Specimen 3226 Taxidermy Mount - Crimson Fruitcrow, Haematoderus militaris

Summary

Despite their name, Crimson Fruitcrows are not closely related to crows and mostly feed on insects rather than fruit. Females and males are similar in colouration with glossy red breasts, backs and heads and dark wings and tails but females are paler than males. They are found in tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests in north Amazonia, in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.

Exactly where this specimen came from or when it was collected is unknown. It was purchased from the famed English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould (1804-1881) between 1858 and 1869.

Crimson Fruitcrows are not common and populations may be declining slowly due to the reduction of their habitat by deforestation. Despite these issues, the species has a wide geographic range and therefore the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers Crimson Fruitcrows to be of Least Concern.