Amblycercus holosericeus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Mexico, every Central American country, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The yellow-billed cacique was formally described in 1830 with the binomial Sturnus holosericieus. In 1851 Jean Cabanis erected the genus Amblycercus with it as the type species. For part of the twentieth century it was assigned to genus Cacicus but by the end of the century had been firmly placed back in Amblycercus. It is basal to the oropendolas and caciques but is not closely related to any of them.
The yellow-billed cacique is the only member of its genus and has these three subspecies: Amblycercus holosericeus holosericeus (Deppe, 1830) Amblycercus holosericeus flavirostris Chapman, 1915 Amblycercus holosericeus australis Chapman, 1919
Some authors have suggested that A. h. australis might warrant full species status. The Clements taxonomy draws some distinction within the species, calling A. h. australis the "yellow-billed cacique (Chapman's)" and grouping the other two subspecies as the "yellow-billed cacique (Prevost's)".
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| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Cacique sighting in Guatemala City on a given day, based on 143 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 105th most-seen of the 220 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Cacique in Guatemala City on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Guatemala City's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 5 mm in January.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-billed 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 5 cities where we can rate Yellow-billed Cacique sightings, Guatemala City ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in San Pedro Sula (Honduras, under 5%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-billed Cacique that you can see in Guatemala City (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Great-tailed Grackle (about 90%), Melodious Blackbird (about 60%) and Baltimore Oriole (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-billed Cacique is recorded against all the birds logged in Guatemala City (143 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.
