We can't go through life making our own rules. We have to follow some sort
of order in our activities. As far as the activity of birds and birding,
the AOU is the (or "a") governing body. Until someone provides them with
scientific documentation that shows for certain that American and
Northwestern Crows are the same species, and they make that change in the
list, it seems to me that we should follow their list as it stands.

The fact that "most ornithologists in this area" might believe the crows are
of the same species doesn't matter unless they are proving it with
scientific research. There used to be a lot of experts who thought the
world was flat until "research" proved them wrong. Lets let the research
prove this case. I understand that several studies are underway and
hopefully we won't have to wait much longer for the results.

It does seem odd, though, that many of the birders who don't list the
Northwestern Crow will include it on a Big Day or Birdathon list for enhance
the numbers.

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
>I'm interested in these casual references to "Northwestern Crows," and I
>have one question for those of you who use the term: How can you tell?
>We've had discussions on Tweeters before (maybe before many of you came on
>board) about the issue of whether "Northwestern Crows" exist. The general
>consensus, as I understand it, has been that there is a broad cline from
>relatively smaller crows to the northwest to relatively larger crows to the
>southeast, but that the species or even subspecies "Northwestern Crow" is a
>fiction. People who still believe in the fiction are apparently going by
>the AOU checklist, taking this "official knowledge" as truth. I don't
>believe most ornithologists in this area believe in the fiction, and I don't
>know why the AOU keeps this "species" on its list. (I've knocked it off my
>personal life list.)
>
>Burt Guttman
>The Evergreen State College 360-867-6755
>Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu
>
>Reunite Gondwana
>
>
>
* * * * * * * * * * *
* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* osprey at nwinfo.net *
* * * * * * * * * * *