Vol. 78 2026

ARTICLES

Quaternary Records of Corvids (Corvidae – Passeriformes, Aves) from Bulgaria

Zlatozar Boev*

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*National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: boev@nmnhs.com; zlatozarboev@gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb78.4.003114

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Abstract

A first attempt to comprehensively summarise data on the past distribution of all corvids on the territory of Bulgaria based on their fossil and subfossil finds has been made. The collected data refer to a total of 52 Quaternary localities (natural and of anthropogenic origin), of which 19 are Pleistocene and 33 are Holocene. The earliest locality of a corvid identified to the species level dates back to 2.4 million years ago. A total of 12 species (26 taxonomic units) have been identified. Among them, three species and one subspecies have disappeared from the modern fauna of the country: Pica praepica, Corvus cf. praecorax, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and P. graculus vetus. The extinction of P. pyrrhocorax is a modern phenomenon of the 20th century. Pyrrhocorax graculus is the only species with confirmed distribution in Bulgaria throughout all divisions of the Quaternary: from the Gelasian to the Meghalayan Age. The richest fauna of corvids was established during the Late Pleistocene, when nine species were recorded. In Bulgaria, corvids were widespread throughout the Quaternary. Most of their habitats are established in the mountainous and semi-mountainous regions of the country.

Key words

Balkan avifauna, birds of Europe, passerines, Quaternary extinctions

How to Cite
Boev Z. Boev Z. 2026. Quaternary Records of Corvids (Corvidae – Passeriformes, Aves) from Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 78.

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