Palmchat

===Breeding===

===Breeding===

[[File:Dulus dominicus at nest, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 3.jpg|thumb|The nest of the palmchat is a large dome of sticks, usually in a palm tree]]

[[File:Dulus dominicus at nest, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 3.jpg|thumb|The nest of the palmchat is a large dome of sticks, usually in a palm tree]]

Palmchats build large, conspicuous, communal [[Bird nest|nests]] of twigs which may be up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} across, with each pair of palmchat having adjoining nests with their own separate chambers and entrances. These nests are typically occupied by four to ten pairs of palmchats, but nests containing up to 50 have been recorded. The [[Roystonea borinquena|Puerto Rico royal palm]], (''Roystonea borinquena'') and [[Coccothrinax argentea|Hispaniolan silver thatch palms]] (''Coccothrinax argentea'') are the preferred tree for nesting in, but they will also less frequently nest in [[Sabal domingensis|cana]] (''Sabal domingensis'') and [[coconut]] palms (''Cocos nucifera''),{{cite journal |last1=Kent |first1=Qwahn D. |last2=Edwards |first2=Maia |last3=Wu |first3=Tim |last4=Dhondt |first4=André A. |title=Picky Palmchats (''Dulus dominicus''): do they really prefer to nest in royal palms? |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2020 |volume=33 |pages=111–115 |doi=10.55431/jco.2020.33.111-115 |url=https://jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/download/1244/969|doi-access=free }} or other trees and even [[telephone pole]]s may be used. In general, trees selected for nesting tend to be larger (in circumfrence and height) than those not, and trees with other trees nearby are also seemingly preferred. There has even been one unusual report of a palmchat nest on a rock off the coast.{{cite journal |last1=Fernández |first1=Eladio |last2=Keith |first2=Allan |title=Three unusual bird nests from the Dominican Republic |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2003 |volume=16 |pages=73–74 |url=https://www.academia.edu/76218903/Three_unusual_bird_nests_from_the_Dominican_Republic}} These nests are also used for roosting even outside the breeding season, and are maintained throughout the year. During the non-breeding season individuals will bring twigs to the nest 5% of the time for larger nests, and up to 18% of the time for smaller nests. Twigs were often worked into the nest and manipulated for several minutes, creating structurally sound nests that hold together after falling to the ground.{{cite journal |last1=Dhond |first1=André |last2=Collison |first2=Jeremy L. |last3=Lam |first3=Matthew H. |last4=D'Ambrosio |first4=Matthew J. |last5=Crisologo |first5=Taylor L. |title=Palmchat (''Dulus dominicus'') activity at nests in the non-breeding season |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2019 |volume=32 |pages=91–97 |doi=10.55431/jco.2019.32.91-97 |url=https://www.jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/download/1195/940}}

Palmchats build large, conspicuous, communal [[Bird nest|nests]] of twigs which may be up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} across, with each pair of palmchat having adjoining nests with their own separate chambers and entrances. These nests are typically occupied by four to ten pairs of palmchats, but nests containing up to 50 have been recorded. The [[Roystonea borinquena|Puerto Rico royal palm]], (''Roystonea borinquena'') and [[Coccothrinax argentea|Hispaniolan silver thatch palms]] (''Coccothrinax argentea'') are the preferred tree for nesting in, but they will also less frequently nest in [[Sabal domingensis|cana]] (''Sabal domingensis'') and [[coconut]] palms (''Cocos nucifera''),{{cite journal |last1=Kent |first1=Qwahn D. |last2=Edwards |first2=Maia |last3=Wu |first3=Tim |last4=Dhondt |first4=André A. |title=Picky Palmchats (''Dulus dominicus''): do they really prefer to nest in royal palms? |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2020 |volume=33 |pages=111–115 |doi=10.55431/jco.2020.33.111-115 |url=https://jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/download/1244/969|doi-access=free }} or other trees and even [[telephone pole]]s may be used. In general, trees selected for nesting tend to be larger (in circumfrence and height) than those not, and trees with other trees nearby are also seemingly preferred. There has even been one unusual report of a palmchat nest on a rock islet off the coast.{{cite journal |last1=Fernández |first1=Eladio |last2=Keith |first2=Allan |title=Three unusual bird nests from the Dominican Republic |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2003 |volume=16 |pages=73–74 |url=https://www.academia.edu/76218903/Three_unusual_bird_nests_from_the_Dominican_Republic}} These nests are also used for roosting even outside the breeding season, and are maintained throughout the year. During the non-breeding season individuals will bring twigs to the nest 5% of the time for larger nests, and up to 18% of the time for smaller nests. Twigs were often worked into the nest and manipulated for several minutes, creating structurally sound nests that hold together after falling to the ground.{{cite journal |last1=Dhond |first1=André |last2=Collison |first2=Jeremy L. |last3=Lam |first3=Matthew H. |last4=D'Ambrosio |first4=Matthew J. |last5=Crisologo |first5=Taylor L. |title=Palmchat (''Dulus dominicus'') activity at nests in the non-breeding season |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=2019 |volume=32 |pages=91–97 |doi=10.55431/jco.2019.32.91-97 |url=https://www.jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/download/1195/940}}

