Drop trupial
| Drop trupial | ||||||||||||
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Drop trupial ( icterus pectoralis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Icterus pectoralis | ||||||||||||
| ( Wagler , 1829) |
The drop trupial ( Icterus pectoralis ) is a songbird species from the family of starlings (Icteridae) that occurs in Central America .
description
Appearance
Drop trupials achieve the following data on average: a total length of 21 centimeters and a weight of 52.6 grams for the males and 44.9 grams for the females.
There is a slight sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In the males, the head, neck, lower chest area, belly and rump are colored bright yellow to orange. The throat is black and mostly dissolved in drops in the upper chest area. The back, the wings and the control feathers are black, as are the face and reins. The plumage also shows a yellow shoulder stripe and partially white arm wings . The females are generally less contrasting and pale in color. Young birds are also only colored pale yellow to olive brown and lack the black drawing elements on their head and chest. The iris is dark brown in both sexes. Legs and feet are gray-blue. The slightly curved bill is black, the base of the lower mandible gray.
Vocalizations
The singing of the male drop trupial is a variable series of whistling tones that are repeated several times. The female's song is simpler. Loud "nyeh" tones are used as a warning call.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the drop trupial extends along the southwest coast of Central America . The first successful brood from Florida was reported in the late 1940s . The first specimens there are likely to be traced back to escaped cage birds . The species prefers to live in thorny forest and shrubbery landscapes at altitudes of up to 1500 meters, sometimes also in coffee plantations and on the edge of villages.
In addition to the in Oaxaca and Chiapas occurring nominate jaundice pectoralis pectoralis three more subspecies known:
- Icterus pectoralis carolynae Dickermann , 1981 - South Mexico
- Icterus pectoralis espinachi Ridgway , 1882 - Southwest Nicaragua and Costa Rica
- Icterus pectoralis guttulatus Lafresnaye , 1844 - Guatemala , Honduras, and northwest Nicaragua
Way of life
The birds live in pairs or in small groups, sometimes together with other Trupial species. They feed on insects and other arthropods, as well as fruits and nectar.
The nest is made from April at the top of twigs in the form of a hanging bag made of plant fibers and elastic thin twigs. It is primarily woven by the female. The dimensions are 25 to 60 centimeters in length and 15 centimeters in width at the base. It is planted at a height between 6 and 15 meters, preferably in thorny trees, for example acacias (Acacieae). The clutch usually consists of three eggs. These are whitish blue in color and have a few small purple or black spots. A second brood occurs only occasionally. Both parents feed the nestlings. The red- eyed cowbird ( Molothrus aeneus ) and the giant cowbird ( Molothrus oryzivorus ) sometimes appear as breeding parasites . Further details on breeding behavior have yet to be researched.
Hazard and protection
The droplet trupial is not uncommon in its areas of distribution and is therefore classified by the IUCN as a 
“ least concern ”. In general, it is less common than other Trupial species in the same habitat, but less sensitive to human-made changes in the habitat.
swell
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, David A. Christie: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-78-1 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ R. Fraga: Spot-breasted Oriole (Icterus pectoralis). In: Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal, David A. Christie, Eduardo de Juana (eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016 (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/62257 on April 15, 2016).
- ^ Animal Diversity Web
- ^ IOC World Bird List
- ^ IUCN Red List
Web links
- VIREO photos