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The chestnut-headed oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri) is a New World tropical icterid bird. The scientific name of the species commemorates Johann Georg Wagler, who established Psarocolius, the oropendola genus.
The male is 35 cm (14 in) long and weighs 225 g (7.9 oz); the smaller female is 28 cm (11 in) long and weighs 125 g (4.4 oz). The wings are very long. Adult males are mainly black with a chestnut head and rump and a tail which is bright yellow apart from two dark central feathers. The iris is blue and the long bill is whitish. Females are similar, but smaller and duller than males. Young birds are duller than adults and have brown eyes. The populations south of an area around the border of Honduras and Nicaragua are sometimes separated as a subspecies P. w. ridgwayi, but the separation of this form has been questioned.
The distinctive songs of the male include a gurgle followed by a crash guu-guu-PHRRRRTTT. Both sexes have loud chek and chuk calls.
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It is a resident breeder in the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southern Mexico to central Costa Rica, both slopes of southern Costa Rica and Panama, and the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and north-eastern Ecuador. Though it usually stays below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) ASL, it has also been recorded as much as 1,300 m (4,300 ft) ASL, for example in the Serranía de las Quinchas of Colombia. It may in be more common at such high altitudes at particular times or in particular places, but its altitudinal movements are insufficiently understood. The species is common across its large range and is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
The chestnut-headed oropendola inhabits forest canopy, edges and old plantations. It is a quite common bird in parts of its range, seen in small flocks foraging in trees for large insects, fruit and berries.
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The Chestnut-headed Oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri) is a striking Central and South American Icteridae bird known for its bright blue iris, pale yellow bill with a frontal shield, and bright yellow tail. It is famous for building long, hanging woven nests in colonies at the edges of humid forests.
Distinctive Characteristics and Behavior
Physical Traits: Males are larger (about 35 cm long) than females (28 cm long), but both boast a rich brown/chestnut head and a bold yellow tail, excluding two dark central feathers.
Vocalizations: They are extremely noisy and social, performing elaborate singing routines that involve unique liquid gurgles, harsh squawks, and sharp clicks. Males also perform physical displays involving bowing and tail-fanning.
Nesting: Females weave large, pendulous nests that hang several feet below tree branches. Often, these colonies are built near active wasp nests to protect their young against predators.
