BIRDS OF COLORADO. 
91 
to think him a veritable ‘whiskey Jack.’ Yet, whenever he is 
disposed, a more bland, mind-his-own-business appearing bird 
will be hard to find, as also many small articles around camp 
after one of his visits, for his whimsical brain has a great fancy 
for anything which may be valuable to you, but perfectly 
useless to himself.” (B. N. O. C. VI. 1881, 140.) 
486. Corvus corax sinuatus. American Raven. 
Resident; common, locally. More particularly a bird of 
western Colorado, but occurs in the mountains as a not uncom- 
mon visitant. Has been taken by Capt. P. M. Thorne at Fort 
Lyon, and even extends occasionally east to western Kansas. 
Breeds throughout its range, but more commonly in the mount- 
ains at least to timber-line. Winters from the plains to about 
10,000 feet. Irregular in its movements. 
487. Corvus cryptoleucus. White-necked Raven. 
Resident; rare. Formerly common along the eastern base 
of the front range for its entire length in Colorado and from 
50 to 100 miles out on the plains. Now entirely absent from 
much of this region. F. M. Dille found nests and eggs May 
24, 1887, in Weld County, far east of the foothills. There is no 
other late record north of Boulder, where R. A. Campbell saw 
them twice in 1894, high up in the foothills. C. B. Aiken says 
of its range 20 years ago: “I first saw them in October, 1871, 
about 25 miles south of Cheyenne on the line of the Denver 
Pacific Railroad where a large flock was hovering over the plain. 
In the city of Denver I have often seen them searching for 
food in the less frequented streets, and about 100 miles farther 
south on the Fontaine Qui Bouille, I have seen immense num- 
bers. At the latter place a flock of probably 1,000 individuals 
was resident during the winter of 1871-2. Although so abund- 
ant in winter, very few are to be seen in summer ; the greater 
number either pass to the northward or become so distributed 
over the country as not to attract attention. * * * (7. cryptoleu- 
cus is mainly a bird of the plains, being replaced in the mount- 
ains by the common raven. The two birds resemble each other 
so closely, both in notes and habits, that it is difficult to dis- 
tinguish between them at a distance; the greatest apparent 
discrepancy being in size, though the croak of carnivorus is 
somewhat deeper and louder than that of the other. I have 
sometimes found them both associated in the same flock. Each 
succeeding year since I first saw these birds I have noticed a 
marked decrease in their numbers in El Paso County, Colorado. 
The cause of this I do not know unless it is because as the 
country becomes more thickly settled, the solitude they love so 
well is denied them.” 
