Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Psarocolius wagleri

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Chirripó National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

176 Verified sightings at Chirripó National Park From 2019 to 2026
10,010 In all 26 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Chestnut-headed Oropendola

The chestnut-headed oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, the oropendolas, New World orioles, and New World blackbirds. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, and in Colombia and Ecuador.

The chestnut-headed oropendola was formally described in 1844 with an illustration and the binomial Cacicus Wagleri [sic]. Its specific epithet commemorates Johann Georg Wagler, who had erected genus Psarocolius in 1827. It eventually was reassigned to Psarocolius but for a time was placed in its own genus Zarhynchus.

Chestnut-headed oropendola males average 35 cm (14 in) long and females 28 cm (11 in). Males weigh an average of 214 g (7.5 oz) and females 113 g (4.0 oz). The species looks very long-winged in flight. Males have a slight crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a dark purplish chestnut head, throat, and upper breast. Their body and wings are mostly black with a bluish gloss. Their rump and uppertail coverts are dark... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:12

Guatemala · 2024

© Peter Boesman · XC880253 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Recording0:31

Costa Rica · 2024

© Alain Verneau · XC863333 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:17

Panama · 2022

© Kent Livezey · XC733072 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
2 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
3 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
4 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
5 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
6 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
8 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
10 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
11 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
12 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
15 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
17 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
18 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
20 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
21 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
22 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
23 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
24 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Pedro Sula 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
2 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
3 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Chestnut-headed Oropendola in Chirripó National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-headed Oropendola sighting in Chirripó National Park on a given day, based on 176 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 100th most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Chestnut-headed Oropendola in Chirripó National Park?

February

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-headed Oropendola in Chirripó National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month. That is one of Chirripó National Park's driest months, with about 75 mm of rain against 690 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see a Chestnut-headed Oropendola?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chestnut-headed 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 Chirripó National Park the best place to see a Chestnut-headed Oropendola?

15th of 26

Of the 26 parks where we can rate Chestnut-headed Oropendola sightings, Chirripó National Park ranks 15th at about 10%. The best odds are in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 30%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 30%) and Utría National Natural Park (Colombia, about 30%).

Where does the Chestnut-headed Oropendola sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Chestnut-headed Oropendola is recorded against all the birds logged in Chirripó National Park (176 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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