| Oropendola | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Icteridae |
| Genus: | Psarocolius Wagler, 1827 |
| Type species | |
| Oriolus cristatus[1] Gmelin, 1788 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Oropendolas are a genus of passerine birds,Psarocolius, in the New World blackbird family Icteridae. They were formerly split among two or three different genera and are found in Central andSouth America.
All the oropendolas are large birds with pointed bills, and long tails which are always at least partially bright yellow. Males are usually larger than females.
The plumage is typically chestnut, dark brown or black, although the Green oropendola and olive oropendola have, as their names imply, an olive coloration to the head, breast and upper back. The legs are dark, but the bill is usually a strikingly contrasting feature, either pale yellow, or red-tipped with a green or black base. In several species there is also a blue or pink bare cheek patch.
Oropendolas are birds associated with forests or, for a few species, more open woodland. They are colonial breeders, with several long woven basket nests in a tree, each hanging from the end of a branch.
These gregarious birds eat large insects and fruit. They are very vocal, producing a wide range of songs and calls, sometimes including mimicry.
The following species are recognised in the genusPsarocolius:
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black oropendola
| Psarocolius guatimozinus (Bonaparte, 1853) | northwestern Colombia and the extreme southeastern part of Panama | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Chestnut-headed oropendola
| Psarocolius wagleri (Gray, GR,, 1844) Two subspecies
| the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southern Mexico to central Costa Rica, both slopes of southern Costa Rica and Panama, and the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and north-eastern Ecuador. | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Russet-backed oropendola
| Psarocolius angustifrons (Spix, 1824) Seven subspecies
| Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Dusky-green oropendola
| Psarocolius atrovirens (Lafresnaye & D'Orbigny, 1838) | Peru (Huánuco) to Bolivia(Santa Cruz) | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Green oropendola
| Psarocolius viridis (Müller, 1776) | Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Crested oropendola
| Psarocolius decumanus (Pallas, 1769) Four subspecies
| from Panama and Colombia south to northern Argentina, as well as on Trinidad and Tobago | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
Four species of oropendola were formerly classified within the genusGymnostinops; alternatively, thecrested oropendola (and possibly others) would have also been placed here (Price & Lanyon 2002):
Price & Lanyon (2002) usedmtDNAcytochromeb andNADH dehydrogenasesubunit 2sequence data to research oropendolaphylogeny. As can be observed frommorphology, theband-tailed (Ocyalus latirostris) and thecasqued oropendolas (Psarocolius oseryi) are the most distinct species. Genetically, they appear to be more closely related to thecaciques, and both species would be classified in the genusOcyalus. Furthermore, the casqued oropendola could be separated intoClypicterus, forming what would then become amonotypic genus (likeOcyalus).
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