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I will document a few of our most common birds in the winter, members of the Corvidae family; they are easily seen and heard locally, and even though they are close cousins, they do not associate with one another. In fact Crows will mob Ravens or other predator birds. If you see a flock of Crows flying into a tree and calling loudly, look closely there maybe an owl there trying to hide from them.
COMMON RAVEN
A large black bird measuring 21 to 27 inches in length, with a heavy bill, and long narrow wings and a long wedge shaped tail. The wedge-shaped tail is the best way to identify these birds. The raven often soars, whereas crows never do. It has shaggy throat feathers The bill almost has a “roman nose” appearance. Pairs engage in aerial acrobatics, climbing high in the air and then “barrel rolling “out of the sky together. They nest on ledges of canyons, coastal cliffs and even on telephone poles. Their call is often heard throughout the coastal forest and the raven plays a large part in Native folklore (the trickster). They are found throughout Canada except in the prairie grassland eco region. They are noisy and aggressive but inconspicuous when nesting. They will mob predators, even owls and hawks. Their nest is constructed with sticks, bones wool and other man-made material.
AMERICAN OR COMMON CROW.
The crow is also black, glossed with purplish color in sunlight. It measures 17 – 21 inches in length. It has a black powerful bill (smaller than the Raven) and nostrils that are usually covered by forward pointing bristles; a short tail and broad wings They are found in small groups foraging mainly on the ground. They are omnivorous and have a loud noisy “caw”. The head appears to be round. The nest is a well made bowl of sticks and are more visible in winter and often in deciduous trees. Both Raven and Crow numbers have increased since the inception of landfills in our area. The crow has a buoyant strong flight with “rowing wing beats “.
BLACK BILLED MAGPIE
This noisy bird is found in gardens, open country and anywhere where food is abundant. They are 19 inches long, black with white shoulder and belly, an extremely long tail and heavy bill. The back appears iridescent green in sunlight. The voice is harsh and clattery 3 – 5 notes. They are found from the west coast to Manitoba. Nesting begins in mid April; the nest a mass of sticks with an entrance on each side It can be in a tree or bush and often in colonies. In 1931, 1033 magpies were killed in the Okanagan Valley by 12 people in an effort to prevent damage to crops. However the numbers continue to grow and they are in healthy numbers today. Magpies will raid the nests of other birds and take their eggs and/or young.
NORTH WEST CROW
AS suggested this bird lives on the coast of B.C., beachcombing, and reminding one of the fish crow of the Atlantic Provinces. It measures 16 inches – slightly smaller than the American Crow and has a lowers pitched voice.
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