The Tamaulipas crow (''Corvus imparatus'') is a

crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...

found in northeastern Mexico and southern

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Description

It is a relatively small and sleek looking crow, in length. It has very glossy dark, bluish

plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

, which appears soft and silky. The bill is quite slender and black, as are the legs and feet. The

Chihuahuan raven The Chihuahuan raven (''Corvus cryptoleucus'') is a species in the family Corvidae that is native to the United States and Mexico. Description The proportions resemble the common raven with a heavy bill, but is about the same size as a carrion ...

, a much larger and very different bird, is the only crow it commonly occurs alongside.

Taxonomy

The

Sinaloa crow The Sinaloa crow (''Corvus sinaloae'') is a crow native to western Mexico. Description Visually, it is nearly identical to and the same length (34–38 cm) as the Tamaulipas crow (''Corvus imparatus''). It has the same purple-glossed, silky, ...

(''Corvus sinaloae'') appears to be genetically extremely close to this bird and can be considered the western form of it though the voice is quite different, indeed a third species, the

fish crow The fish crow (''Corvus ossifragus'') is a species of Corvus, crow associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States. Taxonomy and etymology The fish crow was given its Binomial nomenclature, binomial name by the ...

(''Corvus ossifragus'') of the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

appears to be very closely related to them also and the three may be considered a

superspecies In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

Distribution and habitat

Occurring in a relatively small area in northeastern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, it inhabits near desert scrub and bushland and includes farms, small towns and villages in its range. It also occurs in more humid woodland in open areas but does not appear to be found in the higher mountains or along the seashore. It is a sociable bird often forming large flocks, moving together in close groups. Its northern range reaches Brownsville in southern

where it has been known to nest.

Behaviour

Diet

Food would appear to be mainly insects taken on the ground though eggs and nestlings are taken in trees as well as many fruits and berries.

Nesting

The nest is similar to the

American crow The American crow (''Corvus brachyrhynchos'') is a large passerine bird species of the family (biology), family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion cro ...

but smaller and is built in a tree or large bush.

Voice

The voice of this crow is unusual and unlike most other species of the genus ''Corvus''. It has a low croaking sound rather like a frog and a call that is described as a soft ''"gar-lik"''.

References

External links

Bird calling

Two stuffed museum birds

VIREO {{Taxonbar, from=Q582717 Tamaulipas crow Birds of the Rio Grande valleys Birds of Mexico Tamaulipas crow