Birds
Somali crow (Corvus edithae)
The Somali crow, or dwarf raven (Corvus edithae), is a crow of the Horn of Africa, about 44 to 46 cm long, living mainly in Somalia, Djibouti, the Somali Region of Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
In short
The Somali crow (Corvus edithae), also called the dwarf raven, is a member of the crow family. It is about the size of the Eurasian carrion crow, 44 to 46 cm long, with a longer bill and a browner tint to its feathers, especially when they are worn (Wikipedia, Somali crow, backup).
It was first described by Lort Phillips in 1895 (GBIF Backbone Taxonomy).
Range
The species lives mainly in Somalia, Djibouti, the Ogaden (the Somali Region of Ethiopia) and the former Northern Frontier District of Kenya (Wikipedia, Somali crow, backup). It was once treated as a subspecies of the larger brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) and is now treated as a separate species. It can be told from the brown-necked raven by its call, its look and its behaviour (same source).
Some authorities place it closer to the pied crow (Corvus albus). Where the two meet, hybrid birds between the pied crow and the Somali crow have been recorded (same source).
Nest, eggs and voice
The nest is a bulky, raven-like platform of sticks in a lone tree or on a telegraph pole. Near the coast, or where there are no trees, it nests on cliffs. It lays 3 to 5 eggs in April and early May. Its call is a harsh "caw", like that of the rook (Wikipedia, Somali crow, backup).
Records in Somali lands
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) holds 188 records of the Somali crow from Somalia, dated from 1985 to 2026 (GBIF occurrence search, Somalia). By type: 186 sightings by people, 1 other record, 1 museum specimen.
Records that name a region (185 of 188), by region: Woqooyi Galbeed 122, Togdheer 30, Sanaag 13, Banadir (Mogadishu) 8, Bari 3, Awdal 2, Middle Shabelle 2, Sool 2, Hiiraan 1, Mudug 1, Nugaal 1 (same source).
The oldest dated record is a sighting by a person from 1985, from Banadir (Mogadishu), held by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird) (GBIF record 957067395).
The newest dated record is a sighting by a person from 2026, from Banadir (Mogadishu) (GBIF record 6568513817).
GBIF only holds what museums, scientists and observers have shared, so the counts show where the animal or plant has been recorded, not its full range.
Red List status
The IUCN Red List category for the Somali crow is Least Concern (IUCN Red List assessment; GBIF species page).
Classification
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Corvidae |
| Genus | Corvus |
| Species | Corvus edithae |
Scientific name with author: Corvus edithae Lort Phillips, 1895 (GBIF Backbone Taxonomy).
Related pages
Sources
Sources
- Wikipedia, Somali crow, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · gbif.org
- GBIF occurrence search, Somalia · gbif.org
- GBIF record 957067395 · gbif.org
- GBIF record 6568513817 · gbif.org
- IUCN Red List assessment · doi.org
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Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Jowhar (Johar) and Middle ShabelleMiddle Shabelle is the farming region along the Shabelle river north of Mogadishu, with Jowhar as its capital and about 1 to 1.26 million people.
Related
- Mammals of Somalia: all 191 species on recordEvery mammal species with a record from Somalia in GBIF: 191 species, each with its family, IUCN Red List category and number of records, plus summaries by group and threat level.
- Plants of Somalia: how many, which are found nowhere else, and every listThe plants of Somalia: how many species, how many are endemic, the frankincense and myrrh trees, the yeheb nut and Somali cyclamen, the largest plant families, who collected the records, and links to every plant list.
- Mammals of Somalia: all 191 species on record (part 2 of 2)Part 2 of 2 of Mammals of Somalia: all 191 species on record, from Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat.
- Reptiles of Somalia: all 224 species on recordEvery reptile species with a record from Somalia in GBIF: 224 lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises and crocodiles, with family, Red List category and number of records.
- Amphibians of Somalia: all 46 species on recordEvery frog and toad species with a record from Somalia in GBIF: 46 species with family, Red List category and number of records.
- Birds of Somalia: all 709 species on record (part 2 of 5)Part 2 of 5 of Birds of Somalia: all 709 species on record, from Sombre Nightjar.
Keep reading
- Juba weaver (Ploceus dichrocephalus)The Juba weaver or Salvadori's weaver: name, range in the Horn of Africa, Red List status, and its 27 shared records in Somalia from 1901 to 2021.
- Somali bee-eater (Merops revoilii)The Somali bee-eater: what it looks like, where it lives, how it feeds and nests, why the IUCN thinks its numbers may be rising, and its records in Somalia since 1894.
- Somali courser (Cursorius somalensis)The Somali courser: a wader of semi-desert and short grass, how to tell it from the cream-coloured courser, its two subspecies, and its records across Somali regions.
- Somali crombec (Sylvietta isabellina)The Somali crombec: a small African warbler of dry shrubland, its range, the subspecies named after the Maharaja of Baroda, and its records across Somali regions since 1896.
- Somali fiscal (Lanius somalicus)The Somali fiscal or Somali shrike: range, habitat, how it hunts and stores prey on thorns, nesting, Red List status and its records across Somali regions.
- Somali lark (Corypha somalica)The Somali lark, a bird found only in Somalia: its names, its move to the genus Corypha in 2023, its two subspecies including the former Ash's lark, and its records.