Scarlet-headed Blackbird
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| Amblyramphus holosericeus (Scopoli, 1786) |
The Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Amblyramphus holosericeus, is an icterid bird of South American wetlands.
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.[1]
Scarlet-headed Blackbirds occur in pairs in large reed beds in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina; Bolivia has an isolated population at altitudes up to about 600 m. They often perch conspicuously on top of a stem. They are uncommon, particularly away from the coast.[1]
They eat mainly fruit, supplementing it with seeds and invertebrates, especially insects. They use their bill as a hammer to open food items.[2]
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.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ridgely, Robert S. (1989). The Birds of South America: The Oscine Passerines. University of Texas Press, p. 345. ISBN 0-292-70756-8. Retrieved on Feb. 19, 2007.
- ^ a b Scarlet-headed blackbird. Meet the Animals. Toronto Zoo. Retrieved on Feb. 19, 2007.
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