=H) ri) oa } aa a 4 3 Seo . hh) a ra ee» sonic ine si * 4 <= i SSR tix JNIVERSITY C. ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN NATURAL HIST SURVE’ *, 4 i] 7 é 7 ee. * 5 / nots ies: coRVDA e es Jean W. 1 Richa ge ad nie Kirk gp Illinois Natural History Survey Champaign, Illinois-March 1987 State of Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Natural History Survey Division ” Biological Notggane:12t Illinois Birds: Corvidae Jean W. Graber, Richard R. Graber, and Ethelyn L. Kirk The crow family in Illinois is now represented by only three species that are regular residents—the well- known blue jay and American crow and the relatively little-known (in Illinois) fish crow. Other species that have been recorded in the state— gray jay, scrub jay, Steller’s jay, Clark’s nutcracker, black-billed magpie, and common raven—are rare or accidental in Illinois. Both the blue jay and the American crow are rep- resented by at least three populations in Illinois: local breeders (birds hatched in Illinois that probably winter in Illinois or to the south and return to their natal areas to breed), birds that enter the state and probably pass through Illinois to their breeding and wintering areas, and birds that enter the state and stay through the winter. Some local breeders may migrate. The populations are not necessarily morphologically (genetically) distinct, and their biology is difficult to study. Studies of banded populations are particularly needed. A notable characteristic of the Illinois Corvidae is their (strictly ?) diurnal migration. Our counts of these migrations were made anywhere we found them, but especially from high points along major rivers and streams, many of which have not been adequately checked for migration. The counts were of numbers of birds of each species passing (on all sides) our ob- servation point per hour. C.T. Black’s (1941) extraordinary study of the crow in Illinois is unique for its biologic and geo- graphic depth and breadth. We have cited it fre- quently, but serious students of the crow in this coun- try should refer to his original paper. Acknowledgments As usual, many people helped with this paper. In the Illinois Natural History Survey we are especially indebted to Dr. Glen C. Sanderson, Head of the Wildlife Research Section, who edited the original This paper, the eleventh in a series on the birds of Illinois, is published by authority of the State of Illinois. It is a contribution from the Section of Wildlife Research of the Illinois Natural History Survey. Dr. Jean W. Graber and Dr. Richard R. Graber were, until their retirement in 1983, Wildlife Specialists at the Survey. The late Miss Ethelyn L. Kirk served as a Technical Assistant. The recommendations of two or more outside referees are re- quired before a manuscript is accepted for publication in Biological Notes. manuscript as he has—to their great benefit—nearly all the papers in this series. Drs. Christopher D. Bur- nett and Scott K. Robinson reviewed the manuscript. Elizabeth Anderson prepared finished papers from our rough manuscripts, and Lloyd Le Mere completed finished drawings from our rough copies. Our exten- sive use of the Survey library always received generous help going back to Ruth Warrick and Doris Dodds and, most recently, Monica Lusk and Carla Heister. Frank Bellrose and Robert Crompton shared with us their extensive data on the blue jay migration in the Illinois valley. Many other colleagues in and out of the Survey gave us observations. We would especially like to mention James W. Seets and Charles Nixon of the Survey and Jared Garver of the Illinois Depart- ment of Conservation. GRAY JAY (Perisoreus canadensis) There are no documented records of this northern and western species in Illinois, though it has been reported twice—once at Peoria in winter (Loucks 1892, see Bohlen 1978) and once at a Highland Park feeder in winter, 1958—1959 (Lehmann 1959; Mum- ford 1959; Russell 1967). One was captured at nearby Racine, Wisconsin, in winter, 1859 (Nelson 1876; Ford 1956). Reference to 149 gray jays at Hannibal, Mis- souri (A. Shaw and J. Shaw 1983), was obviously an error. SCRUB JAY (Aphelocoma coerulescens) A scrub jay, its origin uncertain, was seen at Illinois Beach State Park from 29 September—30 October 1984 (Peterjohn 1985). This entry is out of phyloge- netic sequence and would normally follow Cyanocitta. STELLER’S JAY (Cyanocitta steller!) The three Illinois reports of Steller’s jay, all from the Chicago area, may refer to escaped captives. In- cluded were a specimen shot at Lincoln Park, 12 June March 1987 Graber, Graber, and Kirk 1911, and subsequently identified as C. s. macrolopha (Woodruff 1912; Ford 1956) and another banded at Highland Park, where it was observed many times between Easter and Thanksgiving, 1952, and iden- tified as C. s. annectens (Downing 1952). The third was seen 25 May 1965 at Palos Hills Forest Preserve (Bohlen 1978). BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata) (Cover) Spring Migration Although blue jays indisputably migrate in (through) Illinois (Fig.1), many questions about the phenomenon—precise routes, annual variation, per- centage of population involved, age and sex compo- sition of the migrant swarm, physical and food factors that influence migration—need special study. The state is never without jays (Fig. 2 and 3). The origin ’ a £ a. t f s < { © * . . We a 9 , » wy ; MI Illinois Birds: Corvidae 3 of winter birds and migrants appears to be from the north-northeast (Fig. 4). The available data indicate that the migration of jays is strictly diurnal; however, the difficulty of distin- guishing true long-distance migration from local flights to foraging and roosting sites can produce in- accuracies in the data. Widmann (1907) pointed out that the migration is not restricted to the vicinity of such striking landmarks as shorelines and floodplains but has been reported especially from such places (Buck 1981; Kleen 1974a). Jay migration on a broad front has not been reported, nor has high altitude (>1,000 ft= 305 m) migration of jays been observed, but these should be looked for. High altitude migra- tion, especially, would be easily overlooked. Cross- country migration of jays appears similar to migration along shorelines—one jay, or more typically a flock of jays, following with little variation the line of flight of the last jays that passed. Sometimes the “line” may spread as wide as | km, possibly in response to the birds’ sighting of the observer or when especially large numbers of birds are involved. Bellrose (1972) map- ( aN \) & >» =z Ie. x FPN & la ‘ PF . Cae Vi" ‘ai TA X\ ( ; a — Fig. 1.