Cuban oriole | |
---|---|
Juvenile | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Icteridae |
Genus: | Icterus |
Species: | I. melanopsis |
Binomial name | |
Icterus melanopsis (Wagler, 1829) | |
The Cuban oriole (Icterus melanopsis) is a species of songbird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to Cuba.
Adults measure 20 cm (7.9 in) long with a 10 cm (3.9 in) wing length. They are black with yellow patches on the shoulders, underwings, rump and undertail. Sexes are alike. Juvenile birds are olive while immature birds are olive with a black face and throat. [2]
The taxon was formerly lumped with Bahama orioles (Icterus northropi), Hispaniolan orioles (Icterus dominicensis), and Puerto Rican orioles (Icterus portoricensis) into a single species known as the Greater Antillean oriole [3] until all four birds were elevated to full species status in 2010. [4]
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and plantations.
In 1890, Allen documented Cuban, Bahama, Hispaniolan, and Puerto Rican orioles as four distinct species. In 1936, James Bond classified the four orioles as one species, the Greater Antillean oriole, in his most famous and influential book "Birds of the West Indies." Though the book became very popular among birders and ornithologists alike, Bond's grouping of Greater Antillean orioles was reverted in 2010 when the American Ornithologist's Union once again split them up into 4 species. This reversal of Bond's longstanding claim came in light of new evidence which displayed significant DNA, plumage, and song differences between the 4 birds. This DNA evidence also led to the additional conclusion that the Cuban oriole and Bahama oriole were close sister taxa. [5]
Cuban orioles are endemic to the island of Cuba and the neighboring Isla de la Juventud. [6]
Cuban orioles are able to survive in a wide variety of habitat conditions present throughout Cuba. These include plantations, dense forests, and human settlements. The birds are frequently observed foraging in coral trees for insects and nectar, and tend to attach nests to the underside of palm tree leaves. [7]
Adult Cuban orioles are black with a blue grey patch on the lower mandible and yellow patches on the coverts, rump, and upper thigh. [7] The appearance of Cuban orioles is similar to that of Bahama, Puerto Rican, and Hispaniolan orioles; a fact which contributed to the four birds being grouped into one species. Cuban orioles have the darkest coloration of the Greater Antillean orioles despite the fact that its closest relative, the Bahama oriole, displays the most yellow out of the same group.
Like many other orioles such as Bahama and the orchard orioles, Cuban orioles show delayed plumage maturation. This means that their juvenile plumage is not the same as their sexually mature adult plumage. When leaving the nest, the juvenile plumage of Cuban orioles is mostly olive. Yearling plumage is similar to the fledgling plumage but with black feathers around the throat and beak. [7]
Along with most other tropical orioles, the Cuban oriole has very little sexual dimorphism due to the fact that male and female Cuban orioles look very similar and it is likely impossible to confirm their sex without testing their DNA. [8] [9]
The Cuban oriole is omnivorous and capable of eating insects, soft fruit, and nectar from sources such as banana trees, citrus trees, and coral trees. Though the majority of the Cuban oriole diet consists of insects, they can also act as nectar robbers. When eating nectar, the Cuban oriole will create an opening under the flower and consume nectar through this opening instead of through the flower itself. As a result, the Cuban oriole takes the plant's nectar without contributing to pollination. [6] [10]
Cuban orioles are nesting songbirds and, along with some other tropical orioles, may pair with one mate for the rest of their lives. [10] From February to July Cuban orioles build hanging nests similar to baskets out of material from palm and banana tree leaves. [7] Clutch sizes are typically three greenish-white eggs with grey or olive spots and scrawl. Similar to most tropical orioles, Cuban oriole pairs may maintain a year-round territory and will defend their nest from predators. [8]
Cuban orioles are songbirds and are capable of producing birdsong. Though it has not been observed in Cuban orioles, male and female song has been observed in the Bahama and Puerto Rican orioles as well as most tropical songbirds. Therefore, it is likely that Cuban oriole males and females are capable of singing but further study is required before this can be confirmed. [8] [10]
The long song of the Cuban oriole is approximately three seconds with 11-12 notes and its short song is two seconds with 5-6 notes. The call of the Cuban oriole is a sharp chip then a nasal wheenk. [7]
The Cuban oriole was given a status of "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List in 2012. However, the Cuban oriole is a host for the brood parasite Shiny Cowbird, which leave their eggs in the nests of tropical orioles to be raised by the orioles. [2]
Bullock's oriole is a small New World blackbird. At one time, this species and the Baltimore oriole were considered to be a single species, the northern oriole. This bird is named after William Bullock, an English amateur naturalist.
