Alternative name: Mexican Cacique
- Cassiculus melanicterus
Identification
Male 31·7 cm (12½ in), female 27·8 cm (11 in)
Male: glossy black except where yellow: bar across wing coverts, tail except central rectrices, rump and undertail-coverts. Notice flimsy nuchal crest which is often raised.
Female is slaty-black to slaty-grey where the male is black and often have some yellow on head.
Similar species
Rather unique within range. Caciques from southern Central America has black in entire tail, not only central feathers.
Distribution
Found on Pacific slope of Mexico from southern Sonora to Chiapas, with a disjunct population in Guatemala.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species1.
Formerly placed in genus Cacicus.
Habitat
Found in clearings and edges of dry deciduous forests, thorn scrub, savanna and pastureland.
Behaviour
Breeding
As other Caciques breeding is in a hanging structure with a completely enclosed nest. Nests hang as small colonies or alone, more social outside of breeding season.
Diet
Their main diet consists of insects, with the addition of fruit and nectar.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Howell & Webb, 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198540124
- Ridgely & Gwynne 1989. Birds of Panama. Princeton Paperbacks. ISBN 0691025126
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Yellow-winged Cacique. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yellow-winged_Cacique
