ID Keys: Geographic range, black plumage with glossy bluish tone on
adults, relatively small bill.
The
Tamaulipas Crow is a small crow species with a small geographic range
covering a small part of northern Mexico and extreme southern Texas.
In the Untied States, they are most often found during the winter months at
the garbage dump in Brownsville, Texas, making this particular garbage dump
an unusually popular birding location! The only other crow or raven in
its range is the much larger Chihuahuan Raven, which also can be found at
the Brownsville garbage dump in the winter. The Sinaloa Crow that
lives in western Mexico was once considered the same species as the
Tamaulipas Crow, and they were called the "Mexican Crow".
Habitat
In the United States, they are mostly
found in the vicinity of the Brownsville garbage dump. In the rest of
their range, they are found in a variety of open and semi-open habitats,
including agricultural land, suburban areas, arid brushland and grasslands,
and open savannahs.
Diet
Omnivorous, feeding on a variety of items,
including insects, fruits, berries, nuts, and occasionally small
vertebrates. They also will feed on refuse and carrion.
Behavior
Foraging behavior depends upon location
and available food items. Most foraging is done by walking on the
ground.
Nesting
The nest of a Tamaulipas Crow is a large
depressed platform built of sticks and stiff plant fibers, with a lining of
softer vegetative material. The female usually lays 4 eggs, and she
alone incubates them. When the eggs hatch, both parents help tend to
the youngsters, who leave the nest after about 18 days.
Song
Has a croaking call
Migration
Considered a permanent resident
throughout its normal range, but those found in the United States are mostly
found during the winter months.
Photo taken by
Jerry
Oldenettel - January 18th, 2010 - Brownsville Dump in Texas - Photo
licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Sharealike 2.0 Generic License.
