Palmchat
The palmchat is a unique bird species native to the Caribbean islands, primarily found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is classified within its own family, Dulidae, despite often being associated with the waxwing family due to similar feeding habits. Adult palmchats reach about eight inches (20 centimeters) in length and are characterized by their olive-colored upper feathers and buff-white underparts, accented with brown streaks. These birds are herbivorous, feeding on berries, fruits, and flowers, and they predominantly inhabit woodlands.
One of the most distinctive features of the palmchat is its communal nesting behavior, where up to 30 pairs of birds may collaborate to build a large nest that can measure three feet in diameter. Nests are typically located in royal palms or conifers, with each pair having its own compartment. The female lays two to four spotted eggs, and while details about chick rearing remain unclear, it is thought that both parents may assist in incubation. The palmchat enjoys a long lifespan, averaging between 30 and 50 years, and is currently not considered a threatened species.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Palmchat
The palmchat is often placed in the waxwing family, as both species share the same feeding habits, but it belongs by itself within its own family. The palmchat uses a nest which is oftentimes built by as many as 30 pairs of birds. The palmchat is native to Caribbean islands.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Dulidae
Genus: Dulus
Species: Dominicus
The palmchat is found mainly in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The adult of this species grows to a length of eight inches (20 centimeters). The bird's upper feathering is olive-colored, with its lower parts taking on a buff-white coloring with bright streaks of brown. While the palmchat is often included in the waxwing family, it has a rougher plumage and a sturdier bill.
The habitat of the palmchat is the woodlands. The palmchat is an herbivore, or plant-eating animal. The bird spends almost all of its time in trees where it eats berries, fruits, and flowers.
One of the most interesting facts about the palmchat is its communal nesting habits. At times, up to 30 pairs of birds build a large nest, three feet (one meter) in diameter and 10 feet (three feet) off the ground. Other times the nest is built by fewer birds and sometimes just by pairs.
Between March and June and in the lowland habitat of the palmchat, the nest is built on the bases of royal palms. Nests built higher off the ground use conifers, or cone-bearing trees, as nest bases. For the communal nests, each pair of birds has its own compartment and entrance. It is believed that although the birds share the nest, each pair lives independently of the others.
After the male and female have successfully mated, she lays two to four heavily spotted eggs in the nest. The details of incubation and rearing of the chicks are unknown but incubation may last 15 days and both males and females may particpate.
Larger birds of prey may prey on the palmchat. The life span of the palmchat is between 30 and 50 years. It is not a threatened species.
Bibliography
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Palmchat - Dulus Dominicus.” Birds of the World, 28 Jan. 2022, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/palmch1/cur/introduction. Accessed 5 May 2024.
“Palmchat - Facts, Diet, Habitat, & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/palmchat. Accessed 5 May 2024.