Species of bird
Brown-necked raven |
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Near Merzouga, Morocco |
Conservation status |
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Corvidae |
Genus: | Corvus |
Species: | C. ruficollis |
Binomial name |
Corvus ruficollis
Lesson, 1831 |
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Distribution map |
Synonyms |
- Corvus umbrinus Sundevall
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The brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) is a larger bird (52–56 cm in length) than the carrion crow though not as large as the common raven. It has similar proportions to the common raven but the bill is not so large or deep and the wings tend to be a little more pointed in profile. The head and throat are a distinct brownish-black giving the bird its English name, while the rest of the plumage is black glossed with purple, blue or purplish-blue. Like the common raven, thick-billed raven and white-necked raven, it is one of the larger raven species. The feathers of this species often fade quite quickly to a brownish black (even the truly black feathers) and the bird can look distinctly brown by the time it moults. The feet, legs and bill are black. The dwarf raven was formerly considered a subspecies (Corvus ruficollis edithae) but this bird now appears to be closer to the pied crow (C. albus) than this species.
Distribution and habitat
This species has a wide range across virtually the whole of North Africa, down as far as Kenya, the Arabian Peninsula and up into the Greater Middle East and southern Iran. It lives in a predominantly desert environment visiting oases and palm groves.
Food consists of a wide range of items, including carrion, snakes, locusts and other grasshoppers, stranded fish (in coastal areas), grain stolen from bags, dates and other fruits. It is quite fearless when not persecuted but is quick to become wary and shy if too much attention is paid to it. A 2009 Israeli study showed the species to cooperatively hunt lizards, with birds blocking exits while others hunted.[2]
Nesting
The nest is very much like the common raven's, and may be found in trees, on cliffs or in old and ruined buildings. The dwarf raven seems to prefer thorn trees for its nest building. There are usually 4–5 eggs laid and incubated over 20–22 days. The young usually leave the nest by the 37th or 38th day and can fly well by 42–45 days.
Vocalisation
The voice is very similar to the common raven's consisting mainly of croaks, though higher in pitch; and a harsh "karr-karr-karr". In flight, it will utter a "kuerk-kuerk" call. Like all corvids, the Brown-necked raven is capable of vocal mimicry, however this behavior is mostly recorded in captivity and, although rarely, in the wild.
Gallery
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Corvus ruficollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22706064A118783085. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22706064A118783085.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Walker, Matt (December 1, 2009). "Clever ravens cooperatively hunt". BBC Earthnews website. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
External links
- Media related to Corvus ruficollis at Wikimedia Commons
- Explore Species: Brown-necked raven at eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
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Choughs | Pyrrhocorax | - Alpine chough (P. graculus)
- Red-billed chough (P. pyrrhocorax)
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Treepies | Crypsirina | - Hooded treepie (C. cucullata)
- Black racket-tailed treepie (C. temia)
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Dendrocitta | - Andaman treepie (D. bayleyi)
- Bornean treepie (D. cinerascens)
- Grey treepie (D. formosae)
- Black-faced treepie (D. frontalis)
- White-bellied treepie (D. leucogastra)
- Sumatran treepie (D. occipitalis)
- Rufous treepie (D. vagabunda)
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Platysmurus | - Malayan black magpie (P. leucopterus)
- Bornean black magpie (P. aterrimus)
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Temnurus | - Ratchet-tailed treepie (T. temnurus)
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Oriental magpies | Cissa | - Common green magpie (C. chinensis)
- Indochinese green magpie (C. hypoleuca)
- Bornean green magpie (C. jefferyi)
- Javan green magpie (C. thalassina)
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Urocissa | - Taiwan blue magpie (U. caerulea)
- Red-billed blue magpie (U. erythrorhyncha)
- Yellow-billed blue magpie (U. flavirostris)
- Sri Lanka blue magpie (U. ornata)
- White-winged magpie (U. whiteheadi)
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Old World jays | Garrulus | - Eurasian jay (G. glandarius)
- Lanceolated jay (G. lanceolatus)
- Lidth's jay (G. lidthi)
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Podoces (Ground jays) | - Xinjiang ground jay (P. biddulphi)
