Cuban Oriole
Icterus melanopsis
A sleek forest bird that sometimes ventures into gardens and parks in search of flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is dressed in black except for its yellow rump and shoulders. No similar species occur within its range. Immatures are largely yellow-green with a tattered black beard and somewhat resemble immature male Orchard Orioles, but the Orchard Oriole is smaller and lacks the Cuban Oriole’s yellow shoulders. Calls include a whistled “tsee-tsoo” and “pit-see-ee-oo,” plus a loud squeaky “spwit.” Full song is fluid series of whistled upslurred and down-slurred notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Icterus melanopsis
- Authority
- (Wagler, 1829)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Icterus
Range and habitat
Cuban orioles are endemic to the island of Cuba and the neighboring Isla de la Juventud.<p>Cuban orioles are able to survive in a wide variety of habitat conditions present throughout Cuba. These include plantations, dense forests, and human settlements. The birds are frequently observed foraging in coral trees for insects and nectar, and tend to attach nests to the underside of palm tree leaves.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The Cuban oriole was given a status of "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List in 2012. However, the Cuban oriole is a host for the brood parasite Shiny Cowbird, which leave their eggs in the nests of tropical orioles to be raised by the orioles.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Ayacucho Thistletail
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Poorly known thistletail found only in a small area of the high Andes east of the city of Ayacucho in southern Peru. It is brown above, gray below, with a long wispy tail and a reddish-orange chin patch. It has a darker chin patch than Vilcabamba Thistletail and Puna Thistletail, and is not known to overlap with either species. It inhabits scrub and stunted forest near treeline. Song is a rapid, high-pitched trill.
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