Agelasticus cyanopus
The Unicolored Blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus) is a small, glossy Icterid endemic to South America, often overlooked due to its discreet appearance. Males are entirely black with a subtle blue-black sheen, especially noticeable in good light, and sometimes have a greenish or purplish iridescence, measuring approximately 15-18 cm in length and weighing 25-35 grams. Females exhibit more sexual dimorphism than many blackbird species, typically being duller brown or olive-brown, often streaked o...
Primarily inhabits freshwater marshes, swamps, reedy lake edges, rice fields, and wet grasslands, typically at low elevations up to 1000 meters.
Feeds primarily on insects and other small invertebrates gleaned from vegetation and the ground, supplemented with seeds and grains.
This diurnal species is generally inconspicuous, spending much of its time foraging within dense marsh vegetation or on the ground at water's edge. Outside the breeding season, Unicolored Blackbirds are gregarious, forming small to medium-sized flocks, often associating with other Icterids like t...
The Unicolored Blackbird is widely distributed across central South America, primarily inhabiting southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, and parts of Uruguay. Its breeding range largely overlaps with its year-round residency, as it is not a long-distance migrant, undertak...
Least Concern
- The Unicolored Blackbird's scientific name, *cyanopus*, translates to 'blue-footed', though their feet are typically dark and not noticeably blue, perhaps referencing the blue-black sheen of the male's plumage. - Females of some subspecies, particularly *A. c. atroolivaceus*, are strikingly dif...