Breeding

Palmchats breed in March-June (Wetmore and Swales 1931). Their nests are typically built in Royal Palm trees, but have also been recorded a wide variety of other trees, both native and introduced (Wetmore and Swales 1931, Guerrero 1990, Keith et al. 2003). The nests are large stick structures nestled in the crown of the tree. Individuals collect nesting material by wrenching a dry stick out of a bush or tree. These twigs may range from 10 to 20 inches in length, and occasionallya Palmchat will be seen struggling to fly with a stick too large for it to carry (Dod 1992). Nests are built and shared by at least several pairs. These nests are frequently over 1 m across, and may be occupied by up to 50 pairs (Kirwan et al. 1999), although typically a nest is shared among only a few pairs (Wetmore and Swales 1931). Each pair of Palmchats has a separate chamber in the nest. The nest chamber is lined with shredded bark on which the eggs rest. Palmchats lay 2-4 white eggs adorned with purple-gray spots, especially at the large end (Wetmore and Swales 1931).

Palmchat is a host of the nest parasitic Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) (Arendt and Vargas Mora 1984), which is a recent colonizer in the Antilles.