—A sketch of blue jays migrating along the Ohio River, where numbers are generally not as high as those found along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Migrating jays typically pass a given point in pulses—a flock of 5-75 birds associated in a loose string followed by a pause of 5-20 minutes before the next string appears. Regardless of the interval between these pulses, one string follows the path of its predecessor as if the preceding string could still be seen, an unlikely circumstance in many cases. 4 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes ped the blue jay migration route along the Illinois valley and found the width of the flight path in many places to be no more than 90 m during at least 6 years of observations. Jays usually fly less than 500 ft (152 m) above local terrain, often just above the treetops. They are generally silent but become vociferous when they pause in treetops, as they sometimes do. Migra- tory behavior varies considerably for reasons un- known to us (population? locality? age? sex?). We have observed migrations under clear as well as under over- cast skies and before and after frontal passages. We have not seen migrations when winds were much over 10 mph. Most often, large flights begin within an hour after dawn and last until about 1100 CST. Migration may resume, especially after 1500, ending before Blue Jay Breeding Records Nests or Young @ 1950- A 1900-1949 @ Before 1900 Pairs or Singing Males (June) 1950- 1900 - 1949 [] Before 1900 Fig. 2.—Breeding records of the blue jay in Illinois. No. 126 dark. There is no evidence that it continues into the night. Jays pass a given point in pulses—a series of flocks (typically 5—75 birds per flock associated in a loose string) passing, followed by a pause of 5—20 min before the next series appears. Notwithstanding the interval between pulses, one series of flocks follows the path of the last, as if the last flock could still be seen ahead (unlikely in many cases). Although this pattern is perplexing, it is always noticeable in any large migration of jays. We sometimes have seen what we believe to be low-volume migrations of only a few birds per hour flying traditional paths in the appro- priate direction. The general behavior of these birds is the same as the behavior of birds in larger migra- tions, but the intervals between pulses are much Blue Jay Winter Records Dec. 15-Feb. 1 @ 1950- A 1900 - 1949 H@ Before 1900 Fig. 3—Winter records of the blue jay in Illinois. Heavy horizontal lines indicate the three regions of the state (north, central, and south) referred to in the text. March 1987 longer. Our only measurement of flight speed was made by driving parallel to a flock and matching car speed to flock speed. We recorded a speed of more than 25 but less than 30 mph, a reading that included a nearly direct tail wind of 5 mph. We therefore esti- mated a ground speed of about 23 mph. There are differences in the jays’ migration routes between spring and fall. In the south we saw more cross-country migration (migration away from rivers) in spring than in fall, but Bellrose (1972) believed the overall number of routes to be greater in fall. Much field work is needed to determine all the routes used by jays in Illinois. A number of species use the same routes and are often seen flying at the same times as jays, but this phenomenon appears to occur more fre- quently in fall. Jay migration has been observed as early as 14 March in southern Illinois and as early as 17 March in the central region (M. Campbell, unpub- lished 1971). High numbers of migrating jays were seen 18 April—2 May in southern Illinois (55—700/hr, cross-country), 22-30 April in the central region (100—800/hr, in the Illinois valley), and 1-21 May in the north (100/hr—650+/period? on the Lake Michi- gan shore [Fawks 1966]). The highest counts of @ March - April @ May - August * September - November 2. November - February © Banding Station Fig. 4—Recoveries (symbols only) and banding locations (symbols enclosed by circles) of blue jays that were either banded or recovered in Illinois. Graber, Graber, and Kirk Illinois Birds: Corvidae 5 “foraging” (nonmigrating) jays did not coincide exactly with the peak migration days (Fig. 5). High counts of “foraging” jays were made 14 March—22 April in the south (36—50 birds counted per day), 15 April—-17 May in the central region (40—70/day), and 18 April—12 May in the north (22—38/day). No counts of foraging jays are available for the Lake Michigan area. The latest dates on which active migrations of jays have been seen in Illinois were 26 May in the south, 14 May in the central region, and 21 May in the north. Migrations may occasionally extend into June (Peter- john 1983) and should be looked for both earlier and later than our observations show. The censuses (Table 1) are measures of foraging birds and exclude actively migrating jays. Spring den- sities of jays, as usual, were high in forest-edge and shrub habitat and had increased since winter in this habitat particularly. Spring numbers had also in- creased in upland as opposed to bottomland forest, with