Oropendola
Encyclopedia
The oropendolas comprise two or three genera of South
and Central American passerine
bird
s in the New World blackbird family.
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
and Olive Oropendolas 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 insect
s and fruit
. They are very vocal, producing a wide range of songs, sometimes including mimicry.
in the genus
Psarocolius indeed belong there:
Four somewhat different species were formerly separated in the genus Gymnostinops. Alternatively, the Crested Oropendola
(and possibly others) would also belong here (Price & Lanyon 2002):
Price & Lanyon (2002) used mtDNA cytochrome b
and NADH dehydrogenase
subunit
2 sequence
data to research oropendola phylogeny. As is fairly obvious from morphology
, the Band-tailed Oropendola
, Ocyalus latirostris and Casqued Oropendola
, Psarocolius oseryi are the most distinct oropendola species. In fact, they appear to be more closely related to the caciques
and both species would go into Ocyalus. Alternatively, the Casqued Oropendola may be separated in Clypicterus, which like Ocyalus would then be a monotypic
genus.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Central American passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the New World blackbird family.
All the oropendolas are large birds with pointed bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, and long tails which are always at least partially bright yellow. Males are usually larger than females
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
.
The plumage is typically chestnut, dark brown or black, although the Green
Green Oropendola
The Green Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in wooded habitats in the Amazon and Guianas of South America, and is generally common. Uniquely among the oropendolas, the Green Oropendola has a pale bill with an orange tip.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. ...
and Olive Oropendolas have, as their names imply, an olive coloration to the head, breast and upper back. The legs are dark, but the bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
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
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. They are colonial
Bird colony
A bird colony is a large congregation of individuals of one or more species of bird that nest or roost in close proximity at a particular location. Many kinds of birds are known to congregate in groups of varying size; a congregation of nesting birds is called a breeding colony...
breeders, with several long woven basket nests
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
in a tree, each hanging from the end of a branch.
These gregarious birds eat large insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. They are very vocal, producing a wide range of songs, sometimes including mimicry.
Systematics
6 of the speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Psarocolius indeed belong there:
- Black OropendolaBlack OropendolaThe Black Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in Colombia and Panama.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Psarocolius guatimozinus - Chestnut-headed OropendolaChestnut-headed OropendolaThe Chestnut-headed Oropendola is a New World tropical icterid bird. The scientific name of the species commemorates Johann Georg Wagler, who established Psarocolius, the oropendola genus.-Description:...
, Psarocolius wagleri - Russet-backed OropendolaRusset-backed OropendolaThe Russet-backed Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in wooded habitats in the highlands of the northern and central Andes and the Venezuelan Coastal Range, and in lowlands of the western Amazon. It is generally common and widespread. Males are larger than...
, Psarocolius angustifrons - Dusky-green OropendolaDusky-green OropendolaThe Dusky-green Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found on the eastern slope of the Andes in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, Psarocolius atrovirens - Green OropendolaGreen OropendolaThe Green Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in wooded habitats in the Amazon and Guianas of South America, and is generally common. Uniquely among the oropendolas, the Green Oropendola has a pale bill with an orange tip.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. ...
, Psarocolius viridis - Crested OropendolaCrested OropendolaThe Crested Oropendola, Psarocolius decumanus, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia south to northern Argentina, as well as on Trinidad and Tobago...
, Psarocolius decumanus
Four somewhat different species were formerly separated in the genus Gymnostinops. Alternatively, the Crested Oropendola
Crested Oropendola
The Crested Oropendola, Psarocolius decumanus, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia south to northern Argentina, as well as on Trinidad and Tobago...
(and possibly others) would also belong here (Price & Lanyon 2002):
- Montezuma OropendolaMontezuma OropendolaThe Montezuma Oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southeastern Mexico to central Panama, but is absent from El Salvador and southern Guatemala. It also occurs on the Pacific slope of Nicaragua and...
, Psarocolius montezuma - Baudo OropendolaBaudó OropendolaThe Baudó Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family.It is endemic to Colombia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Psarocolius cassini - Amazonian Oropendola, Psarocolius bifasciatus
- Pará OropendolaPara OropendolaThe Amazonian Oropendola is the largest member of the Icterid family and rivals the Amazonian Umbrellabird as the largest passerine bird in South America. It is sometimes placed in the genus Gymnostinops instead of Psarocolius...
, Psarocolius (bifasciatus) bifasciatus - Olive Oropendola, Psarocolius (bifasciatus) yuracares
- Pará Oropendola
Price & Lanyon (2002) used mtDNA cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
and NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme located in the inner mitochondrial membrane that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q...
subunit
Protein subunit
In structural biology, a protein subunit or subunit protein is a single protein molecule that assembles with other protein molecules to form a protein complex: a multimeric or oligomeric protein. Many naturally occurring proteins and enzymes are multimeric...
2 sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data to research oropendola phylogeny. As is fairly obvious from morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, the Band-tailed Oropendola
Band-tailed Oropendola
The Band-tailed Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is in the genus Ocyalus, usually considered monotypic, though the Casqued Oropendola might also be included herein....
, Ocyalus latirostris and Casqued Oropendola
Casqued Oropendola
The Casqued Oropendola is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is in the monotypic genus Clypicterus though it seems to be very close to the Band-tailed Oropendola and might be included in Psarocolius....
, Psarocolius oseryi are the most distinct oropendola species. In fact, they appear to be more closely related to the caciques
Cacique (bird)
The caciques are passerine birds in the New World blackbird family. Members of the family are resident breeders in tropical South America and north to Mexico. All of the group are in the genus Cacicus, except the aberrant Yellow-billed Cacique , which constitutes a monotypic genus...
and both species would go into Ocyalus. Alternatively, the Casqued Oropendola may be separated in Clypicterus, which like Ocyalus would then be a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus.
External links
- Oropendola videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection