The house crow (Corvus splendens), also known as the Indian, greynecked, Ceylon or Colombo crow,[2] is a common bird of the crow family that is of Asian origin but now found in many parts of the world, where they arrived assisted by shipping. It is between the jackdaw and the carrion crow in size (40 cm (16 in) in length) but is slimmer than either. The forehead, crown, throat and upper breast are a richly glossed black, whilst the neck and breast are a lighter grey-brown in colour. The wings, tail and legs are black. There are regional variations in the thickness of the bill and the depth of colour in areas of the plumage.
The nominate race C. s. splendens is found in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh and has a grey neck collar. The subspecies C. s. zugmayeri is found in the dry parts of South Asia and Iran and has a very pale neck collar. The subspecies C. s. protegatus is found in southern India, the Maldives (sometimes separated as maledivicus) and Sri Lanka and is darker grey. C. s. insolens, found in Myanmar, is the darkest form and lacks the grey collar.[3]
In the New World, a small population of house crows is established in the area around St. Petersburg, Florida.[7] As of April 2009, the introduced population of house crows in Socotra Island, Yemen, has been eradicated to avoid negative ecological effects to endemic species of Socotra.[8]
It is associated with human settlements throughout its range, from small villages to large cities. In Singapore, there was a density of 190 birds/km2 in 2001 with efforts to suppress the population in planning.[9][10]
Due to a human population explosion in the areas it inhabits, this species has also proportionately multiplied. Being an omnivorous scavenger has enabled it to thrive in such circumstances.
Invasive species
The invasive potential for the species is great all over the tropics. This species is able to make use of resources with great flexibility and appears to be associated with humans, and no populations are known to exist independently of humans. Based on niche-modelling it is estimated that it can also persist in some coastal areas in southern and northwestern Europe.[11] In 2016, house crow was added to the List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern. Breeding population of this species is reported from Netherlands (Hoek van Holland), while individuals were seen in Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Spain.[12]
Behaviour
Parents feeding nestlings
Nest with eggs
Diet
House crows feed largely on refuse around human habitations, small reptiles and mammals,[13] and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits. House crows have also been observed swooping down from the air and snatching baby squirrels. Most food is taken from the ground, but also from trees as opportunity arises. They are highly opportunistic birds and given their omnivorous diet, they can survive on nearly anything that is edible. These birds can be seen near marketplaces and garbage dumps, foraging for scraps. They have also been observed to eat sand after feeding on carcasses.[14]
Nesting
Eudynamys scolopaceus in a clutch of Corvus splendens - MHNT
At least some trees in the local environment seem to be necessary for successful breeding although house crows occasionally nest on telephone towers.[15] It lays 3–5 eggs in a typical stick nest, and occasionally there are several nests in the same tree. In South Asia they are parasitized by the Asian koel. Peak breeding in India as well as Peninsular Malaysia is from April to July. Large trees with big crowns are preferred for nesting.[16]
Roosting
House crows roost communally near human habitations and often over busy streets. A study in Singapore found that the preferred roost sites were in well-lit areas with a lot of human activity, close to food sources and in tall trees with dense crowns that were separated from other trees. The roost sites were often enclosed by tall buildings.[17] Before flying into roost trees, crows make pre-roosting aggregations perched on TV antennas, roof tops, wayside trees, open fields, and feed or preen during this time.[18]
It is suspected that paramyxoviruses, such as PMV 1 that causes of Newcastle disease[19] may be spread by Corvus splendens. Outbreaks of Newcastle disease in India were often preceded by mortality in crows.[20] They have also been found to carry Cryptococcus neoformans, which can cause cryptococcosis in humans.[21]
House crow near Chandigarh.
House crows in Tanzania curiously showed an absence of blood parasites, although some species such as Trypanosoma corvi have been first described from this species.[22] Pathologist T.R. Lewis expressed surprise at the numbers of haematozoa present in the blood of house crows from Calcutta.[23]
^BirdLife International (2018). "Corvus splendens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22705938A131944731. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22705938A131944731.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^"House crow: animal pest alert". agric.wa.gov. Government of Western Australia: Department of Agriculture and Food. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ abRasmussen, PC & JC Anderton (2005) Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. Vol 2. p.598
^Cooper, John E. (1996). "Health studies on the Indian house crow (Corvus splendens)". Avian Pathology. 25 (2): 381–386. doi:10.1080/03079459608419148. PMID 18645865.
