Copyright: monacoeye • Rio Clarinho Lodge, Brazil August 2011 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Solitary Cacique
Latin: Cacicus solitarius
Other: Solitary Black Cacique • Boyero negro (Es) • Iraúna-de-bico-branco (Br)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Similar: Red-rumped Cacique juvenile etc

The Solitary Cacique is a black cacique with pale yellow bill and dark irises. The dark irises are a good identifier, though other juvenile caciques may also have dark irises.

As the name suggests, the Solitary Cacique is likely to be seen singly or in pairs, but not flocks. I saw this individual near Rio Clarinho Lodge in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Below, Solitary Cacique, Rio Clarinho Lodge, Pantanal, August 2011
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • San Isidro Lodge, Ecuador, March 2011 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Subtropical Cacique
Latin: Cacicus uropygialis
Other: Cacique subtropical (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Similar: Scarlet-rumped Cacique split

The Subtropical Cacique is a red-rumped cacique living in Ecuador and neighbouring Andean countries. Treated here as split from the similar Scarlet-rumped Cacique in Panama, west of the Darien Gap, into Central America.

Below, Subtropical Cacique showing red rump. San Isidro, March 2011.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Scarlet Rumped Cacique
Latin: Cacicus microrhynchus
Other: Arrendajo cola escarlata, plío, sargento, cacique de rabadilla roja (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Honduras to Panama
Similar: Subtropical Cacique split

Here the Scarlet-rumped Cacique, refers only to the bird mostly west of the Darien Gap: Panama, Honduras etc. Also found in western Ecuador (pic below). The red rump is often not visible when perched.

Below: Scarlet Rumped Cacique spotted from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Itatiaia • November 2009 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Red Rumped Cacique
Latin: Cacicus haemorrhous
Other: Guaxe (Br) • Arrendajo de lomo rojo (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Colombia to E Brazil & N Argentina
Similar: Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Subtropical Cacique

The Red-rumped Cacique is the most common form of Cacique in eastern Brazil. It is a large bird, quickly identified by its yellow bill, startling bright blue iris and red flash of colour on its rump, especially visible in flight. The rest of the bird is black. Sometimes the blue irises show as black, perhaps in juveniles or bright light, as can be seen in the photo of the juvenile begging for food.

Red-rumped Caciques nest in colonies of pendulous nests, which they add to year after year, so that some older ones are empty. This can work to confuse some predators such as snakes. They will also weave their nests with green garden twine and several nests were seen incorporating this man made material. In Itatiaia I often saw Red-rumped Caciques eating fruit, including that of cecropia. A good sized colony of Red-rumped Caciques by the lake at Regua too.

There are two separate populations of Red-rumped Cacique, one in southeast South America, including the southeast of Brazil, and one in northwest South America.

Below, beautiful blue eye of a Red-rumped Cacique, Itatiaia, November.


Below, Red-rumped Cacique nests, Itatiaia, November.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Yellow Rumped Cacique
Latin: Cacicus cela
Other: Xexéu (Br), japi, japim
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Amazonia, Brazil, Peru etc
Similar: Northern Mountain Cacique, Golden-winged Cacique

Yellow-rumped Caciques tend to build a colony of nests beside an active wasp nest (picture below).

Yellow-rumped Caciques were common in central Panama (top pics). Also frequently seen in Pantanal, Brazil (lower pics). Again at Chapada das Guimaraes. Also in Ecuadorian Amazonia (lowest record pics).

Panama

Below, Yellow-rumped Cacique displaying, central Panama, May 2010


Below, beautiful Yellow-rumped Cacique, central Panama, May 2010
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Ecuador, March, 2011 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Northern Mountain Cacique
Latin: Cacicus leucoramphus
Other: Mountain Cacique • Cacique montañes norteño (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Colombia to E Brazil & N Argentina
Similar: Yellow-rumped Cacique

The Northern Mountain Cacique is the regular cacique at Guango Lodge. In Ecuador it is found at 2000 - 3100 m on the eastern slope, so there is no known overlap with Yellow-rumped Cacique.

Adults have bright blue eyes and dark bills, so the bird pictured above may be a juvenile, which have dark irises.

Split from Cacicus chrysonotus.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Yellow Billed Cacique
Latin: Amblycercus holosericeus
Other:
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Mexico to N Bolivia
Similar:

Somewhere in there was a Yellow-billed Cacique - a black bird with yellow bill!

