Cuervo Pío

Identificación

It is about the size of the European carrion crow or a little larger (46–50 cm in length), but has a proportionately larger bill, slightly longer tail and wings, and longer legs. As its name suggests, its glossy black head and neck are interrupted by a large area of white feathering from the shoulders down to the lower breast. The tail, bill, and wings are black, too. The eyes are dark brown. The white plumage of immature birds is often mixed with black. It resembles the white-necked and thick-billed ravens, but has a much smaller bill.<p>In southern Africa, its range overlaps with the white-necked raven. The pied crow is slightly smaller and has a white chest and belly with a black, more delicate beak compared to the black chest and belly of the larger white-necked raven, which also has a white-tipped and weightier beak.It is larger than the black crow.<p>The voice is often described as a harsh ar-ar-ar-ar or karh-karh-karh.

Taxonomía

The pied crow was first described in 1776 by Statius Muller. Its specific name is the Latin adjective albus, meaning "white".<p>The Maasai people call it ol-korrok from the sound of its call. It is considered annoying, but not a bird of ill omen.

Nombre científico

Corvus albus

Autoridad

Müller, PLS, 1776

Orden

Passeriformes

Familia

Córvidos

Género

Corvus

Distribución y hábitat

This species, Africa's most widespread member of the genus Corvus, occurs from sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, south to the Cape of Good Hope and on the large island of Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, Aldabra, Assumption Island, Cosmoledo, Astove Island, Zanzibar, Pemba, and Fernando Po. It inhabits mainly open country with villages and towns nearby. It does not occur in the equatorial rainforest region. It is rarely seen very far from human habitation, though it is not as tied to the urban way of life as the house crow (Corvus splendens) of Asia, and may be encountered far from human habitation in Eritrea.

Migración

Especie residente

Comportamiento

Patrón migratorio: Especie residente.

Conservación

Tendencia poblacional: estable.

Tendencia poblacional

estable