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Difference between revisions of "Unicolored Blackbird" - BirdForum Opus

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;[[: Category:Agelaius|Agelaius]] cyanopus
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[[Image:Unicolored_Blackbirdb.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male, nominate subspecies<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|birdclub|birdclub}}<br />Pantanal, [[Brazil]], 15 September 2007]]
[[Image:Unicolored_Blackbird.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Fritz73<br />Photo taken: Ibera, Corrientes, Argentina.]]
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;[[: Category:Agelasticus|Agelasticus]] cyanopus
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
 +
Length 18–21 cm (17-8¼ in)<br />
 +
A typical icterid blackbird, with an appropriate name, at least for the '''male''', which is totally black.<br />
 +
The '''female''', however, is anything but unicolored, with a yellow streaked breast, rufous-olive back, and brown head.  Her  wings and tail are the only black parts.
 +
====Variations====
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[[Image:Unicolored Blackbird female CeibasSJ.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female, nominate subspecies<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Entre Ríos Province, [[Argentina]], 2 October 2019]]
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Although males are all black, females vary dramatically depending on the subspecies.  Some have bright yellow underparts (nominate race ''A. c. cyanopus''); some are blackish, with an olive-yellow wash (''A. c. unicolor''); and some are simply olive-yellow (''A. c. atroolivaceus'').
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
[[Argentina]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], and [[Paraguay]].  
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[[South America]]: found in [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Paraguay]] and [[Argentina]]
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==Taxonomy==
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Formerly placed in ''[[:Category:Chrysomus|Chrysomus]]''.  Lopes (2017)<sup>[[#References|[5]]]</sup> recommended recognizing two species, ''A. cyanopus'' and'' A. atroolivaceus'' (including ''unicolor'' as a subspecies). 
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====Subspecies====
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[[Image:Unicolored Blackbird female Ceibas.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile male<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Entre Ríos Province, [[Argentina]], 2 October 2019]]
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Three subspecies currently recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]][[#References|[5]]]</sup>:
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*''A. c. unicolor'':
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:*Northeastern [[Brazil]] (Amapá to Pará and northwestern Maranhão) south through central Brazil to northwestern Paraná and western São Paulo; intergrades with ''atroolivaceus'' in southern São Paulo
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*''A. c. atroolivaceus'':
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:*Eastern [[Brazil]], from Minas Gerais and southwestern Bahia south to coastal southeastern Brazil (Espírito Santo to São Paulo); intergrades with unicolor in southern São Paulo
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*''A. c. cyanopus'':
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:*Eastern [[Bolivia]] and southwestern Brazil (western Mato Grosso and Moto Grosso do Sul) to [[Paraguay]] and northern [[Argentina]]
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Former subspecies ''A. c. xenicus'' is a junior synonym of ''A. c. unicolor.'' <br />
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Former subspecies ''A. c. beniensis'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''A. c. cyanopus''.<br />
 +
Ranges of ''A. c. unicolor'' and ''A. c. atroolivaceus'' expanded.
  
==Taxonomy==
 
There is no agreement at all on which genus this bird belongs to: in addition to ''Agelaius'', it has been placed in ''Chrysomus'' and latest ''Agelasticus''.
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 
Swamps.
 
Swamps.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
 +
====Diet====
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Their diet consists mostly of insects, small vertebrates and seeds. Possibly also nectar.
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#[https://avibase.ca/B5792FEE Avibase]
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#Fraga, R. (2020). Unicolored Blackbird (''Agelasticus cyanopus''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/62313 on 17 February 2020)
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#[https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3513691&highlight=unicolored+Blackbird#post3513691 Birdforum post] related to subspecies taxonomy of this species.
 +
#Lopes, L. E.  (2017)  Variation of plumage patterns, geographic distribution and taxonomy of the Unicolored Blackbird (Aves: Icteridae).  [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312543438_Variation_of_plumage_patterns_geographic_distribution_and_taxonomy_of_the_Unicolored_Blackbird_Aves_Icteridae Zootaxa 4221: 431–456]
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{{ref}}
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==External Links==
 
==External Links==
{{GSearch|Agelaius+cyanopus}}
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{{GSearch|Agelasticus+cyanopus}}
 
 
  
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Agelaius]] [[category:incomplete]]
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Agelasticus]]

Latest revision as of 18:50, 20 February 2020

Male, nominate subspecies
Photo © by birdclub
Pantanal, Brazil, 15 September 2007
Agelasticus cyanopus

Identification

Length 18–21 cm (17-8¼ in)
A typical icterid blackbird, with an appropriate name, at least for the male, which is totally black.
The female, however, is anything but unicolored, with a yellow streaked breast, rufous-olive back, and brown head. Her wings and tail are the only black parts.

Variations

Female, nominate subspecies
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, 2 October 2019

Although males are all black, females vary dramatically depending on the subspecies. Some have bright yellow underparts (nominate race A. c. cyanopus); some are blackish, with an olive-yellow wash (A. c. unicolor); and some are simply olive-yellow (A. c. atroolivaceus).

Distribution

South America: found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina

Taxonomy

Formerly placed in Chrysomus. Lopes (2017)[5] recommended recognizing two species, A. cyanopus and A. atroolivaceus (including unicolor as a subspecies).

Subspecies

Juvenile male
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, 2 October 2019

Three subspecies currently recognized[1][5]:

  • A. c. unicolor:
  • Northeastern Brazil (Amapá to Pará and northwestern Maranhão) south through central Brazil to northwestern Paraná and western São Paulo; intergrades with atroolivaceus in southern São Paulo
  • A. c. atroolivaceus:
  • Eastern Brazil, from Minas Gerais and southwestern Bahia south to coastal southeastern Brazil (Espírito Santo to São Paulo); intergrades with unicolor in southern São Paulo
  • A. c. cyanopus:

Former subspecies A. c. xenicus is a junior synonym of A. c. unicolor.
Former subspecies A. c. beniensis is now considered a junior synonym of A. c. cyanopus.
Ranges of A. c. unicolor and A. c. atroolivaceus expanded.

Habitat

Swamps.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of insects, small vertebrates and seeds. Possibly also nectar.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Fraga, R. (2020). Unicolored Blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/62313 on 17 February 2020)
  4. Birdforum post related to subspecies taxonomy of this species.
  5. Lopes, L. E. (2017) Variation of plumage patterns, geographic distribution and taxonomy of the Unicolored Blackbird (Aves: Icteridae). Zootaxa 4221: 431–456

Recommended Citation

External Links

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