KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
Orver 1. PASSERES. Perching Birds. 
Family 1. Corvipar. Ravens, Crows, Jays. 
Most members of this family are well known birds. In point of intelligence they are easily superior, — 
but they are more Jacking in song than is any other group of Passeres. It has been stated that they 
have a sort of vocal language which may compensate for song. Some of the Jays are no mean mimics 
besides having songs of their own. 
I. Entirely black. 
A. Wing about 17 inches long. 1. Northern Raven. 
B. Wing about 16 inches. 2. Mexican Raven. 
C. Wing about 11.50 inches, 3. Western Crow. 
D. Wing about 10.50 inches. 4. Northwest Crow. 
II. Conspicuously black and white. Tail long. 7. American Magpie. 
III. With conspicuous blue. 
A. Head conspicuously crested. 
1. A white spot over the eye. 11. Black-headed Jay. 
2. No white spot over the eye. 
a. Blue of the forehead narrow. 
(1). Back and breast sooty brown. 9. Steller’s Jay. 
(2). Back and breast sooty slate. B.C. 1. Queen Charlotte Jay. 
b. Blue of forehead reaching onto crest. 1o. Grinnell’s Jay. 
B. Head not crested. 
1. Back blue. 6. Pinon Jay. 
2. Back brown. 8. California Jay. 
IV. Plumage mostly gray. 
A. Tips of secondaries and outer tail feathers white. 5. Clark's Nutcracker. 
B. No white on secondaries and tail. 
t. Top of head white. 12. White-headed Jay. 
2. Top of head black. 
a. Back brown, smaller. 13. Oregon Jay. 
b. Back mouse-gray, larger. 14. Gray Jay. 
Family 2. Icrermar. Blackbirds, etc. 
We call the birds composing this group Blackbirds because probably the most familiar examples 
are largely black. Some of its members have practically no song at all while others have pleasing and 
varied songs. 
ADULT MALES. 
I. Plumage mostly or wholly black. 
A. Head greenish black like the body. B.C. 2. Rusty Blackbird. 
B. Head violet purple, unlike the body. 16. Brewer's Blackbird. 
C. Head coffee brown, unlike the back. 15. Cowbird. 
D. Head and neck yellow. 21. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 
E. Head black. 
1, Wing patches red, without buffy border. 18. Californian Bicolored Blackbird. 
2. Wing patches red, with buffy border. 
a. Bill longer, more slender. 20. Northwestern Red-wing. 
b. Bill shorter, stouter. 19. Columbian Red-wing. 
Il. With much orange in the plumage. 17. Bullock's Oriole. 
III. Underparts black, back with white. B.C. & H. 1. Bobolink. 
IV. Underparts with yellow and a black crescent. 22. Western Meadowlark. 