The hooded oriole is a medium-sized New World oriole. The male of this species ranges in color from a bright orange to a paler yellow, with a black back, face, tail and bib, with the wing containing two white bars. The female is more of an olive color with some yellow accents.
New World orioles are a group of birds in the genus Icterus of the blackbird family. Unrelated to Old World orioles of the family Oriolidae, they are strikingly similar in size, diet, behavior, and strongly contrasting plumage. As a result, the two have been given the same vernacular name.
The moriche oriole is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It is unrelated to Old World orioles. It is a breeding resident in the tropics of eastern South America. This bird is noted for its close association with the palm Mauritia flexuosa.
The Bahama woodstar or Bahama hummingbird is a species of hummingbird endemic to the Lucayan archipelago, including the Bahamian and Turks and Caicos islands. It is named the "hummer" by locals due to a distinct humming sound it makes while feeding.
The Greater Antillean grackle is a grackle found throughout the Greater Antilles, as well as smaller nearby islands. Like all Quiscalus grackles, it is a rather large, gregarious bird. It lives largely in heavily settled areas.
Audubon's oriole, formerly known as the black-headed oriole, is a New World passerine inhabiting the forests and thickets of southeastern Texas and the Mexican coast. It is the only species to have a black hood and yellow body. It is divided into four subspecies and two allopatric breeding ranges. The westernmost range extends from Nayarit south to southern Oaxaca, whereas the eastern range stretches from the lower Rio Grande valley to northern Querétaro. The most common in the western range are the subspecies I. g. dickeyae and I. g. nayaritensis; I. g. graduacauda and I. g. audubonii can be found in the eastern range. Like most Central American birds, it is not a migratory species and does not display significant sexual dimorphism. DNA analysis of the ND2 and cyt-b genes strongly suggests that I. graduacauda is most closely related to I. chrysater, the yellow-backed oriole. It is a member of the genus Icterus and therefore should not be confused with the Old World orioles.
The Cuban pewee or crescent-eyed pewee is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Cuba and the northern Bahamas. It was formerly lumped with the Hispaniolan pewee and Jamaican pewee as a single species, the Greater Antillean pewee.
The Martinique oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to Martinique, French West Indies. Martinique is a part of the Lesser Antilles, and is located in the Eastern Caribbean.
The yellow-backed oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae.
The Greater Antillean oriole was split into 4 species in 2010:
The black-cowled oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is common and widespread in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills from southern Mexico to western Panama. It lives primarily in humid or semihumid forest, as well as in clearings, along forest edges, in plantations, in semi-open areas with scattered trees and bushes, and in gardens. The adult male is black, with yellow on the belly, shoulder, rump, wing lining, and crissum. The female's plumage varies depending on location. In the south of its range, it is similar to that of the male. In the north, its crown and upperparts are olive-yellow, while its face, throat, upper breast, wings, and tail are black.
The Hispaniolan oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
The Bahama oriole is a species of songbird in the New World blackbird family Icteridae. It is endemic to the Bahamas, and listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
The Puerto Rican oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, and genus Icterus or New World blackbirds. This species is a part of a subgroup of orioles that includes the North American orchard oriole, Icterus spurius, and the hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus.