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Icteridae

(Family)

Overview

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The Icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. The family is extremely varied in size, shape, behavior and coloration. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" (from the prominent yellow feathers of many species) comes from the Ancient Greek ikteros, through the Latin ictericus. This group includes the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the Bobolink, meadowlarks, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas and caciques.

Despite the similar names, the first groups are only distantly related to the Old World Blackbird (a thrush) or the Old World orioles.

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The majority of icterid species live in the tropics, although there are a number of temperate forms, such as American blackbirds and the Long-tailed Meadowlark. The highest densities of breeding species a re found in Colombia and in southern Mexico.[1] They inhabit a range of habitats, including scrub, swamp, forest, and savannah.[2] Temperate species are migratory, with many species that nest in the United States and Canada moving south into Mexico and Central America.

Breeding male Brewer's Blackbird apparently gaping (see text) in soil.

Icterids are variable in size, and often display considerable sexual dimorphism. For example, the male Great-tailed Grackle is 60% heavier than the female. The smallest icterid species is the Orchard Oriole, in which the female averaging 15 cm in length (6 in) and 18 grams (0.6 oz) in weight, while the largest is the Amazonian Oropendola, the male of which measures 52 cm (19 in) and weighs about 550 grams (1.2 lbs). This variation is greater than in any other passerine family (unless the Kinglet Calyptura belongs with the cotingas, which would then have greater variation[3]). One unusual morphological adaptation shared by the icterids is gaping, where the skull is configured to allow them open their bills strongly rather than passively, allowing them to force open gaps to obtain otherwise hidden food.

Icterids have adapted to taking a wide range of foods. Oropendolas and caciques use their gaping motion to open the skins of fruit to obtain the soft insides, and have long bills adapted to the process. Others such as cowbirds and the Bobolink have shorter stubbier bills for crushing seeds. The Jamaican Blackbird uses its bill to pry amongst tree bark and epiphytes, and has adopted the evolutionary niche filled elsewhere in the Neotropics by woodcreepers. Orioles will drink nectar.

The nesting habits of these birds are similarly variable, including pendulous woven nests in the oropendolas and orioles. Many icterids are colonial, nesting in colonies of up to 100,000 birds. Some cowbird species engage in brood parasitism: females lay their eggs in the nests of other species, in a similar fashion to some cuckoos.[2]

Some species of icterid have become agricultural pests, for example Red-winged Blackbirds in the United States are considered the worst vertebrate pest on some crops, such as rice.[4] The cost of controlling blackbirds in California was $30 per acre in 1994. Not all species have been as successful, and a number of species are threatened with extinction. These include insular forms such as the Jamaican Blackbird and the St Lucia Oriole, which are threatened by habitat loss.

Folklore

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Cacique and oropendola species are called paucar or similar names in Peru.[5][6] It is said that as paucares are considered very intelligent, Indians feed the brains to their children to make them fast learners.[7] As the male plays no part in nesting and care of the young, a man who does not work may be called a "male paucar".[8]

Systematics

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FAMILY ICTERIDAE

Prehistoric icterid genera that have been described from Pleistocene fossil remains are Pandanaris from Rancho La Brea and Pyelorhamphus from Shelter Cave.

ues use their gaping motion to open the skins of fruit to obtain the soft insides, and have long bills adapted to the process. Others such as cowbirds and the Bobolink have shorter stubbier bills for crushing seeds. The Jamaican Blackbird uses its bill to pry amongst tree bark and epiphytes, and has adopted the evolutionary niche filled elsewhere in the Neotropics by woodcreepers. Orioles will drink nectar.

The nesting habits of these birds are similarly variable, including pendulous woven nests in the oropendolas and orioles. Many icterids are colonial, nesting in colonies of up to 100,000 birds. Some cowbird species engage in brood parasitism: females lay their eggs in the nests of other species, in a similar fashion to some cuckoos.[2]

Some species of icterid have become agricultural pests, for example Red-winged Blackbirds in the United States are considered the worst vertebrate pest on some crops, such as rice.[4] The cost of controlling blackbirds in California was $30 per acre in 1994. Not all species have been as successful, and a number of species are threatened with extinction. These include insular forms such as the Jamaican Blackbird and the St Lucia Oriole, which are threatened by habitat loss.

Folklore

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Cacique and oropendola species are called paucar or similar names in Peru.[5][6] It is said that as paucares are considered very intelligent, Indians feed the bra ins to their children to make them fast learners.[7] As the male plays no part in nesting and care of the young, a man who does not work may be called a "male paucar".[8]

Systematics

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FAMILY ICTERIDAE

Prehistoric icterid genera that have been described from Pleistocene fossil remains are Pandanaris from Rancho La Brea and Pyelorhamphus from Shelter Cave.

