White-necked Raven 293 
White-necked Raven. Corvus cryptoleucus, 
A.O.U. Checklist no 487—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 203; 
73, p. 16; Trippe 74, p. 206; Henshaw 75, p. 326; Ridgway 79, 
p. 230; Drew 85, p. 16; Dille, 87, p. 99 (C. corax carnivorus) ; Morrison 
. 89, p. 147; Bendire 92, p. 402; Cooke 97, pp. 91, 163, 210; 
Henderson 03, p. 236; 09, p. 233. 
Description.—Adult—Resembling C. corax sinuatus, but smaller, 
and with relatively longer nasal plumes, which extend quite half the 
length of the bill; the feathers of the nape, upper-back and breast 
with concealed white bases ; iris brown, bill and legs black. Length 
20; wing 14-20; tail 8-0; culmen 2-20; tarsus 2-35. 
The female averages slightly smaller—wing about 13-5. Young 
birds are less glossy, have no lanceolate feathers on the throat, and 
the basal half of the mandible light coloured. 
Distribution.—The western plains of the United States, from south- 
east Wyoming and western Nebraska south to central Mexico, and west- 
wards through Arizona to southern California. 
In Colorado the White-necked Raven was excessively abundant 
along the eastern foothills of the Rockies from Cheyenne to Trinidad, 
in the early seventies of the last century. Aiken states that in 
the winter of 1871-2, a flock of over a thousand birds wintered close 
to Colorado Springs, which was founded in that year. Now they 
seldom if ever are seen, having been probably driven away by settle- 
ment. They do not seem to go to any great elevation in the mountains, 
though observed by Carter at Dillon (about 8,800 feet) in Summit co., 
and by W. G. Smith in the foothills near Loveland; nor are they found 
on the western side of the range, but they do or did extend out over 
the eastern plains to the Kansas border, and Mr. Ferril has recently 
informed me that he observed them at Kit Carson in October, 1907, in 
the extreme west of the State. 
Habits——The White-necked Raven seems to be a more 
sociable bird than the Mexican Raven, congregating 
in large flocks in winter; it becomes tame when not 
molested, though naturally suspicious and wary. The 
note is said to be not so loud or varied as that of the 
Mexican Raven. Dille (87) found two nests on the plains 
in Weld co. on May 24th; they were placed in willow 
trees, and very neatly constructed and lined with cow’s 
hair ; the eggs, eight in number in each nest, were fresh. 
Aiken also found the nest of this bird in May, 1878, on 
