.--During the last three years
(1931-1933 there have been bnded at the .Austin Ornithological Research
Station 'a total of thirty-four Eastern Crows (Corvus b. brachyrhynchos).
These birds are captured almost entirely in duck traps, which are operated
only from September to June, and thus there are no records between June
and late August. Although it is obvious that the data are insufficient for
a clear interpretation, they suggest three crow populations on Cape Cod:
first, permanent residents; second, breeding birds which winter to the
south; and third, northern breeders which either winter here or migrate
through here.
If the crows captured here during the latter half of April and during :May
are assumed to be local breeders, the follomqng may be permanent residents.
365681 banded Oct. 9, 1932, repeated Dec. 14, 1932, killed here Apr. 27, 1933.
365682 banded Oct. 9, 1932, repeated Jan. 26, 1933, Feb. 6, 1933, Feb. 7, 1933, Mar.
6, 1933, and killed here Apr. 25, 1933.
365683 banded Oct. 9, 1932, repeated Dec. 14, 1932, May 20, 1933
365154 banded Apr. 16, 1931, returned Feb. 10, 1933, repeated Feb. 11, 1933.
365177 banded Aug. 19, 1931, returned Dec. 16, 1931, Dec. 17, 1932, repeated Feb.
16, 1933, and returned Mar. 30, 1934.
A519153 banded Mar. 27, 1931, repeated Apr. 18, 1931, Nov. 20, 1931.
A519156 banded May 15, 1931, returned Nov. 20, 1931, Apr. 2, 1932, and found with
a broken wing Nov. 1, 1932 about 14 miles to the south in Harwich Center.
None of the following birds repeated during the winter, the season when
the crow is most likely to enter the traps. While a lack of repeats during
any period does not prove the absence of a bird, one crow was actually
taken about 215 miles to the southwest on November 1. Hence it appears
that some of the local birds apparently winter to the south.
A519152 banded Mar. 25, 1931, repeated May. 16, 1931, May. 30, 1931.
A519164 banded Mar. 30, 1932, repeated Apr. 14, 1932.
A519165 banded Mar. 30, 1932, repeated Apr. 7, 1932.
A530607 banded May 20, 1933. repeated May 26, 1933.
A519167 banded Apr. 2, 1932, repeated Apr. 7, 1932, and Nov. l, 1932 found dead at
Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
Another group of five presents two possibilities. They may have been
young of the year trapped before migrating south, or autumn transients,
which places them in the third group. No age was given on the first bird,
but the others were called adults when banded. This favors the latter
grouping.
A530615 banded July 26, 1933, repeated Oct. 6, 1933.
A519953 banded Sept. 17, 1932, repeated Oct. 3, 1932, Oct. 4, 1932.
365700 banded Sept. 17, 1932, repeated Oct. 19, 1932.
A530602 banded Sept. 30, 1932, repeated Oct. 9, 1932, Oct. 17, 1932.
A530603 banded Nov. 20, 1932, repeated Nov. 26, 1932.
One autumn bird apparently wintered, but whether it came from the
north or was raised locally, it is impossible to say.
A536700 banded Sept. 27, 1932, repeated Dec. 17, 1932, Feb. 6, 1933. and Feb. 7, 1933.
Our most interesting recovery may possibly be placed in the third
classification:
A519168 banded Apr. 6, 1932 and reported as shot Oct. 22, 1933 at Mira, Cape Breton,
Nova Scotia, over 600 miles to the northeast.
This bird was an adult at the time of banding. While the date is neither
too early for it to be a breeding bird nor too late for it to be a wintering
bird moving north, on the basis of the recovery the latter explanation
would seem the more likely.--SETH H. Low, North Eastham, Cape Cod,
Massachusetts.