the change especially notable in the south, where densities in bottomland forest in spring were lower than winter levels. In the central region, where all forest is at a premium, spring densities increased in both upland and bottomland but more in upland (Table 1 and 2). We saw more jays on the western than on the eastern side of the state in both southern and central Illinois, with highest numbers in the II- linois valley. Flight directions of jays in spring tend to be to the northeast, and jays banded north of Illinois and later recovered in Illinois have come mainly from Michigan (Fig. 4). Marked exceptions to this trend are indicated by band recoveries in Iowa (Stoner 1929) and in South Dakota (Holcombe and Yeomans 1939). Distribution A species of eastern and central North America (Fig. 6), the blue jay is believed to be increasing in the western part of its range (Bock and Lepthien 1976). Because urban residential areas are an important habitat for the jay, it almost certainly nests in every township in Illinois, notwithstanding Figure 2, where we have plotted all records known to us. Nesting Habitats and Populations Kendeigh’s (1982) study in Trelease Woods suggests important characteristics of the forest habitat preferred by jays. For many years jay numbers re- mained low at this site until the forest canopy was disrupted by tree deaths from elm disease. With that change, jays increased markedly and did not decline again when new tree growth closed the canopy. This apparent adaptability to variation in tree spacing may make it difficult to define the habitat. Towns, which 6 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes 1200/hr North = 650* Sh 300 oS 200 > eo h Me 135* Fac 100/hr 3 a Egg Laying n [\Q 8 6.0 20 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov 2000/hr 800 988/hr a @& 812 600/hr <@ 325/hr Central 300 > 228/hr a> te 100/hr By 198/hr 2. On CRN Se Se Birds Counted per Day O a3 ® ‘1 [e) 8 8 6 Feb = Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov 738/hr i 366 500/hr ae South pts 329 M97 ihr 197/hr le [ ys 112/hr-_@> -<@126/hr 60* a 78/hr ea pr caen @55/hr O Te eae ; Mhee..We 7 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug __ Sept Oct Nov 20 Egg Laying (Span of Dates) No. 126 Percent of Eggs Laid on Given Date Fig. 5.—Egg-laying and migration seasons of the blue jay in north, central, and south regions of Illinois (see Fig. 3 for region boundaries). Spring and fall lines show the highest daily count of each 4 days (1967-1970). Circles represent counts made in other years or by other observers. Shaded areas show the percentage of eggs laid on each date (north and central) and the span of dates during which egg laying has been recorded (south). Arrows represent counts of diurnal migrations. March 1987 have long been known as good habitat for jays (Allen 1868; Ridgway 1878; Nehrling 1883; Hess 1910), also characteristically have open spacing of trees and shrubs. Formerly, orchards had high densities of jays (Hess 1910), but modern orchards apparently do not (Table 3), though more data are needed to verify this observation. Forest-edge and shrub habitat also has open space and high numbers of jays, and edge shrub has particularly high numbers (Table 3). The number of jays in the towns we censused was consistently higher than the number in mature natural for- est (Table 3). Towns had lower densities of trees (37—59/ha) than mature forests (268—480/ha), but we did not find a direct relationship between jay densities and tree densities. One can surmise that the attractive- ness of towns relates especially to the presence of bird feeders, but comparative studies of jay populations in towns and in more natural forest and shrub habitat are desirable. Tree species mentioned as associated with jay habitat were black oaks (Gates 1911), shingle, and blackjack oaks (Etter 1963), and oak and/or hickory in general (Cahn and Hyde 1929). None of our study areas (see J.W. Graber et al. 1977, 1983) contained noteworthy numbers of shingle or blackjack oaks, but shingle oak was prominent in forest edge and shrub, a high-density jay habitat. Neither oaks in general nor hickories in general showed a quantitative relationship to jay numbers in our study areas. The blue jay’s range is roughly similar to that of the black oak group Ery- throbalanus (Fowells 1965). In our study areas of bot- tomland forest in southern Illinois, pin oak (Quercus palustris) densities and jay densities correlated (r= 0.6124, n= 10), with a higher correlation for pin Graber, Graber, and Kirk Illinois Birds: Corvidae 7 oak and cherrybark oak (Q. falcata pagodaefolia) com- bined (r= 0.798, n= 10, p= <0.01, > 0.001). Pin oaks are generally absent from upland forest. In upland forest, black oak (Q. velutina) tended to be correlated with jay numbers (r=0.783, n=6, p=<0.05, > 0.02), excluding data from one upland tract (Pos- sum Trot) in northern Alexander County where a high density of black oak (50/ha) was associated with moderate numbers of jays (3/40 ha). Gates (1911) noted that the jay was a dominant species in both mesophytic and drier forest along the Illinois River where black oak was a dominant tree. After an area in southern Illinois had been strip- mined, jays occupied the habitat as early as 6—9 years after stripping (Brewer 1958), and in central Illinois Kendeigh (1982) found that jays reached their maximum population level 40 years after cultivation ceased on farm land. The list of plants used as nest sites by blue jays (Table 4), reflects their principal habitats—urban res- idential (cultivated conifers and spiny rosaceous shrubs), edge (osage orange), and the oaks and maples of the forest and forest edge. These plants comprised about 60 percent of the nest trees. Hickories (Carya), notwithstanding their availability in nature, were sel- dom used as nest trees (Table 4). Heights of 226 Illinois nests of the blue jay ranged from 3 to 80 ft (0.9 to 24.4 m) with modes of 5—12 ft (1.5-3.7 m), 15-20 ft (4.6—6.1 m), and 30 ft (9.1 m). The average height was 12.4 ft (3.8 m). The population of blue jays declined greatly (50— 80%) between 1907 and 1957 throughout Illinois and in virtually all but urban residential habitats (R.R. Graber and J.W. Graber 1963, Table 3). Barnes (1890) TABLE 1.