Halmahera Paradise-crow
Lycocorax pyrrhopterus
The Halmahera paradise-crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) also known as the silky crow, is a medium-sized crow-like bird-of-paradise.
One of the few monogamous birds-of-paradise, this paradise-crow is endemic to lowland forests of Northern Maluku in Indonesia. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods. It is a restricted-range forest dweller from Halmahera and Morotai, in the northern Maluku of Indonesia.
A common species throughout its habitat range, the Halmahera paradise-crow is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
The Halmahera paradise-crow is a medium-sized bird-of-paradise, reaching a body length of up to 42 cm, with a dark, soft and silky plumage that may appear all black, but is in fact a very dark brown. Both sexes are similar; the female is slightly smaller than the male. The nominate subspecies has the least or no white patch on the inner flight feathers.
The head is slightly glossy black-brown and the upper parts are lighter than the head. The upper plumage shines slightly, with a blue-gray shimmer that is most pronounced on the coat, with cinnamon-brown wings. It has a black bill, crimson eyes, and a call reminiscent of a dog's bark.