Palm Crow
Encyclopedia
The Palm Crow is a relatively small black bird
in the crow family
that occurs mostly on the large Caribbean
island of Hispaniola
, itself divided into the two countries of Dominican Republic
and Haiti
. It was formerly quite frequent on Cuba
but has become severely reduced in number and may be almost extinct there. This form is slightly smaller and is usually separated as a sub-species called Corvus palmarum minutus. Both forms are usually now given the respective common names of Hispaniolan Palm Crow and Cuban Palm Crow to distinguish them.
Both forms appear to be closely related to the Fish Crow
(C. ossifragus) of the East Coast of the United States
and also two smaller species, the Tamaulipas Crow
(C. imparatus) and Sinaloan Crow
(C. sinaloae) of Mexico
and forms a species group with them.
The Dominican local name for the palm crow is cao, which is onomatopoeic of the simple and repetitive call of this bird. There it is locally common, mainly in mountain pine forests
and also around the area of the lake Enriquillo
.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the crow family
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
that occurs mostly on the large Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
, itself divided into the two countries of Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. It was formerly quite frequent on Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
but has become severely reduced in number and may be almost extinct there. This form is slightly smaller and is usually separated as a sub-species called Corvus palmarum minutus. Both forms are usually now given the respective common names of Hispaniolan Palm Crow and Cuban Palm Crow to distinguish them.
Both forms appear to be closely related to the Fish Crow
Fish Crow
The Fish Crow is a species of crow that is associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States.-Taxonomy:The Fish Crow was first described by Alexander Wilson in 1812...
(C. ossifragus) of the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and also two smaller species, the Tamaulipas Crow
Tamaulipas Crow
The Tamaulipas Crow a crow found in northeastern Mexico and some of southern Texas.- Description :It is a relatively small and sleek looking crow, in length. It has very glossy dark, bluish plumage, which appears soft and silky. The bill is quite slender and black, as are the legs and feet...
(C. imparatus) and Sinaloan Crow
Sinaloan Crow
The Sinaloa Crow is a crow native to western Mexico. Visually, it is nearly identical to and the same length as the Tamaulipas Crow . It has the same purple-glossed, silky, black plumage with a black bill, legs, and feet...
(C. sinaloae) of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and forms a species group with them.
The Dominican local name for the palm crow is cao, which is onomatopoeic of the simple and repetitive call of this bird. There it is locally common, mainly in mountain pine forests
Hispaniolan pine forests
The Hispaniolan pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The ecoregion covers , or about 15% of the island...
and also around the area of the lake Enriquillo
Lake Enriquillo
Lake Enriquillo is a lake in the Dominican Republic and is the largest lake and lowest point in the Caribbean and the lowest point on any ocean island. It is one of only a few saltwater lakes in the world inhabited by crocodiles...
.