Crows, Ravens, and Jays
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Cougar-Squak Corridor Park Eastside Audubon Society Bird Survey
Cougar-Squak Corridor Park Eastside Audubon Society Bird Survey Date Range Oct 1, 2015 - Sep 30, 2016 Total Number of Species 57 Total Number of Locations Cougar-Sqauk Corridor Park, Issaquah, WA Checklists 15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Number of Species 11 11 -- 14 11 25 30 35 36 35 22 16 Number of Individuals 43 48 -- 200 72 221 210 189 372 241 113 63 Number of Checklists 1 1 -- 1 1 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Species Name High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count High Count Canada Goose -- -- -- 2 -- 2 1 -- -- -- -- -- Trumpeter/Tundra Swan -- -- -- -- -- 10 -- -- -- -- -- -- Mallard -- -- -- -- -- 4 -- 2 -- -- -- -- Great Blue Heron -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- 1 -- Osprey -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- Bald Eagle -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- 1 -- -- -- Red-tailed Hawk -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- 1 -- -- -- Rock Pigeon -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- Band-tailed Pigeon -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 3 3 6 -- Northern Pygmy-Owl -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 -- -- -- -- -- Barred Owl -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- 1 1 -- 1 -- Vaux's Swift -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- Anna's Hummingbird -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 1 -- Rufous Hummingbird -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- -- Belted Kingfisher -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- Red-breasted Sapsucker -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 1 -- -- -- Downy Woodpecker -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 2 1 -- 6 Hairy Woodpecker 1 2 -- -- -- -
Crows and Ravens Wildlife Notes
12. Crows & Ravens Crows and ravens belong to the large family Corvidae, along with more than 200 other species including jays, nutcrackers and magpies. These less-than-melodious birds, you may be surprised to learn, are classified as songbirds. raven American Crow insects, grain, fruit, the eggs and young of other birds, Crows are some of the most conspicuous and best known organic garbage and just about anything that they can find of all birds. They are intelligent, wary and adapt well to or overpower. Crows also feed on the carcasses of winter – human activity. As with most other wildlife species, crows and road-killed animals. are considered to have “good” points and “bad” ones— value judgements made strictly by humans. They are found Crows have extremely keen senses of sight and hearing. in all 50 states and parts of Canada and Mexico. They are wary and usually post sentries while they feed. Sentry birds watch for danger, ready to alert the feeding birds with a sharp alarm caw. Once aloft, crows fly at 25 Biology to 30 mph. If a strong tail wind is present, they can hit 60 Also known as the common crow, an adult American mph. These skillful fliers have a large repertoire of moves crow weighs about 20 ounces. Its body length is 15 to 18 designed to throw off airborne predators. inches and its wings span up to three feet. Both males Crows are relatively gregarious. Throughout most of the and females are black from their beaks to the tips of their year, they flock in groups ranging from family units to tails. -
Cyanocitta Stelleri)
MOBBING BEHAVIOR IN WILD STELLER’S JAYS (CYANOCITTA STELLERI) By Kelly Anne Commons A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Humboldt State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Natural Resources: Wildlife Committee Membership Dr. Jeffrey M. Black, Committee Chair Dr. Barbara Clucas, Committee Member Dr. Micaela Szykman Gunther, Committee Member Dr. Alison O’Dowd, Graduate Coordinator December 2017 ABSTRACT MOBBING BEHAVIOR IN WILD STELLER’S JAYS (CYANOCITTA STELLERI) Kelly Anne Commons Mobbing is a widespread anti-predator behavior with multifaceted functions. Mobbing behavior has been found to differ with respect to many individual, group, and encounter level factors. To better understand the factors that influence mobbing behavior in wild Steller’s jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), I induced mobbing behavior using 3 predator mounts: a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), common raven (Corvus corax), and sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter cooperii). I observed 90 responses to mock predators by 33 color-marked individuals and found that jays varied in their attendance at mobbing trials, their alarm calling behavior, and in their close approaches toward the predator mounts. In general, younger, larger jays, that had low prior site use and did not own the territory they were on, attended mobbing trials for less time and participated in mobbing less often, but closely approached the predator more often and for more time than older, smaller jays, that had high prior site use and owned the territory they were on. By understanding the factors that affect variation in Steller’s jay mobbing behavior, we can begin to study how this variation might relate to the function of mobbing in this species. -
