Jamaican Crow

Overview

The Jamaican crow is a comparatively small corvid native to the island of Jamaica. It belongs to the crow family and is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Overall sooty-grey plumage that is not glossy, with a dark grey patch of naked skin behind the eye and a smaller one at the base of the bill.
• Slate-grey, deep bill tapering to a sharp point, with relatively sparse nasal bristles.
• Black legs and feet with either grey-brown or red-brown irises.
• Distinctive voice featuring jabbering and bubbling sounds, sometimes including a leisurely 'craaa-aa' and musical burbling.

Habitat

Found exclusively on the island of Jamaica, the species inhabits woodland mixed with cleared areas and is frequently seen in larger gardens. While primarily a bird of hill and mountain forest, it descends to lower elevations during the dry season.

Diet

This forest crow consumes a significant proportion of fruit taken from trees, often foraging in pairs or small groups. It also probes under bark and leaf litter for small invertebrates and lizards, and is known to raid other birds' nests for eggs and nestlings.

Did you know?

The bird is locally known by names such as 'chattering crow' and 'gabbling crow', reflecting its very distinctive voice of jabbering and bubbling sounds.