Dives warczewiczi
The Scrub Blackbird (Dives warczewiczi) is a striking member of the Icteridae family, endemic to the dry scrublands of western South America. This medium-sized passerine measures approximately 20-23 cm (7.9-9.1 in) in length and weighs around 45-60 grams, characterized by its entirely glossy black plumage that shimmers with an iridescent purplish-blue sheen under direct sunlight. Distinctive field marks include its relatively stout, pointed black bill and dark eyes which, against the dark hea...
Found primarily in arid and semi-arid scrublands, dry deciduous forests, cultivated areas, and open woodlands, typically at elevations from sea level up to 1,500 meters (occasionally higher).
Their diet is predominantly insectivorous, including beetles, ants, and larvae, supplemented with seeds, small fruits, and nectar, often foraging by ground gleaning and probing.
Scrub Blackbirds are often observed foraging on the ground, employing a characteristic 'gaping' technique where they insert their bill into soft substrate or crevices and open it to expose hidden insects. They are generally social outside the breeding season, forming small to medium-sized flocks ...
The Scrub Blackbird is endemic to the Pacific slope of western South America, with its primary range extending from southwestern Ecuador south through much of coastal and western Peru. Its distribution is generally contiguous within these dry regions, occupying elevations from sea level up to app...
Least Concern
- The Scrub Blackbird's glossy black plumage contains structural colors that create its iridescent purplish-blue sheen, not pigments. - Despite its 'blackbird' moniker, it is not closely related to the European Blackbird (*Turdus merula*), which belongs to the thrush family. - Its scientific name...