Bristle raven
| Bristle raven | ||||||||||||
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Bristle raven with a piece of pita bread, West Bank |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Corvus rhipidurus | ||||||||||||
| Hartert , 1918 |
The fan-tailed raven ( Corvus rhipidurus ), also called compartments fan-tailed raven called, is a passerine bird from the family of corvids .
description
With a length of 47 centimeters, the bristle raven belongs to the smaller species of the family, along with the white-necked raven . It is roughly the same size as the carrion crow , but with a thicker beak, shorter tail, and much longer wings.
The bristle raven is completely black, including the beak. Feet, legs and plumage shine purple-blue in the sun. Worn plumage shows a light copper-brown color. The base of the feathers on the upper neck is white. The throat feathers are shorter than most other ravens. The voice is a throaty croak, mixed with tones that sound like croaking frogs.
distribution and habitat
The bristle raven occurs in the Middle East , North Africa , Arabia , southern Sudan and Kenya . It is also above the Aïr - mountain range south of the Sahara spread. It prefers deserts and open dry land that includes rocks for nesting. The bristle raven covers very long distances in its search for food. Similar to the vultures, its long wings are adapted to glide in the updrafts.
behavior
The food is always ingested on the ground and consists of insects and other invertebrates , grains picked from animal manure, and human food waste. Occasionally he also frees camels from skin parasites and, where he is not pursued, he plunders garbage dumps and camps. Fruits of all kinds enrich the food supply. He sails and plays with the updrafts more often than other African raven species. He is often seen in the company of desert ravens on the same tree.
The species usually nests in ledges. In Somalia , however, it has also been seen nesting in trees. The clutch consists of two to four eggs. The jay cuckoo sometimes uses the bristle raven as a brood host .
literature
- Adrian Lewis, DE Pomeroy: A Bird Atlas of Kenya CRC Press, 1989. ISBN 978-90-6191-716-8
- Richard Meinertzhagen : Introduction to a Review of the Genus Corvus In: Novitates Zoologicae . No. 33. Natural History Museum, London. 1926
- C. M Perrins: Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Vol. VIII . Oxford University Press. Hong Kong, 1994. ISBN 0-19-854679-3
Web links
- Corvus rhipidurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed October 22 of 2008.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Corvus rhipidurus in the Internet Bird Collection
- Feathers of the bristle raven