Psarocolius montezuma
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southeastern Mexico to central Panama, but is absent from El Salvador and southern Guatemala. It also occurs on the Pacific slope of Nicaragua and Honduras and northwestern and southwestern Costa Rica. It is among the oropendola species sometimes separated in the genus Gymnostinops. The English and scientific names of this species commemorate the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II.
Adult males are mainly chestnut with a blackish head and rump, and a tail which is bright yellow apart from two dark central feathers. There is a bare blue cheek patch and a pink wattle, the iris is brown, and the long bill is black at the base with a red tip. Females are similar, but smaller than males with a smaller wattle. Young birds are duller than adults and have a paler and less demarcated bill. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The sexes are very different in size; the male is 50 cm (20 in) long and weighs 520 g (18 oz); the smaller female is 38 cm (15 in) long and weighs 230 g (8.1 oz). In total body mass, the males are 100% bigger... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Montezuma Oropendola sighting in Managua on a given day, based on 67 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 54th most-seen of the 132 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 to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Montezuma Oropendola in Managua on a given day, against under 5% in December to August, the lowest months. Those are among Managua's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain a month against almost none in January.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Montezuma 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Montezuma Oropendola sightings, Managua ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in San José (Costa Rica, about 20%) and San Pedro Sula (Honduras, about 20%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Montezuma Oropendola that you can see in Managua (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Great-tailed Grackle (about 80%), Melodious Blackbird (about 60%) and Streak-backed Oriole (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Montezuma Oropendola is recorded against all the birds logged in Managua (67 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.