^Ryall, C. 2016. Further records and updates of range extension in House Crow Corvus splendens. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 136(1):39-45
^Pranty, W. 2004. Florida’s exotic avifauna: a preliminary checklist. - Birding, August 2004: 362:372.
^Suliman, Ahmed Saeid; Meier, Guntram G.; Haverson, Peter J. (2010). "Eradication of Invasive House Crow (Corvus splendens) from Socotra Island, Republic of Yemen – Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Facing a Bird Invasion". Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference. 24 (24). doi:10.5070/V424110552. ISSN 0507-6773.
^Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Soh, M.C.K., Lim, H.C. (2003) Abundance and projected control of invasive house crows in Singapore. Journal of Wildlife Management 67(4):808-817
^Ryall, C., 2002. Further records of range extension in the House Crow Corvus splendens. BOC Bulletin 122(3): 231-240
^Nyari, A., Ryall, C. and Peterson, A. T. 2006. Global invasive potential of the house crow Corvus splendens based on ecological niche modeling. J. Avian Biol. 37:306-311.
^Ryall, C. 2010. Further records and updates of range extension in House Crow Corvus splendens. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 130(4):246-254
^Mikula, P.; Morelli, F.; Lučan, R. K.; Jones, D. N.; Tryjanowski, P. (2016). "Bats as prey of diurnal birds: a global perspective". Mammal Review. 46 (3): 160–174. doi:10.1111/mam.12060.
^Amey Jayesh Kambli (2004). "Geophagy by three species of crows near carcass dumping ground at Jodhpur, Rajasthan". Newsletter for Ornithologists. 1 (5): 71.
^Lamba, B.S. 1963. The nidification of some common Indian birds. Part I. J. Bombay Nat. Hisl. Soc. 60:121-133
^Soh MCK, NS Sodhi, RKH Seoh, BW Brook (2002) Nest site selection of the house crow (Corvus splendens), an urban invasive bird species in Singapore and implications for its management. Landscape and Urban planning 59:217-226
^Kelvin S.-H. Peh and Navjot S. Sodhi (2002) Characteristics of Nocturnal Roosts of House Crows in Singapore. The Journal of Wildlife Management 66(4):1128-1133
^Peh, Kevin S-H (2002). "Roosting behaviour of house crow (Corvus splendens) in relation to environmental variables" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 50: 257–262.
^Roy, P., Venugopalan, A.T., Manvell, R. 1998 Isolation of Newcastle disease virus from an Indian house crow. Tropical animal health and production 30 (3):177-178
^Blount, W.P. (1949). Diseases of Poultry. (London, Balliere, Tindall and Cox).
^S. Gokulshankar, S. Ranganathan, M. S. Ranjith and A. J. A. Ranjithsingh (2004) Prevalence, serotypes and mating patterns of Cryptococcus neoformans in the pellets of different avifauna in Madras, India. Mycoses, 47:310–314
^Dirie, M.F., Ashford, R.W., Mungomba, L.M., Molyneux, D.H. & Green, E.E. (1990). Avian trypanosomes in Simulium and sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus). Parasitology, 101,243-247.
^Lewis, Timothy Richards (1879). The microscopic organisms found in the blood of man and animals, and their relation to disease. Calcutta: Government Press. p. 71.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corvus splendens.
Wikispecies has information related to Corvus splendens.
