LAND BIRDS. 



417 



193. Northern Raven. Corvus corax principalis Ridgiv. (486a) 



Synonyms: Raven, Common Raven. — Corvus corax, Wils., Nutt. — Corvus carnivorus, 

 Baird, 1858, Coues, 1861. etc. — Corvus corax principalis, Ridgw., 1887, A. O. U. Com- 

 mittee, 1889. 



Figure 99. 



Known at a glance by its strong resemblance to the common Crow, 

 from which it is readily separated by its much greater size, the lance-shaped 

 separate feathers of the throat and neck (Fig. 99) and the graduated tail. 



Distribution.— Northern North America, south to British Columbia, 

 northern Michigan, New Brunswick, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, 

 etc. 



During the early history of Michigan the Raven was an abundant bird, 

 and even forty years ago it was fully as abundant about Lansing as was 

 the common Crow. At the present time it is confined almost entirely to 

 the northern part of the Lower Peninsula and the more heavily wooded 



Fig. 99. Heads of Crow and Eaven (at right) to show^relative size. 

 Photograph from mounted specimens. (Original.) 



portions of the Upper Peninsula, and even there it is by no means abundant. 

 Stragglers may wander south in winter and it would not be surprising 

 if an occasional individual were to be found in winter at any point in the 

 state; nevertheless the Raven must be considered a vanishing bird and its 

 extinction doubtless will be complete within a very few years. 



According to B. H. Swales it was formerly common in Wayne county, 

 l)ut is now probably extinct; the latest record for that vicinity being a 

 pair seen by Mr. J. Claire Wood in 1885, not far from Windsor, Ont., just 

 across the river from Detroit. Mcllwraith, in his Birds of Ontario, states 

 that he had a specimen in his collection which was obtained at St. Clair 

 Flats, where it was said to be an occasional visitor in the fall. That, 

 however, was previous to 1894. In 1879, according to A. W. Brayton, 

 it was not uncommon along the shores of Lake Michigan from October 

 until spring, eating the dead fish thrown up by the Lake (Trans. Ind. Hort. 

 Soc, 1879, p. 129). Jerome Trombley states that it was common at 

 Petersburg, Monroe county, when he was a boy, but is now entirely extinct. 

 Mr. John Hazclwood of Port Huron writes that formerly he shot a good 

 many near that place, but of late years never sees them. Dr. Gibbs states 

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