Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766) sec. Corvids of the World

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Editorial Status

Currently not in focus of editorial work, unrevised text, last update: 2016-12-23.

Common Name

English: Yellow-Billed ChoughA; Estonian: mägihakk; German: Alpendohle, Steinkrähe; Polish: Wieszczek

Distribution

Africa Northern Africa nativeB, Asia-Temperate Caucasus nativeB; China (Tibet (Tibet nativeB), Xinjiang (Xinjiang nativeB)); Middle Asia (Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan nativeB,1), Kirgizistan (Kirgizistan nativeB), Tadzhikistan (Tadzhikistan nativeB)); Siberia (Altay (Altay nativeB), Tuva (Tuva nativeB)); Western Asia (Afghanistan (Afghanistan nativeB), Iran (Iran nativeB,2), Lebanon-Syria (Lebanon nativeB), Turkey (Turkey nativeB,3)), Asia-Tropical Indian Subcontinent (Pakistan (Pakistan nativeB), West Himalaya (Jammu-Kashmir nativeB,C)), Europe nativeB

1. E Kazakhstan, 2. N and SW Iran, 3. N and S Turkey

Description

Brilliant black with iridescent tints; wings long, nearly reaching to the end of the tail. Bill yellow; legs bright red.

Length 16,5 inches; wing 11,25; tail 7; bill at front 1 3/8; tarsus 1 5/8.C

Foraging

Feeds on various fruits, especially on the mulberry.C

Nest

Breeds in holes in rocks.C

Behaviour

Lives in flocks.C

Ectoparasite

Philopterus dumani R.D. Price & Hellenthal, 1998D

Voice

Its call is a shrill loud chirp; also a cree cree and a very Jackdaw-like cry which is almost indistinguishable from that of the Red-Billed species.A

Bibliography

A. Ali, S. 1949: Indian Hill Birds.: 10 [2945]

B. 2003: The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. 3rd Edition: 504-515

C. Jerdon, T.C. 1863: The Birds of India : being a natural history of all the birds known to inhabit continental India, with descriptions of the species, genera, families, tribes, and orders, and a brief notice of such families as are not found in India, making it a manual of ornithology specially adapted for India. v. 2, pt. 1: 319-320 [1228]

D. Price & Hellenthal: Taxonomy of Philopterus (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from the Corvidae (Passeriformes), with descriptions of nine new species. – Annals of the Entomological Society of America 91 (6): 782-799: 786, 788, 789 [78]