Cacicus solitarius
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The solitary cacique or solitary black cacique (Cacicus solitarius) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. It is a fairly common bird with a very extensive range so the IUCN has rated it as a "species of least concern".
The male solitary cacique has a length of about 27 cm (10.6 in) and the female 23 cm (9.1 in). It differs from all other entirely black birds with dark irises within its range, by having a large white, chisel-shaped, sharply-pointed beak. It could be confused with the Ecuadorian cacique (Cacicus sclateri), but that is smaller and has a restricted range, or the yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus), but that is not found east of the Andes. It has a range of different vocalizations which are mostly delivered at a measured pace but are sometimes interrupted by gurgles and growls.
The solitary cacique has a very wide distribution in Amazonia. Its range extends southwards... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 7 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 8 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 9 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 10 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maceió | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Recife | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Solitary Black Cacique sighting in Buenos Aires on a given day, based on 1,426 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 96th most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Solitary Black Cacique in Buenos Aires on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Solitary Black Cacique sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Solitary Black Cacique sightings, Buenos Aires ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Maceió (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Solitary Black Cacique that you can see in Buenos Aires (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Grayish Baywing (about 70%), Shiny Cowbird (about 50%) and Epaulet Oriole (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Solitary Black Cacique is recorded against all the birds logged in Buenos Aires (1,426 verified sightings), 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.