House Crow Monitor
Bibliography from Corvids Literature Database
House Crow Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Corvus splendens at Global Invasive Species Database
House Crow photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
January 31, 2023
house, crow, house, crow, corvus, splendens, also, known, indian, greynecked, ceylon, colombo, crow, common, bird, crow, family, that, asian, origin, found, many, parts, world, where, they, arrived, assisted, shipping, between, jackdaw, carrion, crow, size, le. The house crow Corvus splendens also known as the Indian greynecked Ceylon or Colombo crow 2 is a common bird of the crow family that is of Asian origin but now found in many parts of the world where they arrived assisted by shipping It is between the jackdaw and the carrion crow in size 40 cm 16 in in length but is slimmer than either The forehead crown throat and upper breast are a richly glossed black whilst the neck and breast are a lighter grey brown in colour The wings tail and legs are black There are regional variations in the thickness of the bill and the depth of colour in areas of the plumage House crowC s insolens eating in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia source source Conservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder PasseriformesFamily CorvidaeGenus CorvusSpecies C splendensBinomial nameCorvus splendensVieillot 1817Songs and callsHouse Crow calling source source Listen to other vocalizations at external website Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Invasive species 4 Behaviour 4 1 Diet 4 2 Nesting 4 3 Roosting 4 4 Voice 5 Relationship to humans 6 Gallery 7 References 8 External linksTaxonomy EditThe nominate race C s splendens is found in Pakistan India Nepal and Bangladesh and has a grey neck collar The subspecies C s zugmayeri is found in the dry parts of South Asia and Iran and has a very pale neck collar The subspecies C s protegatus is found in southern India the Maldives sometimes separated as maledivicus and Sri Lanka and is darker grey C s insolens found in Myanmar is the darkest form and lacks the grey collar 3 Distribution and habitat EditIt has a widespread distribution in southern Asia being native to Nepal Bangladesh India Pakistan Sri Lanka Maldives and Laccadive Islands southern Myanmar south Thailand and coastal southern Iran It was introduced to East Africa around Zanzibar about 1897 4 and Port Sudan It arrived in Australia via ship but has up to now been exterminated Recently it has made its arrival in Europe and has been breeding in the Dutch harbour town Hook of Holland since 1998 A population between 200 and 400 birds has been present in Sham Shui Po New Kowloon Hong Kong in particular Lai Kok Estate and Sham Shui Po Park as well as Kowloon Tsai Park in Kowloon Tsai 5 An individual has been present in Cork Harbour on the south coast of Ireland since early September 2010 6 In the New World a small population of house crows is established in the area around St Petersburg Florida 7 As of April 2009 the introduced population of house crows in Socotra Island Yemen has been eradicated to avoid negative ecological effects to endemic species of Socotra 8 It is associated with human settlements throughout its range from small villages to large cities In Singapore there was a density of 190 birds km2 in 2001 with efforts to suppress the population in planning 9 10 Due to a human population explosion in the areas it inhabits this species has also proportionately multiplied Being an omnivorous scavenger has enabled it to thrive in such circumstances Invasive species EditThe invasive potential for the species is great all over the tropics This species is able to make use of resources with great flexibility and appears to be associated with humans and no populations are known to exist independently of humans Based on niche modelling it is estimated that it can also persist in some coastal areas in southern and northwestern Europe 11 In 2016 house crow was added to the List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern Breeding population of this species is reported from Netherlands Hoek van Holland while individuals were seen in Belgium Hungary Poland and Spain 12 Behaviour Edit Parents feeding nestlings Nest with eggs Diet Edit House crows feed largely on refuse around human habitations small reptiles and mammals 13 and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates eggs nestlings grain and fruits House crows have also been observed swooping down from the air and snatching baby squirrels Most food is taken from the ground but also from trees as opportunity arises They are highly opportunistic birds and given their omnivorous diet they can survive on nearly anything that is edible These birds can be seen near marketplaces and garbage dumps foraging for scraps They have also been observed to eat sand after feeding on carcasses 14 Nesting Edit Eudynamys scolopaceus in a clutch of Corvus splendens MHNT At least some trees in the local environment seem to be necessary for successful breeding although house crows occasionally nest on telephone towers 15 It lays 3 5 eggs in a typical stick nest and occasionally there are several nests in the same tree In South Asia they are parasitized by the Asian koel Peak breeding in India as well as Peninsular Malaysia is from April to July Large trees with big crowns are preferred for nesting 16 Roosting Edit House crows roost communally near human habitations and often over busy streets A study in Singapore found that the preferred