Tweeters,

Most Tweeters are probably familiar with the status of crows in
western Washington. However, like Susan, there are probably quite a
few who aren't, so the following explanation may be helpful.

Ornithologists recognize 2 species of crows in the Northwest: the
smaller Northwestern Crow, generally found in coastal areas from
south-central Alaska to the Puget Sound area and the Olympic
Peninsula, and the American Crow, found in all other areas. However,
in the last 50 to 100 years, American Crows have spread westward in
Washington due to the creation of new habitat by the clearing of
forest. They have apparently interbred with Northwestern Crows to the
point where, in much of western Washington, it's hard to say what kind
of crow is present, and many of us just call them "crows". In fact,
the two species should almost certainly be "lumped", but the American
Ornithologists' Union, which rules on such matters, has not made this
decision yet.

In southeastern Alaska and in coastal British Columbia-- unlike
Washington-- there is little or no overlap and/or hybridization
between the two crows, and any crow seen west of the Cascade/Coast
Range crest can safely be called a Northwestern.

In my birding experience in WA, virtually all crows I see in San Juan
and Island Counties, and in western Whatcom and Skagit Counties, look
and sound like Northwestern Crows, and I record them as such. Most
crows in coastal parts of the Olympic Peninsula are probably
Northwesterns as well.

However, by the time you get south to Snohomish and King Counties, the
picture becomes much more confused, and it is safer to just call them
"crow species". Even in eastern parts of Whatcom and Skagit Counties
(e.g. around Diablo Lake), the crows there look and sound to me like
American Crows.

You are right, Susan-- the situation is confusing!

Others may have somewhat different impressions of the local
distribution of crows in WA-- and I'd be interested in hearing them--
but I believe the overall picture I've drawn is fairly accurate.

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
contopus at home.com



----- Original Message -----
From: Susan in WA <smuttart at qwest.net>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2001 10:53 PM
Subject: I'm Confused -- Help, Please


> This year, I learned about the GBBC and decided to take part. In an
> effort to lure some of the Red-winged Blackbirds away from my
feeders,
> it was suggested (on some birding site) to put out dog food as an
> alternative. I did, and the crows love it (so do the Brewer's
> Blackbirds). However, I didn't count the crows for the GBBC. After
> submitting my count of the birds I did report, I went to check on
the
> results. They have naturally compiled all kinds of lists. But when
> checking the stats for Washington State, and perusing the top ten
> birds, I noticed that there were 1771 American Crows counted, but
only
> 154 Northwestern Crows. What's up with that? I thought we had
> predominately Northwestern Crows in this region? Is it simply
because
> the people that were counting didn't know the difference (and the
GBBC
> tally sheet lists the American Crow first instead of the
Northwestern
> Crow), or is it me that is all wet?
>
> --
> Susan in WA
> Sumner, Washington
> email: smuttart at qwest.net
>
>