ICTERID

The 'Icterids' are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most species have black as a predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" (from the prominent yellow feathers of many species) comes from the Ancient Greek ''ikteros'', through the Latin ''ictericus''.
This group includes such popular forms as the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the Bobolink, meadowlarks, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas and caciques.
Despite the similar names, the first groups are not related to the Old World Blackbird (a thrush, Turdidae), or the Old World orioles (Oriolidae).

Contents

Systematics

References

External links

Systematics

'FAMILY ICTERIDAE'

★ 'Genus ''Dolichonyx''' - Bobolink

★ 'Genus ''Agelaius''' - Typical American blackbirds (11 species)

★ 'Genus ''Nesopsar'''

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★ Jamaican Blackbird, ''Nesopsar nigerrimus''

★ 'Genus ''Sturnella''' - meadowlarks (7 species)

★ 'Genus ''Xanthocephalus''' - Yellow-headed Blackbird

★ 'Genus ''Dives'''

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★ Cuban Blackbird, ''Dives atroviolacea''

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★ Melodious Blackbird, ''Dives dives''

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★ Scrub Blackbird, ''Dives warszewiczi''

★ 'Genus ''Euphagus''' (2 species)

★ 'Genus ''Quiscalus''' - true grackles (5 living species, 1 recently extinct)

★ 'Genus ''Agelaioides''' (formerly in ''Molothrus'')

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★ Bay-winged Cowbird, ''Agelaioides badius''

★ 'Genus ''Molothrus''' - true cowbirds (5 species includes ''Scaphidura'')

★ 'Genus ''Icterus''' - New World orioles (25-30 species)

★ 'Genus ''Amblycercus'''

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★ Yellow-billed Cacique, ''Amblycercus holosericeus''

★ 'Genus ''Ocyalus''' - the Casqued Oropendola probably also belongs here

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★ Band-tailed Oropendola, ''Ocyalus latirostris''

★ 'Genus ''Cacicus''' - true caciques (10 species)

★ 'Genus ''Psarocolius''' - true oropendolas (about 10 species, includes ''Gymnostinops'')

★ 'Genus ''Gymnomystax'''

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★ Oriole Blackbird, ''Gymnomystax mexicanus''

★ 'Genus ''Pseudoleistes''' - marshbirds

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★ Yellow-rumped Marshbird, ''Pseudoleistes guirahuro''

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★ Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, ''Pseudoleistes virescens''

★ 'Genus ''Amblyramphus''' - Scarlet-headed Blackbird

★ 'Genus ''Hypopyrrhus'''

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★ Red-bellied Grackle, ''Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster''

★ 'Genus ''Curaeus'''

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★ Austral Blackbird, ''Curaeus curaeus''

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★ Forbes' Blackbird, ''Curaeus forbesi''

★ 'Genus ''Gnorimopsar'''

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★ Chopi Blackbird, ''Gnorimopsar chopi''

★ 'Genus ''Oreopsar'''

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★ Bolivian Blackbird, ''Oreopsar bolivianus''

★ 'Genus ''Lampropsar'''

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★ Velvet-fronted Grackle, ''Lampropsar tanagrinus''

★ 'Genus ''Macroagelaius'''

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★ Golden-tufted Grackle, ''Macroagelaius imthurni''

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★ Mountain Grackle, ''Macroagelaius subalaris''
Prehistoric icterid genera that have been described from fossil remains are ''Pandanaris'' from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea and ''Pyelorhamphus'' from Shelter Cave.

References

★ 'Jaramillo', Alvaro & 'Burke', Peter (1999): ''New World Blackbirds''. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-4333-1

★ 'Price', J. Jordan & 'Lanyon', Scott M. (2002): A robust phylogeny of the oropendolas: Polyphyly revealed by mitochondrial sequence data. ''Auk'' '119'(2): 335–348. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[0335:ARPOTO]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext

External links

★ Icterid videos on the Internet Bird Collection

★ Icteridae at the Tree of Life Web Project