Velvet-fronted Grackle
Lampropsar tanagrinus
Slim, medium-sized blackbird closely associated with water. Plumage is entirely black with iridescent sheen; note dark eyes. At close range, note rather short bill and diagnostic patch of short, dense feathers on forehead. Farther away, note habitat, social habits, and vocalizations. Found in flooded habitats including coastal swamps and riverine forest. Flocks rove through forest, often descending to ground at the water's edge, probing a variety of substrates in search of food while vocalizing constantly. Song is regionally variable and consists of grating, creaking, and sharp whistled notes; low chucking calls are similar to those of many other blackbirds. Distinctive if seen well; distinguished from other grackles by dark eyes, and from male Shiny Cowbird by habitat (usually) and longer bill and tail.
Identification
The male velvet-fronted grackle grows to about 22 cm (9 in) and the female about 19 cm (7.5 in). Both sexes are entirely black, with a slight bluish gloss on the dorsal surfaces. The feathers at the front of the crown are very short and dense, giving a velvet-like appearance at close quarters. The beak is short, conical and pointed, the iris is dark and the tail is long and somewhat rounded. The calls produced include a crackling "chack" and a whistling "cheziit", and the song, sometimes sung at dusk from a perch, is a moderately-musical rapid gurgling sound. This species could be confused with the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), but their calls and habits are quite different.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lampropsar tanagrinus
- Authority
- (Spix, 1824)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Lampropsar
Range and habitat
The velvet-fronted grackle has two separate populations; one is in Venezuela and Guyana; the other is in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northern Peru, western Brazil and northern and central Bolivia. Its typical habitat is várzea forests which periodically become flooded, forest borders and swamps near ponds; rivers and lakes.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
This species often congregates with others of its kind in small groups of up to about twenty birds. Sometimes these coalesce with groups of tanagers and caciques. The birds move noisily through the canopy, foraging high and low, and sometimes hopping around on floating vegetation on lakes. The diet includes insects such as winged ants and beetles but is poorly described. In Guyana it breeds in March, in Ecuador in September and in Bolivia in October and February.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rose-fronted Parakeet
Pyrrhura roseifrons
Long-tailed parakeet with a rosy-pink face. Green overall, with a red-pink face and black scalloping on the head and neck. Usually moves in small flocks around the forest canopy, not flying high over the canopy as much as other parrots. Calls similar to other parakeets like Black-capped; listen for mellow even-pitched screeches and yaps.
Straneck's Tyrannulet
Serpophaga griseicapilla
Small flycatcher with a gray head, an olive-brown back, a whitish throat, and a yellow belly. Note the white eyebrow and broken eye-ring. Occurs in woodland and scrub; migrates to the northeast during the austral winter. The song is a single note followed by a trill: “twie tirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” The similar White-crested Tyrannulet has a different song and is also slightly larger, with a white crown patch that is often concealed.
Fuegian Snipe
Gallinago stricklandii
Large and heavy-bodied snipe of remote islands around Tierra del Fuego; very rarely seen and poorly known. Favors tussock grass and wetland habitats with grassy cover, where it runs in preference to flying, but can be very confiding. Plumage is similar to the more common and frequently seen Magellanic Snipe, which has “normal” snipe proportions and is not fat-bodied like the Fuegian Snipe. Fuegian is often darker overall than Magellanic Snipe, with dense pale spotting on upperparts and heavier dark barring on a buffy (not white) belly and thicker legs.
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