PERCHING BIRDS 



-18 5a. GRAY JAY. Perisoreus obscurus griseus. 



Range. British Columbia to northern California, east of the coast ranges. 

 This bird is said to be larger and grayer than the preceding. 



486. RAVEN. Corvus corax sinuatus. 



Range. North America west of the Rockies and from British Columbia 

 southward. 



The Raven is like a very large Crow, 

 length 24 inches, but has the feathers 

 on the neck lengthened and stiffened. 

 Their habits are similar to those of the 

 Crow, but more dignified, and they 

 remain mated for life. Besides grass- 

 hoppers and worms, they feed largely 

 upon animal matter such as lizards, 

 shell fish, frogs, eggs and young of 

 birds, and carrion. They nest on 

 ledges of high inaccessible cliffs or 

 the tops of tall trees, making largo 

 nests of sticks lined with smaller ones 

 and hair or wool; the eggs are laid in 

 April or May, number from four to 

 seven, and are light greenish in color, 



Pale greenish white 



blotched with umber and drab. Size 1.95 x 1.25. 



486a. NORTHERN RAVEN. Corvus corax principalis. 



Range. Eastern North America chiefly north of the United States and north- 

 west to Alaska; south on some of the higher ranges to Georgia. 



This variety is like the last but is larger. They are not nearly as abundant 

 as the western form and are very rare within the United States. A few pairs 

 still breed on some of the rocky islands off the coast of Maine; more off New 

 Brunswick and Newfoundland, and they are quite common on the cliffs of 

 Labrador and Alaska. Their nesting habits and eggs are like those of the last. 



487. WHITE-NECKED RAVEN. Corvus cryptoleucus. 



Range. Mexico and the border of the United States; north to eastern Kansas. 



This small Raven is of about the size of 

 the Crow, and has the bases of the neck 

 feathers white. They are very abundant in 

 some localities, especially in southern Ari- 

 zona. Their food consists chiefly of animal 

 matter, the same as the large Ravens, and 

 they are not nearly as shy, frequently feed- 

 ing in camps upon refuse which is thrown 

 out to them. They build at low elevations 

 in any tree, but preferably in mesquites, 

 making their nests of sticks and lining them 

 with hair, leaves, bark, wool or anything 

 soft. During June they lay from four to six 

 pale bluish green eggs, generally sparingly spotted or scratched with dark 

 brown and drab. Size 1.75 x 1.20. 



311 



Pale bluish green 



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