Russet-backed Oropendola

Russet-backed Oropendola

Psarocolius angustifrons

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Amacayacu National Natural Park

In 3 days >90%

724 Verified sightings at Amacayacu National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
9,518 In all 11 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Russet-backed Oropendola

The russet-backed oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, the oropendolas, New World orioles, and New World blackbirds. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It is a "noisy and social bird that forages, nests, and roosts in groups".

The russet-backed oropendola was formally described in 1824 with the binomial Cassicus angustifrons. Authors placed it variously in genera Xanthornus or Ostinops before it was assigned to its present Psarocolius. The russet-backed oropendola's further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC, the Clements taxonomy, AviList, and the independent South American Classification Committee assign it these seven subspecies:

However, in 2016 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) split P. oleagineus as the species "green-billed oropendola" and as of late 2025 retains it separately. Clements makes a distinction... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:45

Ecuador · 2025

© Marco Andrés Urvina Alejandro · XC1077529 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:22

Ecuador · 2022

© Manuel Sanchez-Nivicela · XC990403 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call0:05

Colombia · 2020

© Mauricio Cuellar Ramirez (@Birding.travel) · XC582798 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~70%
2 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~60%
3 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~60%
4 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~60%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~40%
6 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~30%
7 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
8 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~30%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
10 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
11 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cali 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
2 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Russet-backed Oropendola in Amacayacu National Natural Park?

Very likely

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Russet-backed Oropendola sighting in Amacayacu National Natural Park on a given day, based on 724 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 436 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Russet-backed Oropendola in Amacayacu National Natural Park?

January

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Russet-backed Oropendola in Amacayacu National Natural Park on a given day, against about 50% in May, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Russet-backed Oropendola?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Russet-backed Oropendola sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Amacayacu National Natural Park the best place to see a Russet-backed Oropendola?

Yes

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Russet-backed Oropendola sightings, Amacayacu National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador, about 60%) and Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Russet-backed Oropendola live in Amacayacu National Natural Park?

Same genus: Psarocolius

The closest relatives of the Russet-backed Oropendola that you can see in Amacayacu National Natural Park (genus Psarocolius, Oropendolas) are Casqued Cacique (about 10%) and Crested Oropendola (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Russet-backed Oropendola sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Russet-backed Oropendola is recorded against all the birds logged in Amacayacu National Natural Park (724 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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