Alternative name: Brown-capped Crow
- Corvus fuscicapillus
Identification
45cm. A medium-sized Crow:
- Massive, strongly arched bill. Male with black bill, female with black-tipped yellow bill.
- Plumage glossy black except head and neck which are dark brown
- Blue iris
- Black legs
Juveniles are browner and scruffier than adults.
Distribution
Locally on northwest New Guinea, Aru Island and West Papuan Islands.
A rare and not well known restricted-range species.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
This is a polytypic species which consists of two subspecies:
- C. f. fuscicapillus on Aru Island
- C. f. megarhynchus on Gemien and Waigeo (West Papuan Islands)
Birds of coastal northwest New Guinea have not yet been assigned to a subspecies.
It may be most closely related to Grey Crow, White-billed Crow and Bougainville Crow.
Habitat
Moist forests and mangroves upto 500m. Only rarely in open areas.
Behaviour
Feeds on fruits.
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small flocks.
No information about breeding.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Brown-headed Crow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Brown-headed_Crow
