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, black plumage with a black bill, legs, and feet. The two species differ markedly in voice.
Distribution and habitat
It occurs on the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
slope from southern Sonora south to Manzanillo. The crow inhabits coastal regions where it forages on the seashore, semi-desert, open woodlands, river banks and hills up to 300 metres or more. It is very common around coastal towns and villages.
Diet
Food is taken both on the ground and in trees. On the seashore it can be found turning over objects to find its food and it will take a wide range of invertebrates such as small shellfish,
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...
s, and insects. Fruits of many types are also taken and eggs and nestlings are also on the menu when opportunity arises.
Breeding
Often, this bird will nest in a thorny tree or a tall
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...
palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
where its nest is said to be similar to the
American crow
The American crow (''Corvus brachyrhynchos'') is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow of Europe an ...
though smaller.
Voice
The voice is radically different from the Tamaulipas crow in that it is quite high-pitched, jay-like, and clear: ''"ceow"''. That of the Tamaulipas crow is a surprisingly low, gruff, frog-like croak.
Image links
Profile of bird
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q515643
Sinaloa crow
Endemic birds of Western Mexico
Sinaloa crow