roost sites were in well lit areas with a lot of human activity close to food sources and in tall trees with dense crowns that were separated from other trees The roost sites were often enclosed by tall buildings 17 Before flying into roost trees crows make pre roosting aggregations perched on TV antennas roof tops wayside trees open fields and feed or preen during this time 18 Voice Edit The voice is a harsh kaaw kaaw 3 Relationship to humans EditIt is suspected that paramyxoviruses such as PMV 1 that causes of Newcastle disease 19 may be spread by Corvus splendens Outbreaks of Newcastle disease in India were often preceded by mortality in crows 20 They have also been found to carry Cryptococcus neoformans which can cause cryptococcosis in humans 21 House crow near Chandigarh House crows in Tanzania curiously showed an absence of blood parasites although some species such as Trypanosoma corvi have been first described from this species 22 Pathologist T R Lewis expressed surprise at the numbers of haematozoa present in the blood of house crows from Calcutta 23 Gallery Edit Sleeping at night in Kolkata West Bengal India Grooming behaviour in India Grooming after bath in the rain in India Bathing in India House Crow swallowing bread in Kuala Lumpur Eating fish In flight in Kolkata West Bengal India Assembling in the evening In Bengaluru India House crow feeding chicks in Chennai India House crow fledgling Collecting twigs for building nest Central Park Kolkata References Edit BirdLife International 2018 Corvus splendens IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018 e T22705938A131944731 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2018 2 RLTS T22705938A131944731 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 House crow animal pest alert agric wa gov Government of Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food Retrieved 30 October 2015 a b Rasmussen PC amp JC Anderton 2005 Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions Vol 2 p 598 Cooper John E 1996 Health studies on the Indian house crow Corvus splendens Avian Pathology 25 2 381 386 doi 10 1080 03079459608419148 PMID 18645865 1 2 3 4 Ryall C 2016 Further records and updates of range extension in House Crow Corvus splendens Bulletin of the British Ornithologists Club 136 1 39 45 Pranty W 2004 Florida s exotic avifauna a preliminary checklist Birding August 2004 362 372 Suliman Ahmed Saeid Meier Guntram G Haverson Peter J 2010 Eradication of Invasive House Crow Corvus splendens from Socotra Island Republic of Yemen Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Facing a Bird Invasion Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference 24 24 doi 10 5070 V424110552 ISSN 0507 6773 Brook B W Sodhi N S Soh M C K Lim H C 2003 Abundance and projected control of invasive house crows in Singapore Journal of Wildlife Management 67 4 808 817 Ryall C 2002 Further records of range extension in the House Crow Corvus splendens BOC Bulletin 122 3 231 240 Nyari A Ryall C and Peterson A T 2006 Global invasive potential of the house crow Corvus splendens based on ecological niche modeling J Avian Biol 37 306 311 Ryall C 2010 Further records and updates of range extension in House Crow Corvus splendens Bulletin of the British Ornithologists Club 130 4 246 254 Mikula P Morelli F Lucan R K Jones D N Tryjanowski P 2016 Bats as prey of diurnal birds a global perspective Mammal Review 46 3 160 174 doi 10 1111 mam 12060 Amey Jayesh Kambli 2004 Geophagy by three species of crows near carcass dumping ground at Jodhpur Rajasthan Newsletter for Ornithologists 1 5 71 Lamba B S 1963 The nidification of some common Indian birds Part I J Bombay Nat Hisl Soc 60 121 133 Soh MCK NS Sodhi RKH Seoh BW Brook 2002 Nest site selection of the house crow Corvus splendens an urban invasive bird species in Singapore and implications for its management Landscape and Urban planning 59 217 226 Kelvin S H Peh and Navjot S Sodhi 2002 Characteristics of Nocturnal Roosts of House Crows in Singapore The Journal of Wildlife Management 66 4 1128 1133 Peh Kevin S H 2002 Roosting behaviour of house crow Corvus splendens in relation to environmental variables PDF The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 50 257 262 Roy P Venugopalan A T Manvell R 1998 Isolation of Newcastle disease virus from an Indian house crow Tropical animal health and production 30 3 177 178 Blount W P 1949 Diseases of Poultry London Balliere Tindall and Cox S Gokulshankar S Ranganathan M S Ranjith and A J A Ranjithsingh 2004 Prevalence serotypes and mating patterns of Cryptococcus neoformans in the pellets of different avifauna in Madras India Mycoses 47 310 314 Dirie M F Ashford R W Mungomba L M Molyneux D H amp Green E E 1990 Avian trypanosomes in Simulium and sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus Parasitology 101 243 247 Lewis Timothy Richards 1879 The microscopic organisms found in the blood of man and animals and their relation to disease Calcutta Government Press p 71 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corvus splendens Wikispecies has information related to Corvus splendens House Crow Monitor Bibliography from Corvids Literature Database House Crow Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds House Crow media Internet Bird Collection Corvus splendens at Global Invasive Species Database House Crow photo gallery at VIREO Drexel University Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title House crow amp oldid 1135732326, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
