Birds: Hawaiian Crow

Description

The Hawaiian Crow, Corvus hawaiiensis, is a fascinating species about the size (48-50 cm in length) of the Carrion Crow but with more rounded wings and a much thicker bill. The plumage is soft and lax in texture and it has long, bristly throat feathers. The overall colour is a brownish-black becoming browner in more worn plumage. The feet, legs and bill are black.

The species is only found on the island of Hawaii in secluded valleys and ravines of open park-like montane forest. Once a relatively abundant species, it has now a dangerously reduced population probably brought about by more than one factor. This still seems strange for such a strong flying, and resourceful creature (which it certainly is) but introduced disease (probably one factor) is no respecter of an animal's ability to survive and its numbers have reached a critical level that it may not come back from due to its reduced gene pool.