Long-billed crow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-billed crow |
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| Preserved specimen from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Corvus
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| Species: |
validus
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The long-billed crow (Corvus validus) is a special type of crow. It lives only on the Northern Maluku Islands. This crow is quite big. It has shiny black feathers, a large beak, and cool white eyes. Experts say it is a "near-threatened species". This means it might be in danger of disappearing.
What Does the Long-billed Crow Look Like?
The long-billed crow is a big bird. It can grow to be about 45 to 53 centimeters (18 to 21 inches) long. This includes its tail, which is not very long.
Its beak is large and black. It gets thinner from a wide base. Its legs and feet are also black. The crow's feathers are all black and very shiny.
When it calls, it sounds a bit like a puppy. It makes a "cruk... cruk... cruk" sound.
You can tell this crow apart from others. It is bigger and has shiny feathers. Its long beak and white eyes are also unique. The only other crow in its home area is the Torresian crow. The Torresian crow has a much smaller beak. It also prefers open areas, not forests.
Where Does the Long-billed Crow Live?
The long-billed crow lives only in the Maluku Islands. These islands are a group of islands in Indonesia. It is a bird that lives in forests.
You can mostly find it on the islands of Morotai, Obira, Kayoa, Kasiruta, Bacan, and Halmahera.
Why Is This Crow Near Threatened?
The long-billed crow lives in a small area. Its total living space is about 25,700 square kilometers (9,900 square miles). The forests where it lives are slowly being damaged.
Because of this, the number of long-billed crows is going down. However, it is still a common bird. It can live in different places. This includes forests that have been partly cut down. It can also live in tree farms and farming areas.
For a long time, experts thought this crow was not in danger. They called it a "least concern" species. But now, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has changed its status. It is now a "near threatened" species. This is because its numbers seem to be dropping faster than they thought before.
