Scarlet-headed Blackbird
Amblyramphus holosericeus
A stunning blackbird with a sharply-pointed bill. The mostly black body contrasts with a bright orange-red head, breast, and thighs. Inhabits marshes with tall and dense vegetation. In the nonbreeding season, gathers in big flocks of up to 100 individuals. The call is a loud descending whistled “fee-ee-ee,” generally given from an exposed perch.
Identification
This species is about 24 cm long. The bill is oddly shaped: long, slender, and very sharp, looking almost upturned. Adults of both sexes are described by their name. Juveniles have entirely black plumage; orange-red feathers first appear on their breast and throat, later spreading to the neck, head, and thighs. The song is given as "loud, clear, and melodic, a ringing 'cleer-cleer-clur, clulululu'." Calls are simpler but have a similar quality.<p>Scarlet-headed blackbirds occur in pairs in large reed beds in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil; Bolivia has an isolated population living at an altitudes of about 600 m. They often perch conspicuously on top of stems. They are uncommon, particularly away from the coast.<p>They eat mainly fruit, supplementing it with seeds and invertebrates, especially insects. They use their bill as a hammer to open food items.<p>Scarlet-headed blackbirds are monogamous, and territories are grouped together. The nest is an open cup placed in the crotch of a shrub or woven into vegetation, in which they lay two eggs.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Amblyramphus holosericeus
- Authority
- (Scopoli, 1786)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Amblyramphus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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