Hi Mike, et al.
Common Raven is on the Official List of the Birds of the District of
Columbia (http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/pdf/dclist.pdf) because it
was included on the DC list maintained by the now defunct DC Records
Committee. Presumably, that committee had placed the species on its
official list due to the inclusion of a sight record report published
in Stewart and Robbins, 1958, Birds of Maryland and the District of
Columbia. In this baseline reference, the authors record that one was
seen on December 29, 1952 by Alexander Wetmore. (In 1924 Wetmore
joined the Smithsonian Institution as the superintendent of the
National Zoological Park in Washington. In 1925 Wetmore was appointed
assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, becoming
secretary between 1945 and 1952.) I believe he lived in Glen Echo in
Montgomery County.
This is one of those species whose status is subject to what I
unofficially call the "24th county" syndrome. I don't believe the
species has ever been common there. The species is indeed quite
unusual for DC; however, in MD it was taken off of the MD/DCRC Review
List due to its range expansion across the state in recent years.
Since it is not reviewable in the adjacent MD counties, and it is
already an accepted species for DC, it was relegated to a
non-reviewable status in DC. The committee could have chosen to
review it in DC, but it's presence there is not unexpected.
There are, however, no known specimens of Common Ravens taken in DC
and I note that the MD/DCRC is also not aware of any photographs of
this species from DC. If anyone is able to capture a photo of a Raven
in DC, please forward a copy to me and I'll update the documentation
status on this taxon.
Hope this helps ...
Phil
At 11:28 AM 10/26/2009, Michael Bowen wrote:
>After a testing session in my dentist's chair in Northwest DC this
>morning (October 26), I went for a brief birding stint at Battery
>Kemble Park, off Chain Bridge Road, which is the closest birdable
>green space to the dentists's office.
>
>While lots of White-throated and Song Sparrows, together with
>numerous Carolina Wrens, were not surprising, one bird was: a
>COMMON RAVEN. It was perched at the top of a tall dead tree at the
>very upper part of the park, and was periodically displaced
>(accompanied by loud aggrieved croaking) by a persistent Sharp-shinned Hawk.
>
>This was my first Raven in DC and species #238 for me in "the
>District." A pleasant surprise. But perhaps it shouldn't have
>been, because Ravens are being seen more commonly in Montgomery
>County just to the northwest and a pair reportedly nested in Cabin
>John, MD, just outside the Beltway, in 2008. I had never seen a
>Raven in Montgomery before January, 2007. Since then I have 9
>records. My neighbor, Jim Nelson, who lives 3-1/2 blocks from me in
>West Bethesda, has had Ravens on his street. So far, we haven't, but
>I'm looking and listening.
>
>So DC birders should keep their eyes and ears open. I don't remember
>another recent report of a Raven in DC, and there are no DC records
>in the eBird database, which however does not go back very many
>years. Common Raven is on the list of official birds of the
>District of Columbia (added in 1984, the "baseline year," per the
>MD-DC Records Committee) and is not on the "Review List" for D.C.,
>so it is not officially a rare bird. Perhaps the species was more
>common around here in the more distant past, before extensive
>urbanization occurred. (That's just speculation on my part.)
>
>If other birders have heard/seen Ravens in the District of Columbia
>in recent years, I would be very interested to hear about the
>sighting(s), as perhaps would other users of MDOsprey.
===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]
MD/DCRC Web site: http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
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