Nombre en español: Oropéndola Oliva

Nombre en ingles: Olive Oropendola

Nombre científico: Psarocolius bifasciatus

Familia: Icteridae

Foto: Nick Athanas/Humberto Montes

Canto: Andrew Spencer

El cacique de Pará, conoto del Pará u oropéndola oliva (Psarocolius bifasciatus) es una especie de ave paseriforme de la familia Icteridae endémica de la Amazonia del norte de Brasil.

Hábitat

Vive en el dosel del bosque húmedo de tierra firme, en los bordes del bosque y claros arbolados adyacentes, por debajo de los 200 m de altitud.

Descripción

Presenta dimorfismo sexual. El macho mide entre 47 y 53 cm de longitud y pesa 550 g, mientras que la hembra es más pequeña, mide entre 41 y 43 cm de longitud y pesa 260 g. Presenta una carúncula en las mejillas de color entre rojo y rosado. Su iris es de color marrón, el pico es negro con punta de color anaranjado. La cabeza, la nuca, el cuello, los hombros y el pecho son de color negruzco en la subespecie P. p. bifasciatus, oliva oscuro en P. p. neivae y verde oliva brillante en P. p. yuracares; el dorso, las alas y el vientre son de color castaño; las rectrices exteriores son de color amarillo y la cola parece toda de color amarillo desde abajo.

Alimentación

Se alimenta principalmente de frutos y semillas, pero es omnívoro y puede comer pequeños vertebrados, insectos grandes y néctar.

Reproducción

Construye un nido en forma de bolsa de 60 a 180 cm de largo, hecha de fibras tejidas y colgada de alguna rama en lo alto de un árbol, en medio de colonias de anidación. La hembra pone dos huevos.

Olive oropendola

The olive oropendola (Psarocolius bifasciatus) is the largest member of the icterid family and rivals the Amazonian umbrellabird as the largest passerine bird in South America. It is sometimes placed in the genus Gymnostinopsinstead of Psarocolius. As suggested by its name, it is found widely – but often in low densities – throughout humid lowland forests of the Amazon Basin, with the notable exception of most of the Guiana Shield. It is sometimes split into two species, the western olive oropendola (P. yuracares) and the eastern Pará oropendola (P. bifasciatus), but the subspecies P. y. neivae is widely recognized as a hybrid swarm, and the vast majority of authorities consider them a single species.

Description

The sexes of this icterid are very different in size: the male is 52 cm (21 in) long and weighs 550 g (1.2 lbs); the smaller female is 41 cm (16 in) long and weighs 260 g (9.2 oz). Confusingly, the name «olive oropendola» is usually used for this combined species, despite the fact that the nominate subspecies has no olive to its plumage, as its head and chest are black (these are olive in P. b. yuracares). The back, wings and belly of this large oropendola are brown, the outer rectrices are yellow (i.e. tail appears all yellow from below), the bare facial skin is pink, the eyes are brown, and the bill is black with an orange tip. The superficially similar green oropendola has an olive back and wing-coverts, lacks extensive bare facial-skin, has a pale bill with an orange tip, and blue eyes.

Behavior

The olive oropendola is a canopy bird that most often is seen flying high over the tops of the trees. Compared to other oropendolas it is a «loner» most frequently seen alone or in pairs, and drawing less attention to itself than its cousins, despite the greater size. Small groups are seen occasionally, and may even mix with other oropendolas. The breeding colonies are small, usually with fewer than five birds. The nest is a hanging woven ball fibers and vines, 60–180 cm long, high in a tree. Relatively little is known about these bird’s breeding habits.

The omnivorous diet appears to be fairly catholic. They may eat small vertebrates (especially amphibians and reptiles), large insects, nectar, and fruit. They often travel great distances through the forests, except when lingering around their nesting colony.

The song of the olive oropendola is a liquid, gurgling and «expanding» stek-ek-ek-ek-eh-eh-eh-o’o ‘GLOOP!, given as a displaying male falls forward on a perch and rustles his wings over the back. Nasal raap and whrup calls are given while in flight or when foraging.