| Palmchat | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Superfamily: | Bombycilloidea |
| Family: | Dulidae P.L. Sclater, 1862 |
| Genus: | Dulus Vieillot, 1816 |
| Species: | D. dominicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Dulus dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Tanagra dominicaLinnaeus, 1766 | |
Thepalmchat (Dulus dominicus) is a small, long-tailedpasserinebird, theonly species in the genusDulus and the familyDulidaeendemic to theCaribbean island ofHispaniola (split between theDominican Republic andHaiti). It is related to thewaxwings, familyBombycillidae. Its name reflects its strong association withpalms for feeding, roosting, and nesting.
The palmchat is thenational bird of theDominican Republic.[2]
In 1760 the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the palmchat in hisOrnithologie based on a specimen collected from the French colony ofSaint-Domingue, modern Haiti. He used the French nameLe tangara de S. Dominigue and the LatinTangara Dominicensis.[3] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to thebinomial system and are not recognised by theInternational Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.[4] When the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus updated hisSystema Naturae for thetwelfth edition in 1766, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson,[4] with one of them being the palmchat. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined thebinomial nameTanagra dominica and cited Brisson's work.[5]
The palmchat is the only species placed in the genusDulus that was introduced by the French ornithologistLouis Pierre Vieillot in 1816.[6][7] The species ismonotypic.[7]
Palmchats are about 20 cm (8 in) in length. They are olive-brown above, and heavily streaked with brown below. Their rumps, as well as the edges of their primaryfeathers, are dark yellow-green. They have strong yellowbills andrusset eyes. They lack the soft silkyplumage of the waxwings orsilky-flycatchers. Adults show nosexual dimorphism; immature birds have dark throats.[citation needed]
The species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and the adjacentSaona andGonâve Islands, where it is common and widespread. It inhabits areas from sea level to 1500 masl where palmsavannas can be found, or other open areas with scattered trees. Where its food trees are present, it has adapted well to city parks and gardens.[citation needed]
Palmchats are very sociable birds, often seen in small flocks containing several pairs, which will roost closely together with their bodies in contact.
The breeding season is mainly from March to June. The birds build large, messy, communalnests of twigs in the crowns ofpalms (mainlyPuerto Rico royal palms,Roystonea borinquena). Occasionally, in the absence of palms, other trees or eventelephone poles may be used. The whole nesting structure may be up to 2 m across, containing up to 30 adjoining nests with their own separate chambers and entrances. The females layclutches of 2-4 thickly spotted, grey-purpleeggs.[citation needed]
Palmchats feed onfruits and berries, including those of palms and of thegumbo-limbo tree, as well as onflowers, especially those ofepiphyticorchids.[citation needed]
They are voluble and noisy birds, with a large repertoire of gurgling and cheeping sounds constantly used in their social behaviour.[citation needed]With their loud whistles, they are able to imitate the calls of hawks and kestrels which may be a surprise coming from their tiny bodies. They are typically classified as songbirds, but hardly ever make a coherent song.[8]
The palmchat is a common species within its range of about 75,000 km2 (28,958 sq mi), and highly adaptable. As it is not approaching the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations), it has been evaluated as being of Least Concern.[1]
