Scarlet-rumped Cacique

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Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Neotropical Cacique
Pacific Cacique
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Superorder: Neoaves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Infraorder: Passerida
Superfamily: Passeroidea
Family: Icteridae
Genus: Cacicus
Species: C. uropygialis
Binomial name
Cacicus uropygialis
(Sclater and Salvin, 1864)
Synonyms

Cacicus microrhynchus
Cacicus microrhyncus (lapsus)
Cacicus pacificus

Cacicus uropygialis is a passerine bird species in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from eastern Honduras to Panama and in the Pacific lowlands of South America from western Colombia south to Ecuador, and in the lower reaches of the northern Andes. There are several subspecies, some of which have been proposed for elevation to full species status.

As a whole, C. uropygialis it is usually called Scarlet-rumped Cacique. However, typically referred to by this name is Cacicus uropygialis microrhynchus, and not the nominate subspecies C. u. uropygialis. It has been proposed to split off the "Scarlet-rumped" group, in which case the C. uropygialis would only contain the birds called Subtropical Cacique[1]. The "true" Scarlet-rumped Cacique - then Cacicus microrhynchus - may also be split further; the Pacific populations have been proposed as Pacific Cacique (Cacicus pacificus)[2]. The AOU considers it likely that at least two species are involved, but points out that no dedicated analsyis of the data at hand has been published. It therefore does not formally recognize the split at present.[3]

Contents

[edit] Description

The Scarlet-rumped Cacique has sexual dimorphism like many Icteridae, though it mainly concerns size in this species. Males are 9 in (23 cm) long and weigh 2.4 oz (68 g), while the female is 8 in (20 cm) long and weighs 1.9 oz (53 g); they follow Bergmann's Rule, with the Neotropical Caciques of the cooler uplands being larger. This cacique is a slim long-winged bird, with a relatively short tail, blue eyes, and a pale yellow pointed bill. It has mainly black plumage, apart from a scarlet patch on the lower back and upper rump. The female is smaller and a duller black than the male, and the juvenile bird has a brownish tone to the plumage and a brownish-orange rump.

The song of these birds is a pleasant wheee-whee-whee-whee-wheet, but the Pacific Cacique has a descending melancholy wheeo-wheeo-wheeo-wheeo. The calls birds give to members differ between the three groups: those of the Neotropical Cacique sound rather untypical for icterids and more like the chatter of an excited Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)[2]. The Scarlet-rumped Cacique in the narrowest sense has a burry pleeo; the Pacific Cacique has a sweeter keeo or a shree[1].

[edit] Ecology

The Scarlet-rumped and Pacific Caciques are birds associated with humid lowland primary forest or old secondary forest at up to 3,300 ft (1000 m) ASL.

Neotropical Caciques occur at higher altitudes; they have been recorded as high as 8,000 ft (2,450 m) ASL and are widespread along the eastern slope of the Colombian Andes around 6,500 ft (2,000 m), and they are common in submontane or cloud forest. Their habitat has a lower canopy than that of their lowland relatives, dominated by trees of little more than 50-65 ft (15-20 m) height, for example oaks (Quercus). Epiphytes, hemiepiphytes like Coussapoa (Urticaceae), and a usually dense understory with tree ferns, Ericaceae, etc. are also typical habitat features.[2]

These caciques forage through the canopy in small flocks. It feeds on large insects, spiders and small vertebrates, but will also take some fruit. It often forms mixed-species feeding flock with similarly robust and rowdy songbirds, such as other icterids[4], Black-faced Grosbeaks (Caryothraustes poliogaster), or American jays[5]. Such noisy flocks may also attract trogons or flycatchers.

Unlike some other caciques they are not usually colonial breeders; like them they have a bag-shaped nest. It is built about 10-100 ft (c.3.5-30 m) above ground, in a tree which usually also contains an active wasp nest. The bird's nest is 14-25 in (36-64 cm) long, widens at the base, and is suspended from the end of a branch. The normal clutch is two dark-blotched white eggs. The male will assist in feeding the young, but does not incubate.

The IUCN conservation status of Least Concern applies for the taxon in the broad sense[6]; namely the Pacific Oriole may be less than secure due to limited range and widespread habitat destruction.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Jaramillo & Burke (1999)
  2. ^ a b c Salaman et al. (2002)
  3. ^ SACC (2003)
  4. ^ E.g. Mountain Cacique (Cacicus leucoramphus) or Russet-backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons), observed for Neotropical Caciques: Salaman et al. (2002).
  5. ^ E.g. Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) or White-collared Jay (Cyanolyca viridicyana), observed for Neotropical Caciques: Salaman et al. (2002).
  6. ^ BLI (2004)

[edit] References