—Spring and fall population densities of the blue jay in Illinois (1979-1981). County or Season and Habitat Region Spring (23 May—31 May) Mature bottomland forest Piatt (C) Mature bottomland forest Johnson (S) Mature upland forest Piatt (C) Mature upland forest Pope (S) Forest edge and shrub Piatt (C) Forest edge and shrub Pope (S) Loblolly pines Pope (S) Fall (1 August—3 November) Mature bottomland forest Piatt (C) Mature bottomland forest Johnson (S) Mature upland forest Piatt (C) Mature upland forest Pope (S) Forest edge and shrub Piatt (C) Forest edge and shrub Pope (S) Loblolly pines (1979-1980 only) Pope (S) Number Cumulative Birds per 40.5 ha of Hectares Censuses Censused Maximum Mean 12 241 33.3 15.1 21 436 35.1 8.3 15 316 54.0 19.1 22 454 35.9 14.8 13 261 61.4 30.8 20 394 63.8 19.2 12 214 18.0 5.3 27 541 52.3 19.2 23 483 85.5 15.9 31 601 91.2 21.4 22 452 44.9 17.5 29 586 142.5 64.2 24 484 113.3 38.2 13 228 25.0 8.9 8 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No. 126 TABLE 2.—Winter populations of blue jays in various Illinois habitats. Birds per County or Year(s) Type of Hectares Habitat 40.5 ha Region (January) Census* Censused Reference Suburban woodlot <1-10 Lake (N) 1968-1972 Map 8 Miller & Miller 1972 (avg 5) Urban residential 0-22.7 North 1976 Strip 64 This paper (avg 10.2) Urban residential 2.5-4.9 Central 1976,1978 Strip 104 This paper (avg 2.2) Urban residential 12.1—43.0 South 1976-1978 Strip 265 This paper (avg 24.3) Bottomland forest “A 3s 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Feb Mar Apr May — Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Fig. 9.—Egg-laying and migration seasons of the American crow in north, central, and south regions of Illinois (see Fig. 3 for region boundaries). Spring and fall lines show the highest daily count of each 4 days (1967-1970). Circles represent counts made in other years or by other observers. Shaded areas show the percentage of eggs laid on each date (north and central) and the span of dates during which egg laying has been recorded (south). Arrows represent counts of diurnal migrations. 20 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes the defense of a nest only once in many hours of observation at 250 nests. Crows other than the nest mates were allowed to perch as close as 75 yards to the nest and to fly close to the nest tree. The crow is perhaps the most clear-cut “generalist” of Illinois birds. We found crow densities to be gener- ally higher in bottomland than in upland forest, a difference that was particularly striking in southern Illinois (Table 6). The more subtle difference in east- central Illinois probably reflects chiefly the shortage of habitat, since crows in that region may be pressed to use all the available woody habitat. Forest-edge and shrub habitat had relatively high populations in cen- tral Illinois and in the south in earlier years (1909) but not now. In general, counts for earlier years were higher than recent counts (Table 6), and we estimate that the crow population in Illinois declined 72 per- cent between 1907 and 1957 (R.R. Graber and J.W. Graber 1963). The growth of numerous pine planta- tions in recent decades, however, has provided much nesting habitat for the crow in southern Illinois. Essen- tially all open-field habitats are used by crows as forag- ing sites (Table 6). e April - September © Banding station © October - March @©Banding station Fig. 10.—Recoveries of American crows that were either banded or recovered in Illinois. No. 126 Black (1941) provided an excellent summary of nest-site data in an intensively cultivated region (east- central Illinois). Of 253 nests found, 45 percent were located in trees in open fields, 34 percent in woodland, 14 percent in sparsely wooded pastures, and 7 percent in orchards, cemeteries, abandoned farm yards, tree plantations, and thickets. Nests in dense woods were within 40 yards (36.6 m) of the edge. Although nests were found in 28 species of trees, half were found in only 3 species—osage orange, American elm, and white oak, the species most prevalent in the area. Black believed that crows showed a preference for oaks and elms over the equally numerous maples in woodlands. Of 115 nests found in open farmland, 69 (60%) were in osage orange (see also Alfred Gross’s comments in Bent 1946). Other data on nest sites are summarized in Table 7. Most nests were in oaks, but the data slight- ed osage orange, especially in central Illinois, where authors did not always give numbers for that tree, noting only that it was a common nest tree for crows. Osage orange would surely have been a predominant species in open farmland. The “low pines” mentioned by Woodruff (1907) as breeding sites are not included in Table 7 because no numbers were given. mm ( { \ ak : ~ \ q ne > American Crow ~~~ oe = i : Ranges, SS “= [] BREEDING Css = winter 7 SER po 900 jn 5 = — = = a ren} Fig. 11.