The breeding season is mainly from March to June. The females lay [[clutch (eggs)|clutches]] of 2-7 (mean 4) [[Bird egg|eggs]] The eggs of the palmchat are quite variable. They can range in colour from pale green to beige, off-white and cream and can be marked with brown, purple-grey or grey scrawls, speckles or blotches. The incubation period is around 15 days, and the chicks are hatched with dark grey skin and, extremely unusually for passerine birds, without any feathers.{{cite journal |last1=Wetherbee |first1=David Kenneth |title=The absence of a natal plumage in the Hispaniolan Palm Chat, ''Dulus dominicus'' (Dulinae, Passeriformes) |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=1994 |volume=7 |issue=3 |page=4 |url=https://jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/view/1041/790 |language=en |issn=1544-4953}} Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 32 days. Other bird species will occasionally nest alongside palmchats in their communal nests, including [[Ridgway's hawk|Ridgway's Hawk]], [[White-necked crow|White-necked Crow]], and [[Ashy-faced owl|Ashy-faced Owl]].{{Cite journal |last=Curti |first=Marta |last2=Hayes |first2=Christine D. |last3=Hayes |first3=Thomas I. |last4=Silven |first4=Misael Calcaño |date=2018-08-28 |title=First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola |url=https://www.jco.birdscaribbean.org/ |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |language=en |volume=31 |pages=17–19 |doi=10.55431/jco.2018.31.17-19 |issn=1544-4953|doi-access=free }}

The breeding season is mainly from March to June. The females lay [[clutch (eggs)|clutches]] of 2-7 (mean 4) [[Bird egg|eggs]] The eggs of the palmchat are quite variable. They can range in colour from pale green to beige, off-white and cream and can be marked with brown, purple-grey or grey scrawls, speckles or blotches. The incubation period is around 15 days, and the chicks are hatched with dark grey skin and, extremely unusually for passerine birds, without any feathers.{{cite journal |last1=Wetherbee |first1=David Kenneth |title=The absence of a natal plumage in the Hispaniolan Palm Chat, ''Dulus dominicus'' (Dulinae, Passeriformes) |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |date=1994 |volume=7 |issue=3 |page=4 |url=https://jco.birdscaribbean.org/index.php/jco/article/view/1041/790 |language=en |issn=1544-4953}} Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 32 days. Other bird species will occasionally nest alongside palmchats in their communal nests, including [[Ridgway's hawk|Ridgway's Hawk]], [[White-necked crow|White-necked Crow]], and [[Ashy-faced owl|Ashy-faced Owl]].{{Cite journal |last=Curti |first=Marta |last2=Hayes |first2=Christine D. |last3=Hayes |first3=Thomas I. |last4=Silven |first4=Misael Calcaño |date=2018-08-28 |title=First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola |url=https://www.jco.birdscaribbean.org/ |journal=Journal of Caribbean Ornithology |language=en |volume=31 |pages=17–19 |doi=10.55431/jco.2018.31.17-19 |issn=1544-4953|doi-access=free }}