| White-necked crow | |
|---|---|
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| NearLa Romana, Dominican Republic | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Corvus |
| Species: | C. leucognaphalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Corvus leucognaphalus Daudin, 1800 | |
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| Distribution map | |
Thewhite-necked crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) is the largest of the fourCaribbeancorvids. It isendemic to the island ofHispaniola (split betweenHaiti and theDominican Republic); it was formerly also extant onPuerto Rico andSaint Croix in theUnited States Virgin Islands, but has beenextirpated from both islands due to considerable forest clearance andhunting for meat.[2]
Two other species, theCuban crow (C. nasicus) and theJamaican crow (C. jamaicensis), appear to be very closely related to it, sharing several key morphological features. The ancestor of the fourth and fifth species from this region, theHispaniolan (C. palmarum) andCuban palm crows (C. minutus), would appear to be a later arrival (at least in evolutionary terms); both species show more similarities to thefish crow (C. ossifragus) of mainlandNorth America and twoMexican species. This is despiteC. palmarum beingsympatric with the white-necked crow on Hispaniola, indicating two distinct arrivals of crows onto the island, and a resultingniche differentiation, similar toC. nasicus and theCuban palm crow (Corvus minutus) onCuba.
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A stocky bird, it is the largest Caribbeancorvid, measuring 42–46 centimetres or 17–18 inches in length. The overall appearance is black, with a bluish-purple gloss in good light; despite the name, the neck typically appears entirely black, as the namesake white is restricted to the bases of the neck feathers, rarely visible in the field. The black bill is long and deep, and curves gently downward to the tip, giving the bird a large headed appearance. The nasal bristles do not quite cover the nostrils, unlike the majority of species in this genus. There is a patch of dark grey bare skin behind the eye, and the base of the lower mandible has a bare strip of the same coloured skin. The iris is a distinctive crimson red in colour, and the legs and feet are black. It often flies high over the forest canopy and soars onthermals, unlike the palm crow, which rarely, if ever, soars.
It inhabits both lowland and mid-elevation mountain forest on Hispaniola, and somewhat tolerates degraded areas used for agriculture, as well as some urban landscapes.
The diet is typical of most forest crows, comprising a large amount offruit but a degree ofinvertebrate food is also taken, especially when feeding young. Small vertebrate prey has also been found in the stomachs of collected birds, including small nativetoads and nestlings. Bird eggs are also taken when found.
The nest is always solitary and built high in a tall tree, though little else concerning their breeding has as yet been recorded.
The voice of the white-necked crow is quite remarkable and unusual for a corvid, described as sounding more like a parrot, and consists of a series of liquid bubbling sounds, squawking, and babbling, mixed with sweet and harsh notes, including some that sound like thecommon raven (Corvus corax). It has been known to imitate the crowing of roosters, as well as other sounds.
It has been designated as "Vulnerable" by theIUCN, due to having a severely fragmented population which is mostly decreasing, and several other threats (mainly hunting for both food and as a crop pest, lack of enforcement of conservation laws, possible spread ofWest Nile virus, destruction of habitat for agriculture and timber, capture for the pet trade, and attacks on nest sites by the recently arrivedpearly-eyed thrasher,Margarops fuscatus); the same factors that led to its extirpation on Puerto Rico and Saint Croix seem to affect the remaining populations on Hispaniola and surrounding islands.