References

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  1. ^ Lowther P (1975) "Geographic and Ecological Variation in the Family Icteridae" Wilson Bulletin 87 (4): 481-495
  2. ^ a b Parkes, Kenneth C. (1991), Forshaw, Joseph, ed., Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds, London: Merehurst Press, pp. 214?215, ISBN 1-85391-186-0 
  3. ^ Prum, Richard O.; Snow, David W. (2003), "Cotingas", in Christopher Perrins (Ed.), Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds, Firefly Books, pp. 432?433, ISBN 1-55297-777-3 
  4. ^ Dolbeer, R & S Ickes (1994) "Red-winged Blackbird feeding preferences and response to wild rice treated with Portland cement or plaster" Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994) (W.S. Halverson& A.C. Crabb, Eds.) Univ. of Calif.:Davis.
  5. ^ Manu Peru Manu - Aves, Enjoy Corporation S. A., 2007, http://www.enjoyperu.com/guiadedestinos/manu/birds/index2.htm, retrieved 2007-09-28 
  6. ^ Muyuna Amazon Lodge, Iquitos - Peru, http://www.muyuna.com/, retrieved 2007-09-28 . Click the link to Fauna and scroll forward one page.
  7. ^ Moyobamba - Peru, 2007, http://www.moyobamba.com/online/leyendas_moyobamba.php, retrieved 2007-09-28 . The source given is Moyobamba, apuntes tur?sticos y geogr?ficos by Pedro Vargas Roja.
  8. ^ Aves en Soritor - Distrito de soritor Moyobamba - Alto Mayo - San Mart?n - Peru, 2006, http://www.soritor.com/recursos-naturales/aves-en-soritor/index.html, retrieved 2007-09-28 

External links

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Taxonomy

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The Family Icteridae is a member of the Superfamily Passeroidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Icteridae:

The Family Icteridae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Agelaioides

The Bay-winged Cowbird (Agelaioides badius), also known as the Baywing, is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is currently placed in the genus Agelaioides ? monotypic at present[] ?, but has traditionally been placed in the genus Molothrus. It is found in the northern half of Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern and central Brazil, with an isolated population in north-eastern Brazil. The latter population is sometimes considered a separate species, the Pale Cowbird or Pale Baywing (Agelaioides fringillarius). The Bay-winged Cowbird has been recorded as a vagrant in Chile. [more]

Agelaius

American blackbirds are birds belonging to the genus Agelaius in the New World family Icteridae. [more]

Agelasticus

[more]

Amblycercus

The Yellow-billed Cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is monotypic within the genus Amblycercus.[] [more]

Amblycerus

[more]

Amblyramphus

The Scarlet-headed Blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus) is an icterid bird of southern South American wetlands. [more]

Cacicus

The caciques are passerine birds in the New World blackbird family which are resident breeders in tropical South America north to Mexico. All of the group are in currently placed in the genus Cacicus, except the aberrant Yellow-billed Cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus), which constitutes a monotypic genus. Judging from mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence (Price & Lanyon 2002), the aberrant oropendolas Band-tailed Oropendola (Ocyalus latirostris) and Casqued Oropendola, Psarocolius oseryi (Ocyalus oseryi?) seem to be closer to the caciques. [more]

Cassicus

[more]

Cassidix

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Chrysomus

Chrysomus is a genus of in the Icteridae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Clypicterus

[more]

Curaeus

Curaeus is a genus of in the Icteridae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Dives

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]

Dolichonyx

The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx. [more]

Euphagus

Euphagus is a small genus of New World blackbirds. It contains two North American species, the Brewer's Blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus, and the Rusty Blackbird E. carolinus. Both species are migratory, wintering in the southern United States and Mexico, although some Brewer's Blackbirds are present all year in the western USA. [more]

Gnorimopsar

The Chopi Blackbird (Gnorimopsar chopi) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is monotypic within the genus Gnorimopsar.[] It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest. The Chopi Blackbird is 25 cm (9.8 in) in length and has black plumage across the body. It is similar to the Forbes's Blackbird but has a slightly curved bill with a grove along the lower mandible. The call is a loud explosive "tjouw", either given as a single call or as a series that vary randomly in pitch. [more]

Gymnomystax

The Oriole Blackbird (Gymnomystax mexicanus) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. Its genus, Gymnomystax, is monotypic.[] It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and swamps. [more]

