Oriole blackbird

Oriole blackbird
	In Peru
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Icteridae
Genus:	Gymnomystax; Reichenbach, 1850
Species:	G. mexicanus
Binomial name
	Gymnomystax mexicanus; (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms
	Oriolus mexicanus Linnaeus, 1766;

The oriole blackbird (Gymnomystax mexicanus) is a species of

subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and swamps.^[1]

Taxonomy

In 1760 the French zoologist

monotypic.^[9]

Description

The oriole blackbird grows to a length of nearly 30 cm (12 in). The sexes are similar in appearance. The head, neck, shoulders and underparts are bright yellow; the back, wings, rump and tail are black, apart from the lower wing-coverts showing a strip of yellow. The eye is brown and is surrounded by a black eye ring, and the large bill and feet are blackish. The voice consists of several loud, scratchy calls, uttered from elevated perches or emitted when on the wing. One is a screech that resembles the sound made by a rusty hinge.[10]

Distribution and habitat

This icterid is found in the northern part of South America. Its range includes French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northern Brazil.^[1] Its typical habitat is grassy areas with isolated trees near rivers, marshes, islands in rivers and gallery forest.^[11]

Ecology

The oriole blackbird is usually seen in pairs or small groups but does not form mixed species flocks. It perches in prominent positions on small trees or on the top of bushes and forages mostly on the ground, especially in muddy areas near water.^[11] They feed on invertebrates such as earthworms, caterpillars and winged insects, as well as frogs and fruit, and sometimes tear open ripening maize cobs to feed on the seeds.^[10]

Breeding takes place in May and June. The nest is a cup-shaped structure about 17 cm (7 in) in diameter, loosely woven out of dry grass and weed stems, and lined with rootlets. The eggs are pale blue with black, brown and lilac blotches and spots. The

brood parasite, sometimes lays its egg in an oriole blackbird's nest. The incubation period is about 18 days and the incubation is done solely by the female. Both parents join in feeding the chicks with small invertebrates and frogs which are not regurgitated but brought whole to the nest in the parent's beak.^[10]

Status

G. mexicanus is a fairly common species and has a very extensive range. Its total population has not been estimated but its population trend seems to be steady. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".^[1]

References

^
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22724166A132027095.en
. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

^ "ITIS Report: Gymnomystax". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
^ Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 2. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 105–106. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
^
hdl:2246/678
.

^ Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 162.
^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 166.
^ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1850). Avium Systema Naturale. Das natürliche System der Vögel. Dresden: Expedition der Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. Plate 73.
^ Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Oropendolas, orioles, blackbirds". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
^
ISBN 978-0-8165-1601-8
.

^
ISBN 978-0-292-70756-6
.

[iucn_status_11_November_2021-1] 
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22724166A132027095.en
. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

[ITIS-2] "ITIS Report: Gymnomystax". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 10 August 2014.

[brisson-3] Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 2. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 105–106. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.

[allen-4] 
hdl:2246/678
.

[5] Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 162.

[6] Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 166.

[7] Reichenbach, Ludwig (1850). Avium Systema Naturale. Das natürliche System der Vögel. Dresden: Expedition der Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. Plate 73.

[hbwkey-8] Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

[ioc-9] Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Oropendolas, orioles, blackbirds". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

[Skutch-10] 
ISBN 978-0-8165-1601-8
.

[Ridgely1989-11] 
ISBN 978-0-292-70756-6
.

[1]

[9]

[11]

[10]