Bird Guide

Chestnut-headed Oropendola vs Crested Oropendola

Chestnut-headed Oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri)

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Psarocolius wagleri

Medium156 gForest

Chestnut-headed oropendola males average 35 cm (14 in) long and females 28 cm (11 in). Males weigh an average of 214 g (7.5 oz) and females 113 g (4.0 oz). The species looks very long-winged in flight. Males have a slight crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a dark purplish chestnut head, throat, and upper breast. Their body and wings are mostly black with a bluish gloss. Their rump and uppertail coverts are dark chestnut and their rear flanks and undertail coverts a medium chestnut.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hans Norelius from Älvsjö, Sweden · CC BY 2.0
Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus)

Crested Oropendola

Psarocolius decumanus

Medium206 gForest

Male crested oropendolas of the nominate subspecies P. d. decumanus average 47 cm (19 in) long and females 37 cm (15 in). Males weigh about 285 g (10 oz) and females about 160 g (5.6 oz). Adult males have long feathers on their nape that form a crest. They are mostly a slightly glossy black with a chesnut rump, uppertail coverts, and undertail coverts. Their central pair of tail feathers are black and the rest yellow. Adult females are overall duller than males; they are brownish tinged rather than pure black and have a minimal crest. Voice: The male crested oropendola's display song "usually starts with low-pitched liquid notes, accelerates into variable and complex rattling crescendo, and ends with 2–3 seconds of rhythmic wing-flaps". One description calls it "very complex, including very high, rapid, staccato flutes and liquid curls".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · CC0
Photo: The Lilac Breasted Roller from Sullivan's Island, United States · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Chestnut-headed Oropendola and Crested Oropendola.