Icterid

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Icterids
Adult male Bullock's oriole
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Emberizoidea
Family: Icteridae
Vigors, 1825
Type genus
Icterus
Brisson, 1760
Genera

30, See text

Icterids (

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 common blackbird (a thrush) or the Old World orioles.

The Icteridae are not to be confused with the

Icteriidae, a family created in 2017 and consisting of one species — the yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens).[1]

Characteristics

Most icterid species live in the tropics, although many species also occur in temperate regions, such as the red-winged blackbird and the long-tailed meadowlark. The highest densities of breeding species are found in Colombia and southern Mexico.[2] They inhabit a range of habitats, including scrub, swamp, forest, and savanna.[3] 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

Amazonian oropendola, the male of which measures 52 cm (20 in) and weighs about 550 g (1.21 lb). This variation is greater than in any other passerine family (unless the kinglet calyptura belongs with the cotingas, which would then have greater variation[4]). One unusual morphological adaptation shared by the icterids is gaping, where the skull is configured to allow them to 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 drink nectar.

The nesting habits of these birds are also variable, including pendulous woven

brood parasitism; females lay their eggs in the nests of other species, in a similar fashion to some cuckoos.[3]

Some species of icterid have become agricultural

St Lucia oriole, all threatened by habitat loss; and the tricolored blackbird
of California, which is threatened by habitat loss and destruction of nests.

Folklore

Cacique and oropendola species are called paucar or similar names in Peru.[6][7] As paucares are considered very intelligent, Native Americans feed the brains to their children to make them fast learners.[8] 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".[9]

Taxonomy

The family group was introduced in 1825 as a

Sturnidae.[10]

A phylogenetic analysis of the

Parulidae
– New World warblers (120 species)

Icteriidae
– yellow breasted chat

Icteridae

The genus level

Icteridae
Xanthocephalinae

Xanthocephalus
– yellow-headed blackbird

Dolichonychinae

Dolichonyx
– bobolink

Sturnellinae

Sturnella – meadow larks (3 species)

Leistes – blackbirds and meadowlarks (5 species)

Amblycercinae

Amblycercus
– yellow-billed cacique

Cassicinae

Cassiculus
– Mexican cacique

Psarocolius
– oropendolas (9 species)

Cacicus
– Caciques and oropendolas (11 species)

Icterinae

Icterus – orioles (32 species)

Agelaiinae

Nesopsar
– Jamaican blackbird

Agelaius – (5 species)

Molothrus
– cowbirds (6 species)

Dives – blackbirds (2 species)

Ptiloxena
– Cuban blackbird

Euphagus – blackbirds (2 species)

Quiscalus – grackles (7 species)

Lampropsar
– velvet-fronted grackle

Hypopyrrhus
– red-bellied grackle

Gymnomystax
– oriole blackbird

Macroagelaius – mountain grackles (2 species)

Amblyramphus
– scarlet-headed blackbird

Curaeus
– austral blackbird

Anumara
– Forbes's blackbird

Gnorimopsar
– chopi blackbird

Agelaioides
– baywings (2 species)

Oreopsar
– Bolivian blackbird

Agelasticus – blackbirds (3 species)

Chrysomus – blackbirds (2 species)

Xanthopsar
– saffron-cowled blackbird

Pseudoleistes – marshbirds (2 species)

Genera

Image Genus Living Species
Xanthocephalus
Bonaparte, 1850
Dolichonyx
Swainson, 1827
Sturnella Vieillot, 1816
Leistes Vigors, 1825
Amblycercus
Cabanis, 1851
  • Yellow-billed cacique, Amblycercus holosericeus
Cassiculus
Swainson, 1827
  • Mexican cacique or yellow-winged cacique, Cassiculus melanicterus
Psarocolius
Wagler, 1827
Cacicus
Lacepede, 1799
Icterus
Brisson, 1760
Nesopsar
P.L. Sclater, 1859
Agelaius Vieillot, 1816
Molothrus
Swainson, 1832
Dives Cassin, 1867
Ptiloxena Chapman
, 1892
Euphagus Cassin, 1867
Quiscalus Vieillot, 1816
Hypopyrrhus
Bonaparte, 1850
Lampropsar
Cabanis, 1847
Gymnomystax
Reichenbach, 1850
Macroagelaius Cassin, 1866
Curaeus
PL Sclater, 1862
Amblyramphus
Leach, 1814
Anumara
Powell et al., 2014
Gnorimopsar
Richmond, 1908
Oreopsar
WL Sclater, 1939
Agelaioides
Cassin, 1866
Agelasticus Cabanis, 1851
Chrysomus Swainson, 1837
Xanthopsar
Ridgway, 1901
Pseudoleistes P.L. Sclater, 1862

Prehistoric icterid genera that have been described from

.

References

  1. .
  2. ^ Lowther P (1975) "Geographic and Ecological Variation in the Family Icteridae" Wilson Bulletin 87 (4): 481-495
  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, archived from the original on 2006-02-25, retrieved 2007-09-28
  6. ^ Muyuna Amazon Lodge, Iquitos - Peru, retrieved 2007-09-28. Click the link to Fauna and scroll forward one page.
  7. ^ Moyobamba - Peru, 2007, archived from the original on 2008-01-06, retrieved 2007-09-28. The source given is Moyobamba, apuntes turísticos y geográficos by Pedro Vargas Roja.
  8. ^ Aves en Soritor - Distrito de soritor Moyobamba - Alto Mayo - San Martín - Peru, 2006, retrieved 2007-09-28
  9. ^ Vigors, Nicholas Aylward (1825). "Sketches in ornithology ; or, observations on the leading affinities of some of the more extensive groups of birds (continued)". Zoological Journal. 2 (6): 182–197 [184].
  10. PMID 30936315
    .
  11. .
  12. .
  13. . IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 19 November 2023.

External links