Anumara forbesi
Forbes's Blackbird (*Anumara forbesi*) is a strikingly elegant, medium-sized passerine, a jewel among the New World blackbirds (family Icteridae), though often overlooked due to its restricted range and threatened status. Averaging 21-24 cm (8.3-9.4 inches) in length and weighing approximately 50-60 grams (1.8-2.1 oz), both sexes display a glossy, iridescent black plumage that shimmers with subtle purplish-blue hues under direct light, rendering them sexually monomorphic. Key field marks incl...
This species primarily inhabits open grasslands, moist pastures, and marshy areas, often adjacent to water bodies within the Cerrado biome of Brazil, typically found at elevations up to 1,000 meters.
Forbes's Blackbird primarily consumes insects and other invertebrates, such as beetles, crickets, and larvae, supplemented with some seeds and grains foraged from the ground in open grassy areas.
Forbes's Blackbirds are primarily diurnal, often foraging on the ground in small, loose flocks or pairs, particularly during the non-breeding season, and roosting communally in reeds or dense vegetation. Their foraging strategy involves walking deliberately through short grass, probing the soil w...
Forbes's Blackbird is strictly endemic to the central-eastern regions of Brazil, occupying a historically wider but now highly fragmented distribution. Its current breeding range is primarily concentrated in specific areas of the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás, Distrito Federal, and São Paulo. Key...
Vulnerable
- Forbes's Blackbird is named after William Alexander Forbes, a notable British zoologist and collector from the late 19th century. - It is the only species in its genus, *Anumara*, distinguishing it taxonomically from all other New World blackbirds. - This species is an emblem of the highly thre...