BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 3, 2020
I have a goal to see 700 bird species in North America. Getting there just got a little harder. Until now, there was a crow in the Pacific Northwest that was slightly smaller than the American crow; it had a more nasal voice. It was first declared a species when settlers arrived in the 19th century. In June 2020, the American Ornithological Society announced that the northwestern crow no longer existed — that it was just a smaller version of the American crow. it was a deduction from my Life List. I’m down to 601. Nowadays, I can barely find the bathroom light switch in the dark, let alone find a tiny owl on an island 30 miles off the coast of Canada. But if I did, that would be something to crow about. ~ Bob Duchesne