucous-winged Gulls.

North or south along the beach? Oregon, Vancouver, B.C. -
the mountains - I haven't any data. Other chatters?

They all sound a bit different from the New England crows (I
have lots of those sounds too - also real easy) but I cannot
give any generalizations abou6t pitch, cadence, etc.

Best regards,
Marty
--
Marty Michener, PhD. biol. 42.73N, 71.53W NSS #17757
mailto:marty at mich.mv.com 603-598-1605 FAX 603-889-8388
MIST Software Associates, 75 Hannah Drive, Hollis, NH 03049



--
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* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
* mpatters at orednet.org *
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