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Palm Crow (Corvus palmarum)
(aka Cuban Palm Crow Corvus minutus)
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Najasa, Cuba
February 2005 The Palm Crow is classified as Endangered by Birdlife International. There seems to be some doubt about the taxonomy of this species. Some authorities regard this species as being conspecific with the Palm Crow found on the island of Hispaniola. Others, including Birdlife International, regard the Hispaniola Palm Crow C. palmarum to be a distinct species endemic to Hispaniola while Cuban Palm Crow C. minutus is endemic to Cuba.
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Curiously, the article splitting these two species: "Is the Palm Crow, Corvus palmarum (Aves: Corvidae), a monotypic species?" Ornitologia Neotropical 8 (1997): 15-21 was written by Orlando H. Garrido, G.B. Reynard & A. Kirkconnell while in Garrido & Kirkonnell's "Birds of Cuba" published in 2000, they refer to the Cuban species as Palm Crow C. palmarum.
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It is restricted to a few small areas in Cuba including Najasa. It is slightly smaller than Cuban Crow C. nasicus with shorter wings and elongated tufts over the upper mandible. It is often seen on the ground, as in these photos, where the Cuban Crow rarely if ever is seen and it seems more easily spooked by the presence of humans. The calls are very different with the Cuban Crow sounding for all the world like a parrot. Birdlife International have an excellent page on this species here. |
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