Para Oropendola
Encyclopedia
The Amazonian Oropendola (Psarocolius bifasciatus) 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. As suggested by its name, it is found widely – but often in low densities – throughout humid lowland forests of the Amazon Basin
, with the notable exception of most of the Guiana Shield. It is sometimes split into two species, the western Olive Oropendola (P. yuracares) and the eastern Pará Oropendola (P. bifasciatus), but the subspecies
P. y. neivae is widely recognized as a hybrid swarm, and the vast majority of authorties consider them a single species.
, as its head and chest are black (these are olive in P. b. yuracares). The back, wings and belly of this large oropendola
are brown, the outer rectrices are yellow (i.e. tail appears all yellow from below), the bare facial skin is pink, the eyes are brown, and the bill is black with an orange tip. The superficially similar Green Oropendola
has an olive back and wing-coverts, lacks extensive bare facial-skin, has a pale bill with an orange tip, and blue eyes.
bird that most often is seen flying high over the tops of the trees. Compared to other oropendolas it is a "loner" most frequently seen alone or in pairs, and drawing less attention to itself than its cousins, despite the greater size. Small groups are seen occasionally, and may even mix with other oropendolas. The breeding colonies are small, usually with fewer than 5 birds. The nest is a hanging woven ball fibres and vines, 60–180 cm long, high in a tree. Relatively little is known about these bird's breeding habits.
The omnivorous diet appears to be fairly catholic. They may eat small vertebrate
s (especially amphibian
s and reptile
s), large insect
s, nectar, and fruit
. They often travel great distances through the forests, except when lingering around their nesting colony.
The song of the Amazonian Oropendola is a liquid, gurgling and "expanding" stek-ek-ek-ek-eh-eh-eh-o'o 'GLOOP!, given as a displaying male falls forward on a perch and rustles his wings over the back. Nasal raap and whrup calls are given while in flight or when foraging.
Icterid
The Icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. The family is extremely varied in size, shape, behavior and coloration...
family and rivals the Amazonian Umbrellabird
Amazonian Umbrellabird
The Amazonian Umbrellabird is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family. Much larger than the female, the male Amazonian Umbrellabird is likely the largest passerine in South America as well as the largest suboscine passerine in the world...
as the largest 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 in South America
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...
. It is sometimes placed 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...
Gymnostinops instead of Psarocolius. As suggested by its name, it is found widely – but often in low densities – throughout humid lowland forests of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, with the notable exception of most of the Guiana Shield. It is sometimes split into two species, the western Olive Oropendola (P. yuracares) and the eastern Pará Oropendola (P. bifasciatus), but the subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
P. y. neivae is widely recognized as a hybrid swarm, and the vast majority of authorties consider them a single species.
Description
The sexes of this icterid are very different in size: the male is 52 cm (21 in) long and weighs 550 g (1.2 lbs); the smaller female is 41 cm (16 in) long and weighs 260 g (9.2 oz). Confusingly, the name "Olive Oropendola" has sometimes been used for this combined species, despite the fact that the nominate subspecies has no olive to its plumagePlumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, as its head and chest are black (these are olive in P. b. yuracares). The back, wings and belly of this large oropendola
Oropendola
The oropendolas comprise two or three genera of South and Central American passerine birds 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...
are brown, the outer rectrices are yellow (i.e. tail appears all yellow from below), the bare facial skin is pink, the eyes are brown, and the bill is black with an orange tip. The superficially similar Green Oropendola
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. ...
has an olive back and wing-coverts, lacks extensive bare facial-skin, has a pale bill with an orange tip, and blue eyes.
Behavior
The Amazonian Oropendola is a canopyCanopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
bird that most often is seen flying high over the tops of the trees. Compared to other oropendolas it is a "loner" most frequently seen alone or in pairs, and drawing less attention to itself than its cousins, despite the greater size. Small groups are seen occasionally, and may even mix with other oropendolas. The breeding colonies are small, usually with fewer than 5 birds. The nest is a hanging woven ball fibres and vines, 60–180 cm long, high in a tree. Relatively little is known about these bird's breeding habits.
The omnivorous diet appears to be fairly catholic. They may eat small vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s (especially amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s and reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s), 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, nectar, 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 often travel great distances through the forests, except when lingering around their nesting colony.
The song of the Amazonian Oropendola is a liquid, gurgling and "expanding" stek-ek-ek-ek-eh-eh-eh-o'o 'GLOOP!, given as a displaying male falls forward on a perch and rustles his wings over the back. Nasal raap and whrup calls are given while in flight or when foraging.