Banggai Crow
Encyclopedia
The Banggai Crow, Corvus unicolor, is a member of the crow
family from Banggai
in Indonesia
. It is listed as critically endangered
by IUCN and was even feared extinct, but was finally rediscovered during surveys on Peleng Island by Indonesian ornithologist Mochamad Indrawan in 2007 and 2008.
It was sometimes considered a subspecies
of the Slender-billed Crow
, but it is actually rather distinct from this bird, resembling an entirely black Piping Crow
overall. The Banggai Crow is a medium-sized crow, some 39 cm long and completely black with a dark iris and a short tail.
For more than a century, it was known from only two specimen
s taken from an unknown island in the Banggai Archipelago - probably in 1884/1885. Visits to the archipelago
in 1991 and 1996 yielded no unequivocal records of the species, leading some to believe it was extinct. During a survey conducted between 2007 and 2008 and partially financed by the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (Germany), it was repeatedly seen on Peleng Island and Indonesian ornithologist Mochamad Indrawan caught and photographed two individuals. The validity of the crows on Peleng was not recognized by BirdLife International
in its 2009 Red List. Confirmation of the identity based on two specimens from Peleng was made by Pamela C. Rasmussen
of the American Museum of Natural History in October 2009.
The total population is estimated at approximately 500 individuals, living in mountain forest at altitudes above 500 m. The decline of the Banggai Crow is thought to be primarily due to habitat loss and degradation through agriculture
and extraction
.
This bird remained a complete enigma for a long time. Listed as Vulnerable
in the 1994 IUCN Red List
, it was changed to Endangered
in 2000. In 2006, the status was considered as Possibly Extinct. Fortunately this proved to be incorrect and the status was corrected to Critically Endangered in the 2007 Red List.
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
family from Banggai
Banggai
Banggai Archipelago is a group of islands, which is located at the far eastern end of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It makes up a newly established regency after splitting out of Luwuk. It is surrounded by the Banda Sea's Gulf of Tolo , and the Molucca Sea...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is listed as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
by IUCN and was even feared extinct, but was finally rediscovered during surveys on Peleng Island by Indonesian ornithologist Mochamad Indrawan in 2007 and 2008.
It was sometimes considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Slender-billed Crow
Slender-billed Crow
The Slender-billed Crow is a species of bird in the Corvidae family. Its eastern populations are called Violaceous Crow and sometimes separated as Corvus violaceus....
, but it is actually rather distinct from this bird, resembling an entirely black Piping Crow
Piping Crow
The Piping Crow is a species of bird in the Corvidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
overall. The Banggai Crow is a medium-sized crow, some 39 cm long and completely black with a dark iris and a short tail.
For more than a century, it was known from only two specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s taken from an unknown island in the Banggai Archipelago - probably in 1884/1885. Visits to the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in 1991 and 1996 yielded no unequivocal records of the species, leading some to believe it was extinct. During a survey conducted between 2007 and 2008 and partially financed by the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (Germany), it was repeatedly seen on Peleng Island and Indonesian ornithologist Mochamad Indrawan caught and photographed two individuals. The validity of the crows on Peleng was not recognized by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
in its 2009 Red List. Confirmation of the identity based on two specimens from Peleng was made by Pamela C. Rasmussen
Pamela C. Rasmussen
Professor Pamela Cecile Rasmussen is a prominent American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and is based at the Michigan State University...
of the American Museum of Natural History in October 2009.
The total population is estimated at approximately 500 individuals, living in mountain forest at altitudes above 500 m. The decline of the Banggai Crow is thought to be primarily due to habitat loss and degradation through agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and extraction
Resource extraction
The related terms natural resource extraction both refer to the practice of locating, acquiring and selling natural resources....
.
This bird remained a complete enigma for a long time. Listed as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
in the 1994 IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, it was changed to Endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in 2000. In 2006, the status was considered as Possibly Extinct. Fortunately this proved to be incorrect and the status was corrected to Critically Endangered in the 2007 Red List.