—General distribution of the American crow. March 1987 Heights of 90 nests in the northern region and 29 in the central region ranged from 8 to 50 ft (2.4—15.2 m); heights averaged 29 ft (8.8 m) in the north and 25.6 ft (7.8 m) in the central region. Nest heights in Black’s much larger sample ranged as high as 60 ft (18.3 m) and averaged 24 ft (7.3 m) in open field habitat and 35 ft (10.7 m) in woodland, figures that reflect the general heights of trees in these habitats. Nesting Cycle Homing of nesting crows has not been dem- onstrated in Illinois, though juveniles have been recov- ered after a year near the nesting place (Bartel 1945). Apparently few adults have been banded in Illinois. The following notes are summarized mainly from Black’s (1941) extensive work in central Illinois. Pair- ing of crows was not observed until early February and was accompanied by courtship flights involving (presumed) two males pursuing a female with much “cawing.” Such flights were regularly seen from Feb- ruary into April, even after incubation was complete. Testes and ovaries of adults reached maximum size about the end of February or early March, with females developing slightly ahead of males. The de- velopment of the gonads of crows from southern II- linois was advanced | to 2 weeks ahead of those of birds from the north. Gonad development in juveniles was consistently behind that in adults, and males espe- cially did not reach breeding condition in the first year, apparently not becoming sexually mature until the end of their second year. Yearlings (nonbreeders) comprise about 35 percent of the population at the start of the nesting season. Black observed courtship in which a male with wings partly spread hopped from Graber, Graber, and Kirk Illinois Birds: Corvidae 21 branch to branch in the nest tree, uttering a rattling call. Copulation, which he witnessed twice, took place on the nest during early stages of incubation. Of 97 nests observed by Black in 1938, only | was used again in 1939. Both mates carried nest material to some of these nests, but whether both birds took part in the actual nest building was not determined. Burns (1895) learned that nest construction took from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the weather. Building time for second nests (i.e., after nest failure) was 6 to 8 days. Nests constructed early in the season were usually larger and more solidly constructed than later nests. Nearly all nests had a base shell of dead twigs and a lining of grapevine bark. Nests in open field habitats, where twigs were scarce, included as much as 50 percent herbaceous material. Materials used in the outer shell included sticks as thick as %4 in (1.9 cm), grass, weed (milkweed) stems, corn husks and stalks, binder twine, straw, hay, oak leaves, bark, root- lets, Indian hemp (Strode 1889a), paper, and mud; lining materials included grass; inner fibers of maple bark; the bark of grape, cottonwood, and willow; cornhusks and stalks; twine; horse and cow hair; fur of skunk, rabbit, and squirrel; fleece of sheep; straw; moss; oak leaves; and feathers (Loucks, unpublished 1890; Silloway 1906a; Sanborn and Goelitz 1915). The same materials (outer shell and lining) were listed for all regions of the state. Measurements—range and (mean)—for six crow nests from northern Illinois were as follows: outside diameter, 14—30 in (20.5 in); outside depth, 12 in (no variation); inside depth, 4-8 in (6 in); and inside diameter, 8—10 in (9.3 in). At least once, crows nested in an old hawk’s nest (Silloway, unpublished 1923); for three seasons, crows nested ina tree cavity ina Knox County woods (Bent 1946). TaBLe 5.—Spring and fall population densities of the American crow in Illinois (1979-1981). County or Season and Habitat Region Spring (23 March—31 May) Mature bottomland forest Piatt (C) Mature bottomland forest Johnson (S) Mature upland forest Piatt (C) Mature upland forest Pope (S) Forest edge and shrub Piatt (C) Forest edge and shrub Pope (S) Loblolly pines Pope (S) Fall (1 August—3 November) Mature bottomland forest Piatt (C) Mature bottomland forest Johnson (S) Mature upland forest Piatt (C) Mature upland forest Pope (S) Forest edge and shrub Piatt (C) Forest edge and shrub Pope (S) Loblolly pines (1979-1980 only) Pope (S) Number Cumulative Birds per 40.5 ha of Hectares Censuses Censused Maximum Mean 12 241 16.1 9.2 21 436 19.0 4.8 15 316 7.9 1.9 22 454 15.1 2.9 13 261 15.3 9,2 20 394 8.1 1.4 12 214 9.1 4.2 27 541 229.8 27.7 23 483 13.0 2.3 31 601 139.6 13.3 22 452 27.9 3.7 29 586 133.7 22.7 24 484 7.8 1.4 13 228 9.0 2.0 no no In northern Illinois, B.T. Gault (unpublished notes 1884—1927) first observed the mating of crows on 5 March, nest building on 14 March, and a bird on a nest 20 March. At Deerfield, crows had partial or complete clutches, 25—28 March (Mooney 1930). In central Illinois, Black first observed pairing in early February and nest building in late February. The ear- liest egg date was 16 March (Fig. 9). A nest with eggs on 25 February at Urbana (Anonymous 1917) would be very unusual and is not plotted in Figure 9. Because of nest failures, mating and nest building might be seen at any time during the breeding season. Based on available data, peak egg production comes between 28 March-8 April in the central region and 1—16 April in the north (Fig. 9); no comparable data are available for the south. Eggs vary from blue-green to olive-green (rarely buffy) and are marked with irregularly shaped blotches and dots in shades of browns and grays. American Crow Breeding Records Nests or Young @ 1950- A 1900 - 1949 H@ Before 1900 Pairs or Singing Males (June) © 1950- A 1900 - 1949 Before 1900 Fig. 12.