224 Icteridae - Oropendolas, Caciques, New World Orioles, Blackbirds, Grackles, Cowbirds - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Clypicterus oseryi - Casqued Oropendola - W Amazonia

Psarocolius wagleri - Chestnut-headed Oropendola - Mexico to Ecuador - was Zarhynchus wagleri
Psarocolius decumanus - Crested Oropendola - N, SC, South America, also Panama
Psarocolius viridis - Green Oropendola - Amazonia
Psarocolius atrovirens - Dusky-green Oropendola - Peru, Bolivia
Psarocolius angustifrons - Russet-backed Oropendola - W, N South America
Psarocolius montezuma - Montezuma Oropendola - S Mexico to Panama
Psarocolius cassini - Baudo Oropendola - NW Colombia
Psarocolius bifasciatus - Olive Oropendola - E, S Amazonia - was Para Oropendola
Psarocolius guatimozinus - Black Oropendola - Panama, Colombia

Ocyalus latirostris - Band-tailed Oropendola - W Amazonia

Cacicus cela - Yellow-rumped Cacique - Panama to SE South America
Cacicus haemorrhous - Red-rumped Cacique - Colombia to E Brazil & N Argentina
Cacicus uropygialis - Subtropical Cacique - Panama to Peru
Cacicus microrhynchus - Scarlet-rumped Cacique - Honduras to Panama - Split from C. uropygialis
Cacicus chrysopterus - Golden-winged Cacique - SC South America
Cacicus chrysonotus - Southern Mountain Cacique - Peru, N Bolivia
Cacicus leucoramphus - Northern Mountain Cacique - Venezuela to Ecuador, N Peru - Split from C. chrysonotus
Cacicus sclateri - Ecuadorian Cacique - Ecuador, Peru
Cacicus koepckeae - Selva Cacique - Peru
Cacicus solitarius - Solitary Cacique - C Amazonia to N Argentina
Cacicus melanicterus - Mexican Cacique - W Mexico to SE Guatemala

Amblycercus holosericeus - Yellow-billed Cacique - Mexico to N Bolivia

Icterus icterus - Venezuelan Troupial - Colombia, Venezuela
Icterus croconotus - Orange-backed Troupial - N, W, SW Amazonia
Icterus jamacaii - Campo Troupial - E Brazil
Icterus pectoralis - Spot-breasted Oriole - Widespread Middle America
Icterus graceannae - White-edged Oriole - Ecuador, Peru
Icterus mesomelas - Yellow-tailed Oriole - Mexico to Peru
Icterus cayanensis - Epaulet Oriole - N, C, SC South America
Icterus pyrrhopterus - Variable Oriole - Pantanal Brazil etc . split from cayanensis, added 2010
Icterus bonana - Martinique Oriole - Martinique
Icterus laudabilis - St. Lucia Oriole - St. Lucia
Icterus oberi - Montserrat Oriole - Montserrat
Icterus dominicensis - Hispaniolan Oriole - Hispaniola - Was Greater Antillean Oriole
Icterus portoricensis - Puerto Rican Oriole - Puerto Rico - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus melanopsis - Cuban Oriole - Cuba - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus northropi - Bahama Oriole - Bahamas - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas - Black-cowled Oriole - S Mexico to Panama
Icterus spurius - Orchard Oriole - SE Canada to C Mexico
Icterus fuertesi - Ochre Oriole - NE Mexico - Split from I. spurius
Icterus cucullatus - Hooded Oriole - SW USA, Mexico, Belize
Icterus wagleri - Black-vented Oriole - Mexico to Nicaragua
Icterus maculialatus - Bar-winged Oriole - S Mexico to El Salvador
Icterus parisorum - Scott's Oriole - SC USA, Mexico
Icterus auricapillus - Orange-crowned Oriole - Panama to Venezuela
Icterus chrysater - Yellow-backed Oriole - S Mexico to Venezuela
Icterus graduacauda - Audubon's Oriole - S Texas, Mexico
Icterus galbula - Baltimore Oriole - E North America - Colombia
Icterus abeillei - Black-backed Oriole - SC Mexico
Icterus bullockii - Bullock's Oriole - W North America - Mexico to Nicaragua
Icterus pustulatus - Streak-backed Oriole - Widespread Middle America
Icterus leucopteryx - Jamaican Oriole - Jamaica, Cayman Islands
Icterus auratus - Orange Oriole - SE Mexico
Icterus nigrogularis - Yellow Oriole - N South America
Icterus gularis - Altamira Oriole - S Texas to Honduras

