White-billed Crow
Encyclopedia
The White-billed crow is a member of the Crow family
found on the Solomon Islands
.
It is a short and stocky forest bird (40-41 cm in length) with a short, squared-off tail and a relatively large head with a very distinctive deep and curved pale ivory-coloured bill with a darker tip. The dark nasal bristles, though not thick, are quite apparent against the pale coloured bill. The bird overall is very glossy black with a greenish-purple gloss to the head and purple gloss to the rest of the body. The iris is pale grey or white in the adult bird and the legs and feet are black.
The voice is described as being reminiscent of the Torresian Crow
but higher in pitch and faster, giving an "ao-ao-ao" sound.
This species is confined to the central part of the Solomon Islands
and can be found specifically on the islands of Choiseul
, Isabel and Guadalcanal
where it forages in small family groups through the trees, feeding on various insect
s and fruits. It is normally difficult to view as it often remains well hidden in the high forest canopy while feeding and even flying low, just over the tops of the trees when moving on.
As is the case with many forest crows, there is little information on the species' breeding habits.
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
found on the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
It is a short and stocky forest bird (40-41 cm in length) with a short, squared-off tail and a relatively large head with a very distinctive deep and curved pale ivory-coloured bill with a darker tip. The dark nasal bristles, though not thick, are quite apparent against the pale coloured bill. The bird overall is very glossy black with a greenish-purple gloss to the head and purple gloss to the rest of the body. The iris is pale grey or white in the adult bird and the legs and feet are black.
The voice is described as being reminiscent of the Torresian Crow
Torresian Crow
The Torresian Crow , also occasionally called the Australian Crow or Papuan Crow in those respective countries, is an Australasian member of the crow genus...
but higher in pitch and faster, giving an "ao-ao-ao" sound.
This species is confined to the central part of the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
and can be found specifically on the islands of Choiseul
Choiseul Province
The Choiseul Province is one of the nine provinces of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the island of Bougainville and Santa Isabel in the west of the Solomon Islands....
, Isabel and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
where it forages in small family groups through the trees, feeding on various insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and fruits. It is normally difficult to view as it often remains well hidden in the high forest canopy while feeding and even flying low, just over the tops of the trees when moving on.
As is the case with many forest crows, there is little information on the species' breeding habits.