—Breeding records of the American crow in Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No. 126 These blotches usually occur on the large end of the egg but are sometimes evenly distributed. Eggs are usually laid one per day. Measurements for 132 Amer- ican crow eggs from Illinois and adjacent states ranged from 1.95 by 1.27 in to 1.51 by 1.13 in and averaged 1.68 by 1.18 in (Burns 1895). Clutch data from the literature and from museum collections showed no significant difference between northern I[!linois (100 nests) and central Illinois (37 nests). For the combined sample, clutches were 7 eggs, 4 percent; 6 eggs, 17 percent; 5 eggs, 50 percent; 4 eggs, 19 percent; 3 eggs, 8 percent; and 2 eggs, 2 percent; the mean was 4.8 eggs. Black’s (1941) data (not included above) were similar. In his 2-year sample of 72 nests, about 50 percent had 5 eggs; the mean for all nests was 4.5 eggs. A clutch of 9 eggs (Barnes 1914) is abnormal for the crow. Black determined that incubation was by the female only, that it usually began with the third egg laid, and that it required 19 days. By 20 April, 40 percent of the nests observed by Black contained young (60% had eggs); by 30 April, 68 percent had young. The incubating bird typically sat for long periods and was away from the nest only briefly. Early in the incubation, attentive periods were very different at two nests. At one, the average attentive period was 14 min and the inattentive period, 4 min; at the other, the attentive period was 94 min and the inattentive period, 4 min. The incubating bird at each of these nests was fed on the nest by the male. At two nests, Black believed that two females attended the nest and shared in the incubation. At that time (1941), nothing was known about “nest helpers,” and Black may have been one of the first to observe such behavior. According to Black’s data, eggs hatched over a period of 2—3 days, and hatching at most nests came during the third week in April. Females did all brood- ing. For young 2—6 days of age, attentive periods av- eraged 20 min and inattentive periods, 25 min. Young 10-11 days old were not brooded. During early nest- ling life, both parents fed the young. Between 0500 and 1900 CST, the average interval between feedings was 35 min. Young were not fed from about 1200 to about 1500 CST, and the fastest rates of feeding were around 1100 and 1700-1800 CST. Both Black (1941) and Parmalee (1949, 1952) pro- vided data on growth rates of nestlings. The eyes opened at about 11 days, and fear developed at about 14. The young remained in the nest 24—30 days but depended on adults for food for another 2—3 weeks. After a month, the young were feeding themselves by foraging on the forest floor. Three broods observed by Black remained in their “home” wood lots for the first 6 weeks after leaving their nests. Typically, broods tended to stay together even after becoming more or March 1987 Graber, Graber, and Kirk _ Illinois Birds: Corvidae 23 Tas_e 6.—Summer populations of American crows in various Illinois habitats. Birds per County or Type of Hectares Habitat 40.5 ha Region Year(s) Census* Censused Reference Urban cemeteries 2 Cook (N) 1974 Nest 289 Lussenhop 1977 Suburban parkland 1 Cook (N) 1915 32 Eifrig 1915 Unmodified woodland 7 Lake (N) 1937 11 Beecher 1942 Farm woodlot 0-10 Rock Island(N) 1914-1923 8-22 J.J. Schafer unpublished (avg 3.3) Forest, all types 1-8 North 1957-1958 Strip 72 R.R. Graber & J.W. Graber including edge (avg 4.0) 1963 Forest, all types 6-9 Central 1957-1958 Strip 87 R.R. Graber & J.W. Graber including edge (avg 7.5) 1963 Forest, all types 0-13 South 1907,1909 Strip 24 R.R. Graber & J.W. Graber including edge (avg 8.3) 1963 Forest, all types 1-9 South 1957-1958 Strip 138 R.R. Graber & J.W. Graber including edge (avg 5.3) 1963 Forest (unspecified) 3 Champaign (C) 1938-1939 1,036 Black 1941 Virgin floodplain forest 8 Piatt (C) 1946 Map 20 Fawver 1947 Virgin floodplain forest 5 Sangamon (C) 1948 Map 31 Snyder etal. 1948 Floodplain forest 0= Chaniot & Kirby 1955b forest Mature bottomland 0-14 South 1973-1981 Strip 1,129 This paper forest (avg 2.3) Riparian oak- <1 Wayne (S) 1980 Map 8 Keener 1981 hickory forest Oak-maple forest <1-37 Champaign(C) — 1927-1928, Map 24 Kendeigh 1982 (avg 14.2) 1934-1956 Oak-maple forest 8-20 Champaign(C) 1934-1935 Map 20 Twomey 1945 (avg 14.2) Oak-maple forest ~~ 4. » Ranges = Ba [7] BREEDING Sorat = winter ML 15.—General distribution of the fish crow. Fig. Illinois Birds: Corvidae 35 years seems reasonable for the possible advance of the fish crow northward. Neither Ridgway [1889] (1913) on the east side of Illinois nor Widmann (1907) on the west found fish crows— good evidence that the fish crow had not reached their areas of study in the nineteenth century. Over the centuries fish crows may have reached Illinois many times, but the current population is probably represented by the above his- tory. The range now extends along the Mississippi River to north of St. Louis (Alton dam) and along the Ohio to Pope County and possibly to Gallatin County (Kleen 1984). Although the fish crow is not yet known on the Cache and Kaskaskia rivers, its appearance is ex- pected. Anderson (1966) found evidence of breeding (but no nest) in Illinois southeast of St. Louis, and Kleen (1983-1984) reported a pair with fledged young at Granite City on 4 July. As far as we know, however, no nest has been found in Illinois. Fish crows are usually seen in the floodplains of major rivers, both in open fields and woodlands, i.e., habitat not notably different from that of the Amer- ican crow in extreme southern Illinois. Though the two species usually remain separated, we have seen flocks that included both species mobbing raptors sev- eral times in Union, Jackson, and Pope counties. Fish crows are reputed to frequent heron colonies, where they pilfer eggs (Bent 1946). In our survey of herons (J.W. Graber et al. 1978), we generally avoided colonies during the incubation season and saw fish crows only at a colony of little blue herons at Billings Island in July, when the heron young were well grown. The habitat there was young willow thicket that dif- SOUTH . — Birds Counted per Day 16 May 16 Mar 16 Apr 16 Jun 16 jul 16 Aug 16 Sept 16 Oct Fig. 16.—Migration seasons of the fish crow in southern Illinois. Spring and fall lines show the highest daily count of each 4 days (1967-1970). Circles represent counts made in other years or by other observers. 