Tamaulipas crow

The Tamaulipas crow (Corvus imparatus) is a crow found in northeastern Mexico and some of southern Texas.

Description

It is a relatively small and sleek looking crow, 34–38 centimetres (13–15 in) in length. It has very glossy dark, bluish plumage, which appears soft and silky. The bill is quite slender and black, as are the legs and feet. The Chihuahuan raven, a much larger and very different bird, is the only crow it commonly occurs alongside.

Taxonomy

The Sinaloa crow (Corvus sinaloae) appears to be genetically extremely close to this bird and can be considered the western form of it though the voice is quite different, indeed a third species, the fish crow (Corvus ossifragus) of the southeastern United States appears to be very closely related to them also and the three may be considered a superspecies.

Distribution and habitat

Occurring in a relatively small area in northeastern Mexico, it inhabits near desert scrub and bushland and includes farms, small towns and villages in its range. It also occurs in more humid woodland in open areas but does not appear to be found in the higher mountains or along the seashore. It is a sociable bird often forming large flocks, moving together in close groups. Its northern range reaches Brownsville in southern Texas where it has been known to nest.

Tamaulipas

Tamaulipas ( tamauˈlipas ), officially Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico.

It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the southeast, San Luis Potosí to the southwest and Nuevo León to the west. To the north, it has a 370 km (142.9 mi) stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border along the state of Texas.

The name Tamaulipas is derived from Tamaholipa, a Huastec term in which the tam- prefix signifies "place (where)". There is no scholarly agreement on the meaning of holipa, but "high hills" is a common interpretation. Another explanation of the state name is that it is derived from Ta ma ho'lipam ("place where the Lipan prey").

In addition to the capital city, Ciudad Victoria, the state's largest cities include Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, and Tampico.