Macroagelaius imthurni
The Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle (Macroagelaius imthurni) is a striking, medium-sized passerine, a jewel of the high-altitude neotropics. Adults typically measure 28-32 cm (11-12.5 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 45-50 cm (17.5-19.5 inches) and a weight ranging from 120-150 grams (4.2-5.3 ounces). Its plumage is a deep, iridescent black, often appearing glossy blue-black or purple-black in direct sunlight, contrasting sharply with its most distinctive feature: brilliant, golden-yellow...
This species primarily inhabits high-altitude temperate and subalpine forests, preferring areas with dense canopy, rocky outcrops, and access to humid cloud forest ecosystems, typically between 2,500 and 4,000 meters (8,200 to 13,100 feet) above sea level.
Their diet is highly varied, consisting mainly of large insects and their larvae, spiders, various wild fruits, berries, and seeds, occasionally supplemented with small amphibians or eggs taken from other birds' nests.
Golden-tufted Mountain Grackles are diurnal, often observed foraging actively in the morning and late afternoon, and roost communally in dense stands of conifers or high rock crevices, especially outside the breeding season. Their foraging strategy is largely omnivorous, involving gleaning insect...
The Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle is endemic to the high-altitude montane regions of the northern and central Andes, with its primary breeding and year-round range spanning from the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida through the Colombian Andes and into the Ecuadorian and northern Peruvian highland...
Near Threatened
- The golden tufts of the Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle are not true feathers, but specialized keratinous structures that reflect light in a metallic sheen. - They possess an unusually complex syrinx, allowing them to mimic calls of up to five different raptor species, a behavior believed to det...