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| Mariana crow | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mariana crow |
| Status | CR |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Corvus |
| Species | kubaryi |
| Authority | Finsch, 1884 |
Mariana crow
The Mariana crow is a critically endangered corvid endemic to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is a small, black passerine known historically from islands such as Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian, and has been the subject of conservation actions involving agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and organizations such as the American Bird Conservancy.
The species was described by Otto Finsch in 1884 and placed in the genus Corvus, which includes species such as the Carrion crow, House crow, and American crow. The specific epithet honors the German naturalist Franz Joseph Kubary, who collected in Micronesia during the 19th century. Taxonomic treatments have compared it to the Little raven and the Australian crow complex in morphological and genetic studies conducted by institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.
This crow is medium-sized among corvids, with glossy black plumage similar to the New Caledonian crow and the Hawaiian crow. Adults have a stout bill, rounded wings, and a relatively long tail comparable to the Tamaulipas crow. Vocalizations resemble those documented for the Jungle crow and include harsh croaks and a series of rattles recorded by ornithologists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Morphometric measurements have been published in journals such as the Wilson Journal of Ornithology and reports by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Historically present on multiple islands in the Mariana Islands chain, current populations are largely restricted to Rota following extirpation on Guam after the introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis). Remaining birds occupy limestone forest, ravine forest and secondary growth habitats similar to sites studied on Saipan and Tinian in surveys by the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife. Habitat types used by the species parallel those used by island corvids described from Palau and Pohnpei.
The crow is an opportunistic omnivore with foraging behaviors akin to the Common raven and Australian raven, feeding on fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, and anthropogenic resources. It forages in forest canopies and along forest edges, sometimes exploiting agricultural areas near communities like Songsong on Rota. Social structure is territorial and monogamous during the breeding season, with pair bonds reported in field studies conducted by researchers from the University of Guam and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Predation pressures include introduced mammals such as black rat (Rattus rattus) and feral cat populations documented by USDA invasive species programs.
Classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the species has faced drastic declines due to invasive species, habitat loss from development and military activities involving the United States Department of Defense, and direct human impacts noted in environmental assessments for Andersen Air Force Base and regional infrastructure projects. The brown tree snake on Guam led to local extinction there, prompting biosecurity measures by the Interagency Working Group on the Brown Tree Snake. Conservation responses include captive breeding initiatives at facilities associated with the National Zoo and translocation planning coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local governments of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Climate change and extreme weather events, such as typhoons tracked by the Japan Meteorological Agency, pose additional risks to small insular populations.
Breeding season data collected by field teams from the University of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center indicate nesting occurs in tall native trees, with clutch sizes similar to other island corvids like the Hawaiian crow. Both parents participate in nest building and chick provisioning, behaviors described in field reports published by the American Ornithological Society. Juvenile dispersal is limited by island size and habitat fragmentation, factors analyzed in demographic models by conservation biologists at the Institute for Bird Populations.
The crow features in local cultural accounts among communities in the Mariana Islands, and its decline has prompted legal protections under acts administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and regional ordinances in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Conservation programs involve partnerships among governmental bodies such as the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, non-governmental organizations including the Island Conservation group, and academic partners like the University of Guam. Outreach and education efforts engage local schools, regional newspapers such as the Marianas Variety, and international funders like the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness and support for habitat protection, invasive species control, and captive propagation.
Category:Corvus Category:Endemic birds of the Mariana Islands Category:Critically endangered fauna of Oceania