Psarocolius angustifrons
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 7 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 9 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 11 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Russet-backed Oropendola sighting in Medellín on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 191st most-seen of the 244 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Russet-backed Oropendola in Medellín on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Russet-backed Oropendola sightings, Medellín ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cali (Colombia, under 5%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Russet-backed Oropendola that you can see in Medellín (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Shiny Cowbird (about 10%), Carib Grackle (about 10%) and Great-tailed Grackle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Russet-backed Oropendola is recorded against all the birds logged in Medellín (12 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.
