Palmchat Dulus dominicus Scientific name definitions

The sole member of the genus Dulus and the family Dulidae, the Palmchat is confined to Hispaniola, where it is one of the island's most abundant and conspicuous residents. Palmchat is easily identified by its pale-yellow bill, heavily dark-streaked underparts, olive brown upperparts, and red irides. It is common in urban areas, but perhaps reach its maximum densities in savannas dominated by royal palms; it is absent from densely forested regions and the island's highest elevations. A communal breeder, it builds huge 'apartment block' compound nests that are routinely used by up to ten pairs, and which in rare cases may be occupied by many as 50 individuals. It is primarily frugivorous, although it occasionally feeds on nectar and arthropods.