The Mariana Crow (Corvus kubaryi) is a species of the crow family from the north Pacific. It is an endangered species which has steadily declined in numbers since the 1960s.
Description
The Mariana Crow is a small black crow with a bluish-black gloss on its tail, and a greenish-black gloss on its back, underparts, head, and wings. In general, females are smaller than males. An adult weighs about 9 ounces (250 grams) and is about 15 inches (38 centimetres) long.
The voice is a loud scream of kaaa-ah.
Distribution and ecology
The Mariana Crow inhabits second growth and mature forests, as well as coastal strand vegetations, but nests only in native limestone forest. It lives primarily in the northern end of the island of Guam, and Rota in the Northern Marianas Islands where it preferentially nests in the crowns of two canopy-emergent tree species: Yoga Tree (Elaeocarpus joga) and the fig Ficus prolixa.
Diet
Extremely versatile, the Mariana Crow is an opportunistic omnivore, feeding on insects, lizards, other birds' eggs, hermit crabs, fruits, and seeds.
Nesting
The Mariana Crow begins nesting as early as July and as late as March. The nest is a large, cupped platform of small sticks, lined with leaf fibers. Clutch size varies from 1-4 eggs, and both parents incubate the eggs, brood the chicks, and care for the juveniles even after they fledge. Parental care has been known to range from 5 to 18 months, and juveniles may take as long as 3 years before entering the adult breeding cycle.
Status and conservation
On Guam, the Mariana Crow's decline is primarily due to predation by the introduced Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis). In spite of protection of nesting-sites by electrical tree barriers, the remaining birds are considered to be reproductively senescent. On Rota, many other threats endanger the crow, including homestead development, resort and golf-course construction, agricultural settlement, nest-predation from introduced rats, the Mangrove Monitor lizard (Varanus indicus), typhoons, disease, and competition with the Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus). More recently, the Brown Tree Snake has also been introduced to Rota, likely leading to serious declines in the Mariana Crow population there if the snake population establishes itself. The Mariana Crow is also persecuted by residents of both islands who see it as an obstacle to development.
In 1993, a National Wildlife Refuge was established on Guam to preserve the remaining forest, and birds are being translocated from Rota. Biologically controlling the Brown Tree Snake is also being discussed.
Formerly classified as an Endangered species by the IUCN, it was suspected to be rarer than generally assumed. Following the evaluation of its status, this was found to be correct, and it is consequently uplisted to Critically Endangered status in 2008 as it is in immediate danger of extinction, numbering so few birds that it might be entirely wiped out by a single catastrophic event such as an epidemic of West Nile Virus.
