Strongholds

Strongholds
Male Red-shouldered Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus )
Systematics
Subclass : New-jawed birds (Neognathae) Order : Passerines (Passeriformes) Subordination : Songbirds (passeri) without rank: Passerida Superfamily : Passeroidea Family : Strongholds
Scientific name
Icteridae
Vigors , 1825

The starlings (Icteridae) are a species-rich and richly shaped family in the order of the passerine birds (Passeriformes) in 24 genera.

Starlings only occur in the New World. From North America to Central America to South America , they live in many different habitats. Most species inhabit forests and wooded areas, others live in open areas, in gardens, deserts, scrubland or near swamps.

The females are smaller than the males. One of the smallest species is the rice blackbird ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus ) with about 18 to 20 centimeters. The largest species with 42 to 45 centimeters is the male olive front bird ( Psarocolius viridis ).

The browbirds specialize in fruits as food, while most starfish prefer insects. Some species are omnivorous and do not disdain smaller vertebrates.

There are some species of starlings that, like the cuckoo, are breeding parasites, for example the cowbird.

Genera and species (selection)

Brewer's Blackbird ( Euphagus cyanocephalus )

Brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater )

• Achselstärlinge ( Macroagelaius )
  • Black armlet ( Macroagelaius subalaris )
  • African blackbird ( Macroagelaius imthurni )
• Boat tails or common grasshells ( Quiscalus )
  • Antillean crackel ( Quiscalus niger )
  • Jackdaw rackel ( Quiscalus mexicanus )
  • Purple rackel ( Quiscalus quiscula )
• Cowbird ( Molothrus )
• Larkbird ( Sturnella )
• Forehead birds ( Psarocolius )
  • Crow's forehead bird ( Psarocolius decumanus )
  • Olive forehead bird ( Psarocolius viridis )
  • Parastirnvogel ( Psarocolius bifasciatus )
• Hypopyrrhoid
• Trupiale ( icterus )
• Cacicus
  • Gelbbürzelkassike , also Gelbrücken-Forehead bird and Arendajo ( Cacicus cela )
  • Koepckekassike ( Cacicus koepckeae )
• Curaeus
• Gnorimopsar
• Gymnostinops
  • Montezuma front bird ( Gymnostinops montezuma )
• Gymnomystax
• Dives
• Dolichonyx
  • Ricebird or Bobolink ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus )
• Euphagus
  • Brewer's Blackbird ( Euphagus cyanocephalus )
• Agelaius
  • Red-shouldered blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus )
  • Three-colored blackbird ( Agelaius tricolor )
• Amblycercus
• Amblyramphus
• Xanthocephalus
  • Yellow-headed blackbird ( Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus )
• Lampropsar
• Nesopsar
• Ocyalus
• Oreopsar
• Pseudo-bar

literature

• Joseph Forshaw (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Birds . 1999, ISBN 3-8289-1557-4 .

Web links

Commons : Strengths  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files