Obi Paradise-crow
Lycocorax obiensis
A large, blackish, crow-like bird-of-paradise, endemic to Obi and Bisa. Body is entirely blackish with paler, browner wings. Also often shows a thin line behind the eye. Shape is distinctive, with thin neck and small head with distinctive brow ridges. Juveniles are browner overall. Singles and pairs occupy canopy in forest, forest edge, and plantations in lowlands and hills. Brown cast to wings and head shape differentiate it from crows. In flight shows broad wings and an awkward, clumsy, hurried flight, unlike the slow flapping of crows. Calls include a trumpet-like “nyek”, an alien-sounding “nwoop”, as well as harsher rasping notes.
Identification
Obi paradise-crows are blackish overall, with a bluish-green sheen/iridescence to the feathers. The flight feathers are a light brownish, and the tail feathers have a pronounced bluish sheen to them. They have a crow-like head and bill; the bill is a cool light gray. Also, they have distinctive and beautiful, scarlet-red eyes and blackish to grayish legs and feet with sharp claws adapted for their perching lifestyles.<p>The calls of this bird sounds reminiscent of a trumpet-like hwoot hwoot, followed by a click click. The calls of the Obi paradise-crow is one of the most recognizable sounds in its range.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lycocorax obiensis
- Authority
- Bernstein, 1865
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paradisaeidae
- Genus
- Lycocorax
Range and habitat
The Obi paradise-crow is found on Obi and Bisa islands in the Obi group, south of Halmahera, the home of its congener. They are found in tropical forest and forest edge at 1200 m in altitude on Obi island.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The biology of this bird has not been studied in full detail. Their diets consist predominantly of fruits, supplemented by the occasional invertebrate. The birds typically feed solitarily, but also in pairs, small groups and even in association with other bird species, like imperial pigeons. <p>Its breeding period is not defined, but nests and eggs have been recorded from December to June. The nest is a cup-like shape consisting of moss, leaves, vines, and wood chips. Clutch is one egg. Incubation and chick rearing details unknown..
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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