Mount Dewey Trail Checklist
Wrangell - Mount Dewey Trail Species Checklist For more information, see https://ak.audubon.org/. Seasons: Spring: March–May Summer: June and July Fall: August–November Winter: December–February Frequency Classification: C = Common: Occurs in essentially all suitable habitats during appropriate seasons, with certain species at times abundant; species should be easy to find. F = Fairly common: Occurs in some or most suitable habitats during appropriate seasons, but less abundant and at times few in number; species often found. U = Uncommon: Occurs in relatively small numbers; species not observed regularly even in proper habitats. R = Rare: Either found in restricted habitat, or occurs most years in small numbers; species difficult to find. V = Very Rare: A species beyond its normal range that may occur intermittently and in very small numbers. + = Accidental: Only one or two historical records to date. Guild Species Sp Su Fa Wi Swans, Geese, Ducks ☐ Canada Goose* C F C F Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Sooty Grouse* C C C C Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Spruce Grouse* R R R R Herons, Bitterns ☐ Great Blue Heron* F F F U Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Bald Eagle* C C C C Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Northern Goshawk* U U U U Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Osprey* R R R – Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Red-tailed Hawk* U U U V Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Sharp-shinned Hawk* F U F R Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Steller's Sea-Eagle + + + + Falcons ☐ American Kestrel* U V U V Falcons ☐ Merlin* U R U R Alcids ☐ Marbled Murrelet* C C C C Alcids ☐ Rhinoceros Auklet* F F F V Pigeons, Doves ☐ Band-tailed Pigeon* -
Species Almanac • Nature Activities At
The deeriNature Almanac What is the i in deeriNature? Is it information, internet? How about identification. When you go out on the Deer Isle preserves, what species are you almost certain to encounter? Which ones might you wish to identify? Then how do you organize your experience so that learning about the nearly overwhelming richness of nature becomes wonderfully satisfying? A century ago every farmer, medicine woman, and indeed any educated man or woman felt that they should have a solid knowledge of the plants around them. The Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, Vermont has maintained a Flower Table with labeled specimens since 1905. The Deer Isle-Stonington Historical Society has an antique herbarium collection made by Ada Southworth, a Dunham’s point rusticator. Today there are lovely field guides galore but the equivalent of a local list can come to you now by digital download. Here is an almanac, a list of likely plant and animal species (and something about rocks too) for our Deer Isle preserves, arranged according to season and habitat. Enjoy this free e-Book on your desktop, tablet or smartphone. Take this e-book with you on the trails and consult the Point of Interest signs. If you have a smartphone and adequate coverage, at some preserves a QR code will tell you more at the Points of Interest. After each category on the lists you will find suggestions for books to consult or acquire. You will have to read the on line reviews for apps as that field is developing too rapidly for any other approach. -
Walker Marzluff 2017 Recreation Changes Lanscape Use of Corvids
Recreation changes the use of a wild landscape by corvids Author(s): Lauren E. Walker and John M. Marzluff Source: The Condor, 117(2):262-283. Published By: Cooper Ornithological Society https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Volume 117, 2015, pp. 262–283 DOI: 10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Recreation changes the use of a wild landscape by corvids Lauren E. Walker* and John M. Marzluff College of the Environment, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA * Corresponding author: [email protected] Submitted October 24, 2014; Accepted February 13, 2015; Published May 6, 2015 ABSTRACT As urban areas have grown in population, use of nearby natural areas for outdoor recreation has also increased, potentially influencing bird distribution in landscapes managed for conservation. -
A Fossil Scrub-Jay Supports a Recent Systematic Decision