36 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes fered from the more mature forests in which we found most heron colonies. In areas where fish crows occur, we have censused hundreds of acres of mature bot- tomland forest without detecting the species in that habitat. In southern Pope County, where cultivated fields were interspersed with swamps, we observed (May—July 1986) that fish crows were persistently as- sociated with the deeper lagoons and their trees— large specimens of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), pecan (Carya illinoensis), green ash (Fraxinus pennsyl- vanica), and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Though we did not witness territorial behavior, two to four apparently adult fish crows daily frequented an area with a crow nest in this habitat. The nest, located 58 ft high (17.7 m) in a green ash, produced no young and was not attended by a bird while we observed it. Fish crows were extremely shy in this “nesting area” Fish Crow S _|McOONOUGH | FULTON tC] > CHAMPAIGN | | VERMILION BATT , | i a ¢ +f inrneeee Vee oe eae eee paar Tr ween COLE | loouctas ae « \scorr es \ Tr ; erie deat | oo \ j-th 4 orm Lefreoecall | Neer GREENE | I aaa - all aloes illeceeene! pumacruano) “** Nests or Young es | lal) Le SI TESEY ' | ] CF FINGHAM ! oe —1 FAVETTE | Jasper | @ 1950- Wa SQ ie Je | caawroro macison | | ae ila I A 1900 - 1949 "Se —— | cuhy Yentan | ammene @ Before 1900 OX Gt al Ba ! = an a June - July Records if Me ses ud 2° = a at Se ae ww: ea pacr ik O 1950 - Eee te heal |r tJ Z\ 1900 - 1949 On / at aaa) | C] Before 1900 Sei * Fossil Sites S March - May F August - October Fig. 17.—Distribution of fish crow records in Illinois. No. 126 all summer. The common call by fish crows in this area was a double-noted “Kut-Kar” or “Kar-Kar” re- peated over and over. Jared Garver found fish crows roosting in a conifer plantation high on Bald Knob, Union County, 21 April 1986. Fish crows in Union County were molting exten- sively on 21 August, generally later than American crows in the area. There are many Illinois records for the fish crow in August-September, with counts as high as 39. The migration has not been observed, but numbers appear to diminish after September (Fig. 16). The last in fall were seen on 29 and 31 October (Robbins 1979; Kleen 1981c). To what extent the dis- appearance is related to reduction in calling by fish crows rather than to emigration cannot be judged, and this species obviously needs special study in II- linois. Because fish crows are a relatively distinctive species, much can be learned by careful observation without the large scale collecting of specimens. Most observers are aware of the similarity between the com- mon “Kar” or “Kor” call of the fish crow and that of newly fledged American crows, but even those calls are distinguishable. COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) Raven remains have been found in Indian burials and middens dating from A.D. 900—1800 in all three regions of the state (Fig. 18; Parmalee 1958, 1964, 1967; Parmalee and Bogan 1980). These specimens may have belonged to the local population, as ravens were thought to be not uncommon before the 1870s (Kennicott 1853-1854; Ridgway 1873; Nelson 1877). Kennicott stated that ravens were known to nest in Cook County, and Ridgway [1889] (1913) stated that one or two pairs were present in summer in large bottomland woods on Big Creek west of Olney up to 1871. One was killed in early July 1875 in this area (Nelson 1877). That year ravens were also present along Lake Michigan, where a specimen was collected 15 October (Ford 1956). Several were seen near Waukegan on 1 November feeding on dead fish, and small flocks wintered (Ridgway [1889] (1913). A female raven was collected 23 October 1892 at Meredosia (Morgan County), where it was feeding on carrion and where it had been for at least a week (Woodruff 1896, 1907). One was killed at Calumet Heights in fall 1897 (Anonymous 1897; Woodruff 1907). Widmann (1907) referred to specimens col- lected in Hancock County many years prior to 1907. A specimen from Fayette County was collected March 1987 10 January 1901 (Illinois State Museum Collection). There were sight records of ravens in Lake County in spring 1908 and 1926 (Cory 1909; Coale 1912; Grasett 1926) and in Cook County, October 1953 (Bohlen 1978). A captive raven that had apparently escaped was present in Peoria throughout 1969 (Prin- cen 1970). A recent report of a raven was of one seen on 17 December 1983 at Dubuque, Iowa. As long as healthy populations of ravens exist in the north, in- frequent sightings in Illinois will probably continue to be made in fall or winter. Illinois specimens have been identified as C. c. prin- cipalis (Woodruff 1896). Ridgway (1904) believed the breeding population in southern Illinois was C. c. stnuatus. Common Raven Records | moquos: @ 1950 - fe— S| ne Nt A 1900-1949) /\ PF ware 1 9 4; i Before 1900 (a #% Prehistoric < ipo piney sleet ey SN rl te Sia tems B_ Breeding Season \, paler F Fall ym np ore anon) W Winter CE tet { Fig. 18.—Distribution of records of the common raven in Illinois. Heavy horizontal lines indicate the three regions of the state (north, central, and south) referred to in the text. Graber, Graber, and Kirk Illinois Birds: Corvidae 37 LITERATURE CITED Allen, J.A. 1868. 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Winter notes: winter birds on a Rock Island County farm. Audubon Bulletin, spring:55—56. Schantz, O.M. 1922. The mockingbird as a northern visitor. Audu- bon Bulletin, spring:21. Segal, S. 1960. Bird tragedy at the dunes. Indiana Audubon Quar- terly 38(2):23—25. Shackleford, M.W. 1929. Animal communities of an Illinois prairie. Ecology 10(1):126—154. Shaw, A., and J. Shaw. 1983. The eighty-third Audubon Christmas bird count: 927. Hannibal, Mo. American Birds 37(4):637. Shaw, V.S. 1958. Winter bird-population study: 13. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 12(3):312—313. . 1959. Winter bird-population study: 18. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 13(3):336. 42 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes . 