Cuban Crow
Encyclopedia
The Cuban Crow is one of four species of crow that occur on a few key islands in the Caribbean
. It is closely related to the White-necked Crow
(C. leucognaphalis) and Jamaican Crow
(C. jamaicensis), with which it shares similar features. The fourth Caribbean crow, the Palm Crow
(C. palmarum), is a later arrival in evolutionary terms and shows characteristics more akin to North America
n species such as the Fish Crow
(C. ossifragus), which it is probably closely related to.
A stocky, medium sized (40–42 cm (15.7–16.5 in) in length) forest crow, this sociable bird can be found quite commonly over most of the large island of Cuba
and on the nearby Isla de la Juventud in woodland and areas that have been cleared for agriculture. It is frequently found around farms and villages where it seems to have adapted quite well to living in relatively close contact with man
.
The bill of this species is long and deep with a gentle curve towards the tip giving a large headed profile. The nasal bristles sweep forward then upward and frequently reveal the nostrils which are hidden in almost all other members of the genus Corvus. There is a patch of dark grey bare skin behind the browinsh-red eye and at the base of the lower mandible. The black plumage has a bluish-purple gloss in good light. The bill, legs and feet are black.
Food consists of fruit
and insect
s though it does appear to take human food readily and will scavenge
for scraps where the opportunity arises. Large noisy flocks can be seen feeding in trees and it will also readily feed on the ground especially where grain and other seeds have been spilt or left unprotected on the surface of a field.
The voice is quite remarkable and is rather un-crow like, with strange liquid bubbling notes and high ringing sounds produced in various combinations. It also produces a thin screeched "aaaaauh" that rises in inflection.
The nest is built in tall trees, though little further information about breeding is recorded as yet.
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It is closely related to the White-necked Crow
White-necked Crow
The White-necked Crow is the largest of the four Caribbean crow species. Two other species, the Cuban Crow and the Jamaican Crow , appear to be very closely related to it sharing several key morphological features...
(C. leucognaphalis) and Jamaican Crow
Jamaican Crow
The Jamaican Crow, Corvus jamaicensis is a comparatively small crow species . It shares several key morphological features with two further West Indian species, the Cuban Crow, Corvus nasicus and the White-necked Crow, Corvus leucognaphalus of Hispaniola which are almost certainly very closely...
(C. jamaicensis), with which it shares similar features. The fourth Caribbean crow, the Palm Crow
Palm Crow
The Palm Crow is a relatively small black bird in the crow family that occurs mostly on the large Caribbean island of Hispaniola, itself divided into the two countries of Dominican Republic and Haiti. It was formerly quite frequent on Cuba but has become severely reduced in number and may be...
(C. palmarum), is a later arrival in evolutionary terms and shows characteristics more akin to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species such as the Fish Crow
Fish Crow
The Fish Crow is a species of crow that is associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States.-Taxonomy:The Fish Crow was first described by Alexander Wilson in 1812...
(C. ossifragus), which it is probably closely related to.
A stocky, medium sized (40–42 cm (15.7–16.5 in) in length) forest crow, this sociable bird can be found quite commonly over most of the large island of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and on the nearby Isla de la Juventud in woodland and areas that have been cleared for agriculture. It is frequently found around farms and villages where it seems to have adapted quite well to living in relatively close contact with man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
.
The bill of this species is long and deep with a gentle curve towards the tip giving a large headed profile. The nasal bristles sweep forward then upward and frequently reveal the nostrils which are hidden in almost all other members of the genus Corvus. There is a patch of dark grey bare skin behind the browinsh-red eye and at the base of the lower mandible. The black plumage has a bluish-purple gloss in good light. The bill, legs and feet are black.
Food consists of fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s though it does appear to take human food readily and will scavenge
Scavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
for scraps where the opportunity arises. Large noisy flocks can be seen feeding in trees and it will also readily feed on the ground especially where grain and other seeds have been spilt or left unprotected on the surface of a field.
The voice is quite remarkable and is rather un-crow like, with strange liquid bubbling notes and high ringing sounds produced in various combinations. It also produces a thin screeched "aaaaauh" that rises in inflection.
The nest is built in tall trees, though little further information about breeding is recorded as yet.
Image links
- Good quality series of images
- Series of photographs
- Cuban Crow videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection