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The Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) is an invasive species of growing concern in Oman due to its rapid expansion and ecological impact. This study provides a detailed phenotypic and morphometric assessment of 367 adult crows collected from four governorates: Muscat, Dhofar, North Al Batinah, and South Al Sharqiyah. Plumage coloration was highly conserved, with primary, secondary, tail, alula, beak, and back feathers uniformly black. As noted in the manuscript, “the color of the primary, secondary, and tail feathers… was predominantly black (100%), with only one exception in the eye ring (99.7% black, 0.3% blue).”
Quantitative measurements revealed significant sexual size dimorphism, with males exhibiting greater body weight, wingspan, tarsus length, and overall body dimensions (P<0.001). Regional variation was also evident, with Dhofar birds being the largest. No significant associations were found between sex or region and qualitative color traits. These findings provide essential baseline data for future genetic and management strategies.
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