WHITE-NECKED RAVEN 225 



Winter. — In its winter resorts in Texas the white-necked ravens are 

 highly gregarious. Mr. Brandt (1940) writes: 



When the winds of winter roar down from the north this black clan then 

 gathers into large communities and moves about the countryside in active, rest- 

 less flocks, often numbering thousands of individuals. They may then be seen 

 feeding forward on the ground in the great open pastures, the rear birds eddying 

 over those ahead and alighting, imparting to the flock the eflFect of rolling along- 

 They then visit the cities and villages of the region, making themselves per- 

 fectly at home, and are less afraid of man than ever. The encroachment of 

 civilization seems to have little or no effect on their numbers and they may be 

 found perched in the trees and on the roofs of the houses, and feeding in the 

 streets and yards. * * ♦ To tour over these bare high prairies in January would 

 be bleak indeed were it not for the two typical lively objects of the r^on — the 

 White-necked Raven and the tumbleweed. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States and northern Mexico ; non- 

 migratory. 



The range of the white-necked raven extends north to southern 

 Arizona (Baboquivari Mountains, Papago Indian Reservation, and 

 Oracle) ; New Mexico (Cactus Flat, Cutter, and Fort Summer) ; rarely 

 east-central Colorado (Hugo) ; and Oklahoma (Arnett). East to 

 western Oklahoma (Arnett) ; central Texas (Haskell, Albany, probably 

 Turtle Creek, and probably Brownsville) ; and Tamaulipas (Charco 

 Escondido). South to northern Tamaulipas (Charco Escondido) ; 

 Nuevo Leon (Monterrey) ; Coahuila (Saltillo) ; Chihuahua (probably 

 near Chihuahua City and San Pedro) ; and southern Sonora (Her- 

 mosillo). West to central Sonora (Hermosillo and Magdalena) ; and 

 southeastern Arizona (Fort Huachuca and the Baboquivari Mountains). 

 The range is said to extend south to the Mexican state of Guanajuato, 

 but the supporting evidence is not known. Formerly the species was 

 common along the foothills in eastern Colorado north to the Wyoming 

 line. 



Casual records. — It is probable that white-necked ravens formerly 

 were not uncommon in western Kansas and Nebraska. In the latter 

 State one was recorded from the Republican River region in April 1877, 

 and it was noted near Sidney sometime prior to 1904. Several were 

 noted at Wallace, Kans., October 12-16, 1833, and one was taken at 

 Ellinwood on November 8, 1934. Recorded occurrences in California 

 and Montana are not considered properly authenticated. 



Egg dates. — Arizona : 94 records. May 6 to June 27 ; 48 records, June 

 6 to 17, indicating the height of the season. 



Texas: 58 records, March 15 to June 16; 30 records, May 12 to 20. 



