Palmchat
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Dulus dominicus

The palmchat (Dulus dominicus ) is a small, long-tailed passerine bird, the only species in the genus Dulus and the family Dulidae endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It is related to the waxwings, family Bombycillidae. Its name reflects its strong association with palms for feeding, roosting, and nesting.

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The palmchat is the national bird of the Dominican Republic.

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Appearance

Palmchats are about 20 cm (8 in) in length. They are olive-brown above, and heavily streaked with brown below. Their rumps, as well as the edges of their primary feathers, are dark yellow-green. They have strong yellow bills and russet eyes. They lack the soft silky plumage of the waxwings or silky-flycatchers. Adults show no sexual dimorphism; immature birds have dark throats.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Regions
Biogeographical realms

The species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and the adjacent Saona and Gonâve Islands, where it is common and widespread. It inhabits areas from sea level to 1500 m asl where palm savannas can be found, or other open areas with scattered trees. Where its food trees are present, it has adapted well to city parks and gardens.

Palmchat habitat map
Palmchat habitat map
Palmchat
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Habits and Lifestyle

Palmchats are very sociable birds, often seen in small flocks containing several pairs, which will roost closely together with their bodies in contact.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Palmchats feed on fruits and berries, including those of palms and of the Gumbo-limbo tree, as well as on flowers, especially those of epiphytic orchids.

Mating Habits

The breeding season is mainly from March to June. The birds build large, messy, communal nests of twigs in the crowns of palms (mainly royal palms Roystonea sp.). Occasionally, in the absence of palms, other trees or even telephone poles may be used. The whole nesting structure may be up to 2 m across, containing up to 30 adjoining nests with their own separate chambers and entrances. The females lay clutches of 2-4 thickly spotted, grey-purple eggs.

Population

Conservation

The palmchat is a common species within its range of about 75,000 km2 (28,958 sq mi), and highly adaptable. As it is not approaching the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations), it has been evaluated as being of Least Concern.

References

1. Palmchat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmchat
2. Palmchat on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22708129/94150155
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/308674

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