Icterus melanopsis
The Cuban Oriole, *Icterus melanopsis*, is a medium-sized and strikingly elegant passerine, typically measuring 20-22 cm (approximately 8-8.5 inches) in length and weighing around 30-35 grams. It sports entirely glossy black plumage across its entire body, including its bill and legs, giving it a sleek and sophisticated appearance. The most diagnostic and captivating feature, however, is its contrasting pale, often whitish or yellowish-white, iris, which creates a piercing gaze against its da...
Primarily found in a variety of wooded habitats, including lowland forests, woodlands, coffee and citrus plantations, and often in parks and gardens near human habitation, typically below 500 meters elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a wide variety of arthropods, supplemented significantly by fruits, berries, and nectar from various flowering plants, often observed probing flowers with its pointed bill.
The Cuban Oriole is a diurnal and generally arboreal species, often observed singly or in pairs, though small family groups may form outside the breeding season. Foraging usually occurs in the mid to upper canopy, where it gleans insects from foliage and probes flowers for nectar. It is known for...
The Cuban Oriole is entirely endemic to Cuba and its adjacent small islands, making it a resident species found year-round across the entire main island. Its distribution is quite widespread across the Cuban archipelago, from the western provinces of Pinar del Río to the eastern tip of Guantánamo...
Least Concern
- The Cuban Oriole (*Icterus melanopsis*) is a truly endemic species, found nowhere else in the world except the island of Cuba and its small adjacent cays. - Its striking pale, almost white, iris against its glossy black plumage is a key identifying feature, making it easily distinguishable from...