Small crow
| Small crow | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Corvus |
| Species: | C. samarensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Corvus samarensis Steere, 1890
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Small crow (Corvus samarensis) also known as the Samar crow or the Sierra Madre crow is a passerine bird in the genus Corvus of the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are primary tropical moist lowland forest. It is now extremely rare and threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
Description and taxonomy
[edit]Described as a small and short tailed crow with bare facial skin and a distinctive whirring flight style found in pristine primary forests. Its call is described as a high pitched squeals not typical for a crow.[1]
It was previously considered a subspecies of the slender-billed crow (Corvus enca), but phylogenetic evidence indicates that both are distinct species, and it has thus been split by the International Ornithologists' Union.[2][3]
Subspecies
[edit]It has two subspecies, one found in the northern Philippines and one found in the south:[4]
- C. s. sierramadrensis - endemic to Luzon in the northern Philippines; Shorter thinner bill and jet black plummage
- C. s. samarensis - found on Samar and Mindanao in the southern Philippines, not recorded in Midnanao since 1980s; Has a longer and thicker bill and less jet black plummage
These 2 subspecies are already split as separate species namely the Sierra Madre Crow and the Samar Crow under the IOC. [5]
Habitat and conservation status
[edit]It is found in tropical moist lowland forest where it is extremely intolerant of any disturbance.
IUCN has yet to assess this bird but due to their preference for pristine forest, general rarity and lack of records in the past decades in Mindanao it is safe to assume that this bird is threatened. Deforestation through illegal logging and slash-and-burn continues accross most of its remaining habitat. It is also believed to face interspecific competition from Large-billed crow which is more aggressive and adaptable to disturbed habitats.
Occurs in a few protected areas like the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park and Samar Island Natural Park but actual protection and enforcement from illegal logging and hunting are lax[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Lynx. pp. 258–259.
- ^ "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-16728-32-9. OCLC 1286814135.
- ^ IOC World Bird List 11.2 (Report). doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.11.2.
- ^ "English Name Updates – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ says, Lito Ijan (2012-02-01). "ASK THE EXPERTS". eBON. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
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