Hispaniolan Palm-Crow

Corvus palmarum

Endemic to Hispaniola. A large, all-black, gregarious species of pine woodlands, scrub, and palm savannahs; often found in flocks of up to fifty birds. Note this species’ relatively short, stout bill with extensive feathering on top. Compare with White-necked Crow, which has longer bill with less extensive feathering on top. Additionally, White-necked is a bit larger and has red (not dark) eyes. Vocalizations are predominantly a flat, harsh “raaah,” which is rather different from any of the various calls of White-necked Crow.

Taxonomy

The Hispaniolan palm crow was formally described in 1835 under the binomial name Corvus palmarum by the German naturalist Duke Paul Wilhelm of Württemberg. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. This crow was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Cuban palm crow (Corvus minutus).<p>Despite being sympatric with the white-necked crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) on Hispaniola, it appears to be more closely related to the fish crow (C. ossifragus) of the East Coast of the United States, as well as two smaller species, the Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus) and Sinaloan crow (C. sinaloae) of Mexico, than the white-necked crow, which is more related to the Cuban crow (Corvus nasicus) and the Jamaican crow (Corvus jamaicensis), the other two Caribbean corvids.<p>The following cladogram is based on phylogenetic study of the Corvidae by Knud Jønsson and collaborators that was published in 2012.<p>The species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Cuban palm crow (Corvus minutus).

Scientific name
Corvus palmarum
Authority
Württemberg, 1835
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Corvidae
Genus
Corvus

Range and habitat

The local name for the palm crow is cao in the Dominican Republic (where it is locally common, mainly in mountain pine forests and also around the area of Lake Enriquillo), which is onomatopoeic of the simple and repetitive call of this bird.

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

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Ochraceous Piculet

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Yellow-footed Honeyguide

Yellow-footed Honeyguide

Melignomon eisentrauti

Medium-sized honeyguide with a plain face, a slim pale bill, yellow legs, and large white patches in the outer tail. Found in the middle levels and canopy of humid forest at low and middle elevations. The distinctive vocalization is a series of around a dozen rising “sveeya” notes. The series slows down and becomes slightly lower-pitched at the end. Very similar to Zenker’s Honeyguide, but there is only minor overlap in range, and Yellow-footed is paler overall with more white in the tail. Similar to other honeyguides, but separated by the slim bill and the yellow legs. Separated from most greenbuls by the white in the tail, and from Honeyguide and Sjöstedt's Greenbuls by the smaller size and shorter tail. 

Naumann's Thrush

Naumann's Thrush

Turdus naumanni

Paler and more orangish than Dusky Thrush. Adult males are the brightest-colored and young females have patchy black on the throat and chest. Note the plain wings without Dusky’s rufous paneling; also note Naumann’s less contrasting head pattern and orange-scaled underparts. Hybrids show a combination of Dusky and Naumann’s features. Naumann’s breeds in taiga and winters in forests and parks; mixes with Dusky on wintering grounds, but less in favor of open habitat. Vocalizations similar to Dusky Thrush.

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