But surely they’re not as numerous? NOt that that’s necessarily relevant. Just sayin. I’ve seen what must amount, literally, to hundreds of thousands of crows, personally, in my life; but no more than maybe a dozen ravens. Again, just sayin.
Of course, that was my assumption too; never been birdwatching at night. I blame myself. But man, a Snowy Owl sittin on a fence post in a snow storm is QUITE a sight.
The question in the OP was not about which species was most numerous, but which was most ubiquitous (widest ranging). You are right that the population density of American Crows is often much greater than that of Northern Ravens anywhere in their range.
The first Snowy Owl I ever saw was sitting on the roof of my neighbor’s house in the Bronx one October. The local crows were going nuts mobbing it. I’ve seen them a few times since then on snowswept beaches on Long Island. Quite a sight.
Colibri, I’m curious about the range of the hoopoe (with my all-time favorite binomial appellation: Upupa epops). It seems like it is mentioned in passing, depicted on wildlife issues in stamps, etc., over a pretty broad area in Africa and Eurasia. Any comments on it?
I’ve seen them in South Africa. I believe they spend northern summers as far north as the Baltic.
Yes, it is very widespread, being found from Spain to China and Japan and south to South Africa and Malaysia. Some references split the Eurasian and African forms as different species, but the Handbook of the Birds of the World keeps them together.
Beautiful birds. I’ve seen them in Kenya and India, and have a silk painting of three hoopoes I got in India in my living room.
Band name!
As was one sitting on top of the FBI building in D.C., seen from the Natural History bldg accross the street (some years ago).