- Mongolian ground jay (P. hendersoni)
- Turkestan ground jay (P. panderi)
- Iranian ground jay (P. pleskei)
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Ptilostomus | |
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Stresemann's bushcrow | Zavattariornis | - Stresemann's bushcrow (Z. stresemanni)
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Nutcrackers | Nucifraga | - Spotted nutcracker (N. caryocatactes)
- Clark's nutcracker (N. columbiana)
- Kashmir nutcracker (N. multipunctata)
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Holarctic magpies | Pica | - Black-billed magpie (P. hudsonia)
- Yellow-billed magpie (P. nuttalli)
- Eurasian magpie (P. pica)
- Oriental magpie (P. sericea)
- Maghreb magpie (P. mauritanica)
- Asir magpie (P. asirensis)
- Black-rumped magpie (P. bottanensis)
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True crows | Corvus | - Australian and Melanesian species
- Little crow (C. bennetti)
- Australian raven (C. coronoides)
- Bismarck crow (C. insularis)
- Brown-headed crow (C. fuscicapillus)
- Bougainville crow (C. meeki)
- Little raven (C. mellori)
- New Caledonian crow (C. moneduloides)
- Torresian crow (C. orru)
- Forest raven (C. tasmanicus)
- Grey crow (C. tristis)
- Long-billed crow (C. validus)
- White-billed crow (C. woodfordi)
- Pacific island species
- Hawaiian crow (C. hawaiiensis)
- Mariana crow (C. kubaryi)
- Tropical Asian species
- Slender-billed crow (C. enca)
- Small crow (C. samarensis)
- Palawan crow (C. pusillus)
- Flores crow (C. florensis)
- Large-billed crow (C. macrorhynchos)
- Eastern jungle crow (C. levaillantii)
- Indian jungle crow (C. culminatus)
- House crow (C. splendens)
- Collared crow (C. torquatus)
- Piping crow (C. typicus)
- Banggai crow (C. unicolor)
- Violet crow (C. violaceus)
- Eurasian and North African species
- Mesopotamian crow (C. capellanus)
- Hooded crow (C. cornix)
- Carrion crow (C. corone)
- Rook (C. frugilegus)
- Eastern carrion crow (C. orientalis)
- Fan-tailed raven (C. rhipidurus)
- Brown-necked raven (C. ruficollis)
- Holarctic species
- Common raven (C. corax)
- North and Central American species
- American crow (C. brachyrhynchos)
- Chihuahuan raven (C. cryptoleucus)
- Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus)
- Jamaican crow (C. jamaicensis)
- White-necked crow (C. leucognaphalus)
- Cuban palm crow (C. minutus)
- Cuban crow (C. nasicus)
- Fish crow (C. ossifragus)
- Hispaniolan palm crow (C. palmarum)
- Sinaloan crow (C. sinaloae)
- Tropical African species
- White-necked raven (C. albicollis)
- Pied crow (C. albus)
- Cape crow (C. capensis)
- Thick-billed raven (C. crassirostris)
- Somali crow (C. edithae)
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Jackdaws | |
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Azure-winged magpies | Cyanopica | - Iberian magpie (C. cooki)
- Azure-winged magpie (C. cyanus)
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Grey jays | Perisoreus | - Canada jay (P. canadensis)
- Siberian jay (P. infaustus)
- Sichuan jay (P. internigrans)
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New World jays | Aphelocoma (Scrub jays) | - California scrub jay (A. californica)
- Island scrub jay (A. insularis)
- Woodhouse's scrub jay (A. woodhouseii)
- Florida scrub jay (A. coerulescens)
- Transvolcanic jay (A. ultramarina)
- Unicolored jay (A. unicolor)
- Mexican jay (A. wollweberi)
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Calocitta (Magpie-Jays) | - Black-throated magpie-jay (C. colliei)
- White-throated Magpie-jay (C. formosa)
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Cyanocitta | - Blue jay (C. cristata)
- Steller's jay (C. stelleri)
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Cyanocorax | - Black-chested jay (C. affinis)
- Purplish-backed jay (C. beecheii)
- Azure jay (C. caeruleus)
- Cayenne jay (C. cayanus)
- Plush-crested jay (C. chrysops)
- Curl-crested jay (C. cristatellus)
- Purplish jay (C. cyanomelas)
- White-naped jay (C. cyanopogon)
- Tufted jay (C. dickeyi)
- Azure-naped jay (C. heilprini)
- Bushy-crested jay (C. melanocyaneus)
- Brown jay (C. morio)
- White-tailed jay (C. mystacalis)
- San Blas jay (C. sanblasianus)
- Violaceous jay (C. violaceus)
- Green jay (C. ynca)
- Yucatan jay (C. yucatanicus)
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Cyanolyca | - Silvery-throated jay (C. argentigula)
- Black-collared jay (C. armillata)
- Azure-hooded jay (C. cucullata)
- White-throated jay (C. mirabilis)
- Dwarf jay (C. nana)
- Beautiful jay (C. pulchra)
- Black-throated jay (C. pumilo)
- Turquoise jay (C. turcosa)
- White-collared jay (C. viridicyana)
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Gymnorhinus | - Pinyon jay (G. cyanocephalus)
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Taxon identifiers |
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Corvus ruficollis | |
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