THE CONDOR A JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY Volume 98 Number 4 November 1996 .L The Condor 98~575-680 * +A. 0 The Cooper Omithological Society 1996 g ’ b.1 ;,. ’ ’ “I\), / *rs‘ A FOSSIL SCRUB-JAY SUPPORTS A”kECENT ’ js.< SYSTEMATIC DECISION’ . :. ” , ., f .. STEVEN D. EMSLIE : +, “, ., ! ’ Department of Sciences,Western State College,Gunnison, CO 81231, ._ e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Nine fossil premaxillae and mandibles of the Florida Scrub-Jay(Aphelocoma coerulescens)are reported from a late Pliocene sinkhole deposit at Inglis 1A, Citrus County, Florida. Vertebrate biochronologyplaces the site within the latestPliocene (2.0 to 1.6 million yearsago, Ma) and more specificallyat 2.0 l-l .87 Ma. The fossilsare similar in morphology to living Florida Scrub-Jaysin showing a relatively shorter and broader bill compared to western species,a presumed derived characterfor the Florida species.The recent elevation of the Florida Scrub-Jayto speciesrank is supported by these fossils by documenting the antiquity of the speciesand its distinct bill morphology in Florida. Key words: Florida; Scrub-Jay;fossil; late Pliocene. INTRODUCTION represent the earliest fossil occurrenceof the ge- nus Aphelocomaand provide additional support Recently, the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma for the recognition ofA. coerulescensas a distinct, coerulescens) has been elevated to speciesrank endemic specieswith a long fossil history in Flor- with the Island Scrub-Jay(A. insularis) from Santa ida. This record also supports the hypothesis of Cruz Island, California, and the Western Scrub- Pitelka (195 1) that living speciesof Aphefocoma Jay (A. californica) in the western U. S. and Mex- arose in the Pliocene. ico (AOU 1995). -
Reconstructing the Geographic Origin of the New World Jays
Neotropical Biodiversity ISSN: (Print) 2376-6808 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tneo20 Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays Sumudu W. Fernando, A. Townsend Peterson & Shou-Hsien Li To cite this article: Sumudu W. Fernando, A. Townsend Peterson & Shou-Hsien Li (2017) Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays, Neotropical Biodiversity, 3:1, 80-92, DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 05 Mar 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 956 View Crossmark data Citing articles: 2 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tneo20 Neotropical Biodiversity, 2017 Vol. 3, No. 1, 80–92, https://doi.org/10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays Sumudu W. Fernandoa* , A. Townsend Petersona and Shou-Hsien Lib aBiodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; bDepartment of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan (Received 23 August 2016; accepted 15 February 2017) We conducted a biogeographic analysis based on a dense phylogenetic hypothesis for the early branches of corvids, to assess geographic origin of the New World jay (NWJ) clade. We produced a multilocus phylogeny from sequences of three nuclear introns and three mitochondrial genes and included at least one species from each NWJ genus and 29 species representing the rest of the five corvid subfamilies in the analysis. -
Migrational Movements of Blue Jays West of the 100Th Meridian
Migrational movementsof Blue Jays west of the 100th meridian Kimberly G. Smith Introduction Since the start of the bird-bandingprogram in movements-- in fall of 1939when 7350Blue Jays North America, the movements of Blue Jays passedHawk Mountain,Pennsylvania, in 16 days (Cyanocittacristata) have been of great interest. in late September(Broun 1941), and in fall of 1962 The first report of bird-bandingrecoveries by the when Blue Jaysinvaded Massachusetts (Nunneley BiologicalSurvey (Lincoln1924) listed 38 Blue Jay 1964). returns, all from the same stationat which they While investigatingthe range extensionof Blue were banded.The secondBiological Survey report Jaysinto westernNorth America(Smith 1978), ! (Lincoln 1927) listed 11 Blue Jays recovered at found that the breedingrange was slowlymoving placesremoved from the originalbanding station, westward,whereas the numberof winter sightings although219 of the 230reports still were returnsat in the PacificNorthwest was increasingdramati- the original station.Seven of these 11 recoveries cally.! was puzzledby the lack of winter sightings were within the samestate as the originalbanding in the Intermountainregion, and decided to ana- station,with the 4 othersall showingsouthward lyze the bandingrecoveries west of the 100thmer- movementsduring fall. Two of these recoveries constituted movements of over 667 kin. Over the idian to determine what pattern might emerge. Here, I presentthat analysis,which stronglysug- next 15 years,many long-distancemovements by geststhat most Blue Jay sightingsin the Pacific bandedBlue Jayswere reported(e.g., Whittle 1928, Northwestare individualsoriginating in western Anon. 1929, Roberts 1936, Stoner 1936), as were Canada rather than birds crossingthe Rockies sightingsof large massmovements or migrationsof from central United States. Blue Jays(e.g., Sherman 1931, Tyrrell 1934,Cottam 1937,Broun 1941,Lewis 1942). -
Mount Roberts Alpine Checklist
