The Palawan crow (''Corvus pusillus'') is a

Passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

bird of the family

Corvidae Corvidae is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan Family (biology), family of Songbird, oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, Rook (bird), rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and Nutcracker (bird), nutcrackers ...

, in the genus ''Corvus''. It was previously considered a subspecies of the

slender-billed crow The Sunda crow (''Corvus enca''), formerly known as the slender-billed crow, is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae, in the genus ''Corvus''. It is found from Malaysia to Borneo. The violet crow has been shown to be distinct genetically an ...

, but phylogenetic evidence indicates that both are distinct species, and it has thus been split by the

International Ornithologists' Union The International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) is an international organization for the promotion of ornithology Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, where it is found on

Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ), it has a population of 1,408,454, as of the 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of ...

Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...

, and the

Calamian Islands The Calamian Islands or the Calamianes is a group of islands in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It includes: * Busuanga Island * Coron Island * Culion Island * Calauit Island * Malcapuya Island * Banana Island * Pass Island * Calumbuyan ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are

tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

and tropical

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withsta ...

Description and taxonomy

Ebird describes the Palawan crow as "Large black crow endemic to the western Philippines, from Mindoro west to Palawan. Plumage has an iridescent dark blue sheen when seen up close. Note relatively long, slightly decurved bill. Favors intact forest and forest edge. Often encountered as pairs or small flocks in rowing flight over roads, rivers, and clearings. Gives loud nasal caws." It is part of the

Slender-billed crow The Sunda crow (''Corvus enca''), formerly known as the slender-billed crow, is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae, in the genus ''Corvus''. It is found from Malaysia to Borneo. The violet crow has been shown to be distinct genetically an ...

species complex which now 5 distinct and separate species. The Palawan crow is differentiated by its ashy gray plumage, lanky structure and distinct frog-like call.

Ecology and behavior

No species specific studies on its ecology have been conducted on the Palawan crow but diet and breeding habits believed to be similar to the Slender-billed crow which is omnivorous and feeds on fruits, insects, small lizards and even carrion. The Slender-billed crow also nests in a bulky mass of stick in large tree high up the cannopy. Clutch size is 2 eggs and is incubated mostly by the female. Both parents feed the chick.

Habitat and conservation status

Its natural

is tropical moist lowland

forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

and forest edge up to 1,000 meters above sea level. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has yet to recognize this as a distinct species but this bird is common throughout its range and is seen in degraded habitats and is not believed to be threatened.

References

Palawan crow Palawan crow Endemic birds of the Philippines Birds of Palawan {{Corvidae-stub