Bird Guide

Chestnut-headed Oropendola vs Green 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

Sonogram of the Chestnut-headed Oropendola
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, calls · Esmeraldas: 11 km WSW Same, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: yongestation · CC BY 4.0
Green Oropendola (Psarocolius viridis)

Green Oropendola

Psarocolius viridis

Medium287 gForest

Male green oropendolas average 48.5 cm (19 in) long and females 37 cm (15 in). Males average 405 g (14 oz) and females 215 g (7.6 oz). Adult males have long feathers on their nape that form a crest. Females lack the crest but are otherwise like males. Adults are mostly yellowish olive. They are pink to dull orange on the lores and around their eye. Their wings are dusky olive and their rump, uppertail coverts, belly, thighs, and crissum are chestnut. Their central pair of tail feathers are dusky olive and the rest yellow with dusky olive outer edges on the outermost pair. Voice: The male green oropendola's song is "variable and complex". They "commonly start with a descending whistle (barely audible at distance) and/or rattling sounds". A lyrical description calls it "a rapid, squealing, and liquid Qu-Q-Q-q-q-q-qD'D'D'CLOCK, agoogoo, 1st part like a giant spring stretching, then dull sticks knocking, last par a mellow hooting".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Green Oropendola
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Orellana: 'Maxus' road km 37 (27 km SSE Pompeya), Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Conrado Pável de Oliveira · CC BY 4.0

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 Green Oropendola.