Nicaraguan Grackle
Quiscalus nicaraguensis
Long-tailed blackbird, very similar to Great-tailed Grackle but smaller. Male is darker black with less obvious glossiness (but still some, usually greenish); female is very similar to female Great-tailed but paler below. Extremely limited range in the vicinity of Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, where small flocks can be found in open grasslands and wetlands.
Identification
It is a medium-sized bird with a long, graduated tail and fairly long bill and legs. The bill and legs are black and the eye is pale yellow. The male is about 31 cm long while the female is 25 cm. The adult male's plumage is entirely black with an iridescent gloss. The gloss is violet on the belly and tail, violet-green on the head, back, and breast, and blue-green on most of the wings. The tail of the male is V-shaped, rising from the centre to the outer feathers. Immature males are duller and less glossy than the adults, with a brown belly and thighs. The female is brown above with a pale supercilium (the stripe over the eye), made more obvious by the dark lores and ear coverts. The thighs, flanks, and undertail coverts are dark brown, while the rest of the underparts are buff, darkest on the upper breast, and paler on the throat and belly.<p>The similar great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) overlaps with it in range, but is larger, with a longer tail and larger bill. The male has a less green gloss than the Nicaraguan grackle, while the female is darker below and has a less obvious supercilium.<p>The Nicaraguan grackle has a variety of calls, including a frequent nasal call, various whistling notes, and a sharp, rising whine. The song is a series of whistles, which increase in speed and frequency.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Quiscalus nicaraguensis
- Authority
- Salvin & Godman, 1891
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Quiscalus
Range and habitat
It is restricted to western Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. It mainly occurs in the vicinity of Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, but its range has expanded a little due to the clearance of forest and creation of pastures by man. It may be a fairly recent arrival in Costa Rica, where it is found in the Caño Negro area along the Río Frio. It is not migratory, but makes some local movements in response to seasons and changes in water level.<p>It nests only in marshland, but forages in scrubland, wet pastures, and along lake shores and riverbanks.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It feeds in small groups, foraging on the ground for seeds and insects. It turns over stones or debris to look for food underneath, and often forages on or around cattle.<p>It nests in small colonies in bushes or trees or among marsh vegetation such as sedges. The well-hidden nest is cup-shaped and made from grass and sedge leaves and roots. Two or three eggs are laid; they are blue with dark markings concentrated at the larger end. Only the female incubates the eggs, but both sexes are involved in feeding the young.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Northern Crombec
Sylvietta brachyura
A small and virtually tailless warbler with a gray-brown back and rufous underparts. There is some geographical variation; the throat can be dull rufous, dull white, or bright white. Always shows a gray-brown eye-line. Found in a wide variety of savanna and woodland habitats. Similar to Red-faced Crombec, but has a strong eye-line, and in the area of overlap, usually shows a bright white throat. The song is a quick, jumbled whistled phrase that varies somewhat across the range. The call is a rapid wooden trill.
Great Black Hawk
Buteogallus urubitinga
Uncommon in forest, marshes, and mangroves, where usually greatly outnumbered by similar Common Black Hawk. Slightly larger and lankier than Common Black Hawk, with longer legs and tail, and adults of the two species have very different calls in flight. Adult Great Black has 2 white tail bands (1 on Common) and less extensive yellow in face. Immature looks whiter-headed than Common (no big black moustaches), and its longer tail has narrower and more numerous pale bars. Usually warier than Common, which can be quite unconcerned by people.
Flat-billed Vireo
Vireo nanus
A small, slow-moving species that prefers dry brush and scrublands where it typically feeds low and sometimes even on the ground; sometimes found at higher elevations where it can be found feeding in or near the canopy in vine tangles. The Flat-billed Vireo is a relatively plain species, with bold white wingbars, and whitish eyes. The Greater Antillean Elaenia has a smaller more pointed bill, darker eyes, and is usually found perched upright or flycatching. Flat-billed Vireos sing a “we-we-we-we-we…,” typically in a series of six to ten notes given at a rate of about seven per second, but sometimes given more rapidly at about twelve notes per second. Calls include a staccato ratcheting given by agitated birds.
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