Dives dives
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The melodious blackbird (Dives dives) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, the oropendolas, New World orioles, and New World blackbirds. It is found from Mexico to Costa Rica. The melodious blackbird was formally described in 1830 with the binomial Icterus dives. It now shares the genus Dives with the scrub blackbird (D. warczewiczi). The two form a superspecies and some early twentieth century authors treated them as conspecific.
The melodious blackbird is monotypic. Male melodious blackbirds average 25.5 cm (10 in) long and weigh 98.3 to 102 g (3.5 to 3.6 oz). Females average 23 cm (9.1 in) long and weigh 83.4 to 95.9 g (2.9 to 3.4 oz). The species has a long tail and disproportionately large legs and feet. The sexes have the same plumage: Adults are entirely black with blue and purple iridescence. They have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet. Juveniles are a duller, non-glossy, brownish black.
The melodious blackbird is found from southern Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico south on the Gulf of Mexico slope almost to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and from there on both the... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 5 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Melodious Blackbird sighting in San Salvador on a given day, based on 2,586 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 153 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to August
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Melodious Blackbird in San Salvador on a given day, against about 60% in January, the lowest month. Those are among San Salvador's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against almost none in January.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Melodious Blackbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Melodious Blackbird sightings, San Salvador has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Guatemala City (Guatemala, about 60%) and Tegucigalpa (Honduras, about 60%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Melodious Blackbird that you can see in San Salvador (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Great-tailed Grackle (about 60%), Streak-backed Oriole (about 30%) and Altamira Oriole (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Melodious Blackbird is recorded against all the birds logged in San Salvador (2,586 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.
