Bulletin 421 - Brazil 2023 #2 - icterids

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

The icterids are a  family of 109 species of New World birds consisting of blackbirds, orioles, cowbirds, grackles etc. I photographed 9 species of which 7 were lifers for me.

The 7.5" Greyish Baywing (Agelaioides badius) is grey-brown with rufous wings.

Greyish Baywing

The 9" Chopi Blackbird (Gnorimopsar chopi) is an all black icterid that isn't glossy. It is the only member of that genus.

Chopi Blackbird

The 8" Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis) is a black oriole with an orange shoulder patch.

Epaulet Oriole

The 13" Giant Cowbird (Molothus oryzivorus) is a glossy black bird wit a yellow eye. It parasitizes oropendolas.

Giant Cowbird

There were 3 species of caciques for the trip. 2 were lifers. The 9" Solitary Cacique (Cacicus solitarius) I had seen previously. It is a black bird with a pale yellow bill.

Solitary Cacique

The 9" Red-rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous) was a lifer, but I thought I had seen it before - but the previous one was the Scarlet-rumped Cacique. It is an easy ID.

Red-rumped Cacique

The 7" Golden-winged Cacique (Cacicus chrysopterus) has a large yellow wing patch, a yellow rump and a yellow eye.

Golden-winged Cacique

The 9.5" Yellow-rumped Marshbird (Pseudoleistes guirahuro) is yellow and brown.

Yellow-rumped Marshbird

The 9.5" Scarlet-headed Blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus) is a stunningly beautiful bird and an easy ID.

Scarlet-headed Blackbird

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 58 of the 109 species of icterids

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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