Hypopyrrhus

The Red-bellied Grackle (Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster) is a species of in the Icteridae family. Its genus, Hypopyrrhus, is monotypic. [more]

Icterus

New World orioles, comprising the genus Icterus, are a group of birds in the blackbird family. They are not related to Old World orioles which are in the family Oriolidae, but are strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and in their strongly contrasting plumage, and are a good example of convergent evolution. Almost inevitably, the two took the same vernacular name. [more]

Lampropsar

The Velvet-fronted Grackle (Lampropsar tanagrinus) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is monotypic within the genus Lampropsar. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps and heavily degraded former forest. [more]

Macroagelaius

Macroagelaius is a genus of in the Icteridae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Molothrus

Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. They are brood parasitic New World birds which are unrelated to the Old World cuckoos, one of which, the Common Cuckoo, is the best-known brood parasitic bird. [more]

Nesopsar

The Jamaican Blackbird (Nesopsar nigerrimus) is a species of bird in the New World blackbird and oriole family Icteridae. It is the only species (monotypic) in the genus Nesopsar. The species has sometimes been included in the genus Agelaius, but molecular systematics have shown it not be closely related to any living blackbird or grackle. The species is endemic to Jamaica, where it is restricted to Cockpit Country, some central areas and the Blue and John Crow Mountains. [more]

Ocyalus

The Band-tailed Oropendola (Ocyalus latirostris) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is in the genus Ocyalus, usually considered monotypic,[] though the Casqued Oropendola might also be included herein. It is found at low densities in the western Amazon in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. [more]

Oreopsar

The Bolivian Blackbird (Oreopsar bolivianus) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is monotypic within the genus Oreopsar. It is endemic to Bolivia. [more]

Pezites

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]

Psarcolius

[more]

Psarocolius

The oropendolas comprise two or three genera of South and Central American passerine birds in the New World blackbird family. [more]

Pseudoleistes

The marshbirds, Pseudoleistes, are a small of icterid birds (family Icteridae). It includes the following species: [more]

Quiscalus

The genus Quiscalus contains six of the ten species of grackle, gregarious passerine birds in the Icterid family. They are native to North and South America. The six species are: [more]

Sturnella

Meadowlarks are birds belonging to the genus Sturnella in the New World family Icteridae. [more]

Tangavius

[more]

Xanthocephalus

The Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) is a medium-sized blackbird, and the only member of the genus Xanthocephalus. [more]

Xanthopsar

The Saffron-cowled Blackbird (Xanthopsar flavus) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family, in the monotypic genus Xanthopsar. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and pastureland. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Xanthornis

[more]

More info about the Genus Xanthornis may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Lowther P (1975) "Geographic and Ecological Variation in the Family Icteridae" Wilson Bulletin 87 (4): 481-495
  2. ^ a b Parkes, Kenneth C. (1991), Forshaw, Joseph, ed., Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds, London: Merehurst Press, pp. 214?215, ISBN 1-85391-186-0 
  3. ^ Prum, Richard O.; Snow, David W. (2003), "Cotingas", in Christopher Perrins (Ed.), Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds, Firefly Books, pp. 432?433, ISBN 1-55297-777-3 
  4. ^ Dolbeer, R & S Ickes (1994) "Red-winged Blackbird feeding preferences and response to wild rice treated with Portland cement or plaster" V ertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994) (W.S. Halverson& A.C. Crabb, Eds.) Univ. of Calif.:Davis.
  5. ^ Manu Peru Manu - Aves, Enjoy Corporation S. A., 2007, http://www.enjoyperu.com/guiadedestinos/manu/birds/index2.htm, retrieved 2007-09-28 
  6. ^ Muyuna Amazon Lodge, Iquitos - Peru, http://www.muyuna.com/, retrieved 2007-09-28 . Click the link to Fauna and scroll forward one page.
  7. ^ Moyobamba - Peru, 2007, http://www.moyobamba.com/online/leyendas_moyobamba.php, retrieved 2007-09-28 . The source given is Moyobamba, apuntes tur?sticos y geogr?ficos by Pedro Vargas Roja.
  8. ^ Aves en Soritor - Distrito de soritor Moyobamba - Alto Mayo - San Mart?n - Peru, 2006, http://www.soritor.com/recursos-naturales/aves-en-soritor/index.html, retrieved 2007-09-28 

Bibliography

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Footnotes

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  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=23337
  2. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=1191
  3. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=22178

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:34:05