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New York State Avian Records Committee Rejects the Staten Island Hooded Crow

October 22, 2012 by Corey 1 Comment

We New York birders had a pretty good idea this was coming but Angus Wilson just let the cat out of the bag (Or did he put the crow in the bag?) on the New York State listserv. The Staten Island Hooded Crow will not appear on the New York State checklist because of its uncertain origins. In Angus’s own words:

the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) has carefully reviewed the six reports we received documenting the Staten Island Hooded Crow from June 2011 (NYSARC-20-A/F), as well as other materials and unanimously voted to ACCEPT the identification but after much reflection, considered the ORIGINS UNCERTAIN. Thus we have NOT added the species to the NY state list.

The bird was also seen in New Jersey. Anyone know what their committee is planning to do?

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.