Icterus icterus
The Venezuelan Troupial, *Icterus icterus*, is a magnificent New World oriole renowned for its striking plumage and melodious song. Measuring approximately 24-27 cm (9.4-10.6 inches) in length, it boasts a vibrant black head, neck, upper back, wings, and tail, contrasting sharply with its brilliant orange underparts, lower back, and prominent shoulder patches. A distinctive white wing patch is also a key identification mark, as is the noticeable blue skin around its eyes (orbital ring). Taxon...
This adaptable species primarily inhabits arid to semi-arid open woodlands, savannas, thorny scrublands, gallery forests, and cultivated areas, typically found at low to mid-elevations.
Their diet is omnivorous, consisting mainly of large insects like caterpillars and beetles, as well as a wide variety of fruits and nectar obtained through gleaning and probing.
Venezuelan Troupials are diurnal birds, often seen foraging actively during the day and roosting in trees, sometimes in small family groups, as dusk approaches. Their foraging strategy involves gleaning insects from foliage and bark, probing flowers for nectar, and plucking various fruits. They a...
The Venezuelan Troupial is a resident species primarily distributed across northern South America. Its core breeding and year-round range encompasses Venezuela, eastern and northern Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and extreme northern Brazil (specifically the state of Roraima). There a...
Least Concern
- The Venezuelan Troupial is the national bird of Venezuela, celebrated for its beauty and song. - Unlike most birds, Troupials do not build their own nests; instead, they typically take over and modify the nests of other bird species, such as thornbirds or oropendolas. - Its scientific name, *Ic...