Epaulet Oriole - BirdForum Opus

Includes Moriche Oriole

Icterus cayanensis

Identification

Mostly black, the epaulet consisting of the upper wing-coverts.

Distribution

Colombia, Venezuela, Guianas, Suriname, northern Brazil, Peru, eastern Bolivia and Trinidad.

Taxonomy

Polytypic, consists of two subspecies¹:

• I. c. chrysocephalus

• Eastern Colombia to Venezuela, Guianas, northern Brazil and north-eastern Peru; also Trinidad
• Bright yellow crown, rump, thighs and wing epaulets
• Has been recognised as a separate species (Moriche Oriole)².

• I. c. cayanensis

• Suriname to French Guiana, Amazonian Brazil, eastern Peru and eastern Bolivia

Variable Oriole was formerly included in this species.

Habitat

Woodland, thorny scrub and gardens.

Behaviour

The diet includes insects and nectar.
Its nest is a long hanging basket of grass and other plant fibres, suspended from the end of a branch. 2 dark-spotted pale blue or white eggs are laid.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Sibley, CG and BL Monroe. 1996. Birds of the World, on diskette, Windows version 2.0. Charles G. Sibley, Santa Rosa, CA, USA.
3. Birdforum thread discussing the possibility of splitting Variable Oriole from Epaulet Oriole
4. Arthur Grosset

External Links

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