Tawny-shouldered blackbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tawny-shouldered blackbird |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Agelaius
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Species: |
humeralis
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Subspecies | |
Agelaius humeralis humeralis |
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Range of A. humeralis (note: map is missing distribution in the Dominican Republic) |
The tawny-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius humeralis) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Cuba and Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It is a vagrant in the United States (to the Florida Keys).
Contents
Description
Measuring 20 cm (7.9 in) long, this highly social species is entirely black, save for the namesake brown-orange patch at the shoulder. The patch may not be visible when the wings are folded.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are described:
- A. h. humeralis – (Vigors, 1827): nominate, found in Cuba and Hispaniola
- A. h. scopulus – Garrido, 1970: found on Cayo Cantiles (east of Isla de la Juventud off southwestern Cuba)
Breeding
They breed from April to August, laying 3–4 greenish-white eggs spotted with brown in a cup-shaped nest that is lined with soft materials and placed in a tree.
Diet and habitat
Tawny-shouldered blackbirds eat insects, seeds, nectar, fruit, and small lizards. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest.
See also
In Spanish: Mayito para niños