Juneau - Mount Roberts Alpine Species Checklist For more information, see https://ak.audubon.org/. Seasons: Spring: March–May Summer: June and July Fall: August–November Winter: December–February Frequency Classification: C = Common: Occurs in essentially all suitable habitats during appropriate seasons, with certain species at times abundant; species should be easy to find. F = Fairly common: Occurs in some or most suitable habitats during appropriate seasons, but less abundant and at times few in number; species often found. U = Uncommon: Occurs in relatively small numbers; species not observed regularly even in proper habitats. R = Rare: Either found in restricted habitat, or occurs most years in small numbers; species difficult to find. V = Very Rare: A species beyond its normal range that may occur intermittently and in very small numbers. + = Accidental: Only one or two historical records to date. Guild Species Sp Su Fa Wi Swans, Geese, Ducks ☐ Canada Goose* C F C F Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Rock Ptarmigan* C C C C Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Sooty Grouse* C C C C Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ White-tailed Ptarmigan* U U U U Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Willow Ptarmigan* F F F F Grouse, Ptarmigan ☐ Spruce Grouse* R R R R Herons, Bitterns ☐ Great Blue Heron* F F F U Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Bald Eagle* C C C C Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Golden Eagle* R R R R Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Northern Harrier* U V U V Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Rough-legged Hawk R + R V Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Sharp-shinned Hawk* F U F R Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Steller's Sea-Eagle + + + + Hawks, Eagles, etc. ☐ Northern Goshawk* U U U U Hawks, Eagles, etc. -
The Vocal Behavior of the American Crow, Corvus Brachyrhynchos
THE VOCAL BEHAVIOR OF THE AMERICAN CROW, CORVUS BRACHYRHYNCHOS THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Sciences in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Robin Tarter, B.S. ***** The Ohio State University 2008 Masters Examination Committee Approved by Dr. Douglas Nelson, Advisor Dr. Mitch Masters _________________________________ Dr. Jill Soha Advisor Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology Graduate Program ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the vocal behavior of the American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, and to thereby address questions about the evolutionary significance of crow behavior. I recorded the calls of 71 birds of known sex and age in a family context. Sorting calls by their acoustic characteristics and behavioral contexts, I identified and hypothesized functions for 7 adult and 2 juvenile call types, and in several cases found preferential use of a call type by birds of a particular sex or breeding status. My findings enrich our understanding of crow social behavior. I found that helpers and breeders played different roles in foraging and in protecting family territories from other crows and from predators. My findings may also be useful for human management of crow populations, particularly dispersal attempts using playbacks of crows’ own vocalizations. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Kevin McGowan of Cornell, Dr. Anne Clark of Binghamton University, and Binghamton graduate student Rebecca Heiss for allowing me to work with their study animals. McGowan, Clark and Heiss shared their data with me, along with huge amounts of information and insight about crow behavior. -
Ecology of the Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) Rookery on the Slate River, Crested Butte, Colorado and Impacts of Human Activities 2018 Pilot Study
WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY ____________________________________________________________________________ Ecology of the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) rookery on the Slate River, Crested Butte, Colorado and impacts of human activities 2018 Pilot Study Final Report Produced for the Crested Butte Land Trust 3 January 2019 Patrick Magee! and Megan Zareba Natural and Environmental Sciences Department Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO 81231 1 | Page Slate River Wetlands Great Blue Heron Study “From its form and color, as well as size, it was singularly distinct…. They stood in the midst of the open river, on this shallow and reedy bar in the sun, the leisurely sentries, lazily pluming themselves, as if the day were too long for them. They gave a new character to the stream. Adjutant they were to my idea of the river, these two winged men…. How long we may have gazed on a particular scenery and think that we have seen and known it, when, at length, some bird or quadruped comes and takes possession of it before our eyes, and imparts to it a wholly new character. The heron uses these shallows as I cannot. I give them up to him.” Henry David Thoreau 1859 Photo by Carley Clegg 2 | Page Slate River Wetlands Great Blue Heron Study EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) has flapped its immense wings and cast its shadow over North America’s wetlands for nearly two million years. The large heron spends much of its life as a solitary hunter, but in spring these birds join gregarious breeding colonies and nest in the crowns of trees.