Nesopsar nigerrimus - Jamaican Blackbird - Jamaica

Gymnomystax mexicanus - Oriole Blackbird - Amazonia

Macroagelaius subalaris - Colombian Mountain Grackle - Colombia
Macroagelaius imthurni - Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle - Tepuis

Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster - Red-bellied Grackle - Colombia

Lampropsar tanagrinus - Velvet-fronted Grackle - W, SW Amazonia, Tepuis

Gnorimopsar chopi - Chopi Blackbird - E, SE, SC South America

Curaeus curaeus - Austral Blackbird - Southern Cone
Curaeus forbesi - Forbes's Blackbird - E Brazil

Amblyramphus holosericeus - Scarlet-headed Blackbird - SE, SC South America

Agelasticus xanthophthalmus - Pale-eyed Blackbird - Ecuador, Peru
Agelasticus cyanopus - Unicolored Blackbird - SC, E Brazil
Agelasticus thilius - Yellow-winged Blackbird - SW, SC South America

Chrysomus ruficapillus - Chestnut-capped Blackbird - NE, SC South America
Chrysomus icterocephalus - Yellow-hooded Blackbird - N, C South America

Xanthopsar flavus - Saffron-cowled Blackbird - SC South America

Pseudoleistes guirahuro - Yellow-rumped Marshbird - SE South America
Pseudoleistes virescens - Brown-and-yellow Marshbird - SE South America

Agelaioides oreopsar - Bolivian Blackbird - Bolivia
Agelaioides badius - Baywing - SC South America

Molothrus rufoaxillaris - Screaming Cowbird - SC South America
Molothrus oryzivorus - Giant Cowbird - S Mexico through N South America
Molothrus aeneus - Bronzed Cowbird - SW USA to Panama
Molothrus armenti - Bronze-brown Cowbird - Colombia - Split from M. aeneus
Molothrus bonariensis - Shiny Cowbird - SE USA though C South America
Molothrus ater - Brown-headed Cowbird - S Canada to S Mexico

Dives atroviolaceus - Cuban Blackbird - Cuba
Dives dives - Melodious Blackbird - Mexico to Nicaragua
Dives warczewiczi - Scrub Blackbird - Ecuador, Peru

Agelaius phoeniceus - Red-winged Blackbird - Widespread North America, Middle America
Agelaius assimilis - Red-shouldered Blackbird - Cuba
Agelaius tricolor - Tricolored Blackbird - California
Agelaius humeralis - Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Hispaniola, Cuba
Agelaius xanthomus - Yellow-shouldered Blackbird - Puerto Rico

Euphagus carolinus - Rusty Blackbird - N North America - SE South America
Euphagus cyanocephalus - Brewer's Blackbird - W, C North America - Mexico

Quiscalus quiscula - Common Grackle - C, E North America
Quiscalus lugubris - Carib Grackle - Lesser Antilles, N South America
Quiscalus mexicanus - Great-tailed Grackle - S USA through W, N South America
Quiscalus major - Boat-tailed Grackle - E, SE USA
Quiscalus palustris - Slender-billed Grackle - C Mexico
Quiscalus nicaraguensis - Nicaraguan Grackle - Nicaragua
Quiscalus niger - Greater Antillean Grackle - Greater Antilles

Sturnella militaris - Red-breasted Blackbird - Costa Rica through C South America
Sturnella superciliaris - White-browed Blackbird - SC South America
Sturnella bellicosa - Peruvian Meadowlark - Ecuador to N Chile
Sturnella defilippii - Pampas Meadowlark - SE South America
Sturnella loyca - Long-tailed Meadowlark - Southern Cone
Sturnella magna - Eastern Meadowlark - SE Canada to NE Brazil
Sturnella neglecta - Western Meadowlark - W North America, Middle America

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus - Yellow-headed Blackbird - W North America, Middle America

Dolichonyx oryzivorus - Bobolink - N, C North America - C South America