1960. Winter bird-population study: 20. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 14(3):353. . 1961. Winter bird-population study: 25. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 15(3):371. . 1962. Winter bird-population study: 17. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 16(3):374. . 1963. Winter bird-population study: 18. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 17(3):371. . 1964. Winter bird-population study: 29. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 18(3):410. , T. Axelson, M. Hundley, C. Scherer, and R. Thom, Jr. 1965. Winter bird-population study: 19. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 19(3):427. , M. Hundley, and C. Scherer. 1968. Winter bird-population study: 26. Shrubby field and lake. Audubon Field Notes 22(3):492. , C. Scherer, W. Bridges, and M. Hundley. 1956. Winter bird-population study: 25. Shrubby field and forest edge. Au- dubon Field Notes 10(3):297. , and P.M. Stine. 1955. Winter bird-population study: 29. Shrubby field and forest edge. Audubon Field Notes 9(3):304. Silloway, P.M. 1894. A pair of Bubos at home. Oologist 11(5):179— 181. . 1906a. A novice’s notebook—No. 4. Oologist 23(6):89—91. . 1906b. A novice’s notebook—No. 6. Oologist 23(10):155— 156. Snyder, D., C. Bonney, and W.B. Robertson. 1948. Twelfth breeding-bird census: 15. Deciduous flood-plain forest. Audu- bon Field Notes 2(6):237. Southern, W.E. 1966. Utilization of shad as winter food by birds. Auk 83(2):309-311. Starrett, W.C. 1938. Highway casualties in central Illinois during 1937. Wilson Bulletin 50(3):193—196. Stocking, M.K. 1974. A decade of banding in Beloit, Wisconsin. Inland Bird Banding News 46(4):123—136. Stoddard, H.L. 1920. Mid-winter notes 1919-1920: Chicago area. Audubon Bulletin, spring:36—38. Stoner, D. 1929. Trapping and banding birds at lowa City during 1927. lowa Academy of Science Proceedings 36:373—375. Strode, W.S. 1887. Notes ornithological and otherwise from Spoon River region, Illinois. Oologist 4(2):71—72. . 1889a. Among the raptores. Wilson Bulletin 1(1):19—21. . 1889b. The dark side of collecting. Ornithologist and Oologist 14(12):177-179. . 1894. Screech owl and blue jay. Nidologist 1(5):76. Swink, F. 1976. A finding list of the birds of the Morton Arboretum. Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Ill. 43 p. No. 126 Taber, W.B., Jr. 1927. The mentality of the crow. Wilson Bulletin 39(1):5-8. Thomas, C. 1882. Eleventh report of the state entomologist on the noxious and beneficial insects of the state of Illinois. H.W. Rokker, Springfield, Ill. 104 p. Thompson, M.D. 1960. The 1959 nesting report. Audubon Bulletin 115:7-13. Twomey, A.C. 1945. The bird population of an elm-maple forest with special reference to aspection, territorialism, and coactions. Ecological Monographs 15(2):173—205. U.S. Biological Survey. 1937-1938. Banding returns. U.S.Depart- ment of Agriculture. Van Duzer, J.C. 1916. Spring census and migration records for 1916: Rockford. Audubon Bulletin, spring:-44—46. Walker, I. 1924. A teacher’s experience. Bird-Lore 26(3):213—214. Warner, R.E. 1982. [untitled]. Monthly Wildlife Research Letter, Illinois Natural History Survey 25(10):1—2. Watson, J.D., and M. DeLaubenfels. 1917. Spring census and mig- ration record: LaGrange. Audubon Bulletin, spring:-48—49. Weiland, E.C. 1960. Station returns at Marquette, Michigan. Inland Bird Banding News 32(1):8. Weise, C.M. 1951. Breeding populations and reproductive success of birds of the forest and forest-edge in central Illinois. M.S. Thesis. University of Illinois. 123 p. Wheat, T. 1886. Correspondence. Ornithologist and Oologist 11(5):80. Widmann, O. 1880. Notes on birds of St. Louis, Mo. Nuttall Or- nithological Club Bulletin 5(3):191—192. . 1888. The crows’ winter roost at St. Louis. Ornithologist and Oologist 13(2):17—19. . 1898. The great roosts on Gabberet Island, opposite North St. Louis, Mo. Auk 15(1):22-27. . 1907. A preliminary catalog of the birds of Missouri. Academy of Science of St. Louis Transactions 17(1). 288 p. . 1922. Extracts from the diary of Otto Widmann: our birds in winter. Academy of Science of St. Louis Transactions 24(8):24—48. Wilson, J.D. 1982. Winter survey. Bluebird 49(2):14—18. Woodruff, F.M. 1896. General notes: the raven in Illinois. Auk 13(1):83—84. . 1907. The birds of the Chicago area. Chicago Academy of Sciences Natural History Survey Bulletin 6. 221 p. . 1912. General notes: two interesting captures in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Auk 29(1):109. Wright, J.S. 1897. Notes on crow roosts of western Indiana and eastern Illinois. Indiana Academy of Science Proceedings 1897:178—180. Yeomans, C. 1950. Note. Inland Bird Banding News 22(5):28. High quality manuscripts dealing with any aspect of natural history will be considered for publication in one of the Illinois Natural History Survey series: Bulletin, Biological Notes, Circular, and Special Publication. Authors who are not employees of the Survey are required to pay printing costs. Manuscripts should follow the recommendations of the third edition of the Council of Biology Editors Style Manual except that journal names in the literature cited section are to be spelled in full. The Survey expects to publish only one or two manuscripts by non-Survey authors yearly. Send three copies of manuscripts to be considered for publication to Office of the Chief, Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, Illinois 61820. Citation: Graber, J.W., R.R. Graber, and E.L. Kirk. 1987. Illinois birds: Corvidae. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes 126. 42 p. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois US ISSN 0073—490X NP4—3M-—3/87 1h eh ol : iy Ls bere ee C one | 3b iene f i y See elet Bares eshte kt ee : LE aT BOP peed es Helens ny ia) ee ppt vy geet thy eet DOCH AA rat Setatet ately norte mG eee ley ey al iA CA teeta sseicchier