Bird Guide

Giant Cowbird vs Yellow-billed Cacique

Giant Cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus)

Giant Cowbird

Molothrus oryzivorus

Medium182 gForest

The male giant cowbird is 34 cm (13 in) long, weighs 174–242 g (6.1–8.5 oz) and is iridescent black, with a long tail, long bill, small head, and a neck ruff which is expanded in display. The female is smaller, averaging 29 cm (11 in) in length and weighing 144–167 g (5.1–5.9 oz). The female is less iridescent than the male, and the absence of the neck ruff makes her look less small-headed. Juvenile males are similar to the adult male, but browner, and with a pale, not black, bill.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Giant Cowbird
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Pichincha: Tandayapa ridge 3 km SSW Tandayapa, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Yellow-billed Cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus)

Yellow-billed Cacique

Amblycercus holosericeus

Medium70 gForest

Yellow-billed cacique males are about 21.5 cm (8.5 in) and females about 20.5 cm (8.1 in) long. Males of subspecies A. h. holosericeus and A. h. flavirostris weigh an average of 69 g (2.4 oz) and females 53 g (1.9 oz). Males of subspecies A. h. australis weigh an average of 50 g (1.8 oz) and females 47 g (1.7 oz). Adult males of all three subspecies are entirely black and females are a slightly slaty black. Both sexes have a pale yellow iris and gray legs and feet. Juveniles are duller than adults and have a dark iris. All subspecies have a long bill whose tip is chisel-shaped. Voice: Pairs of yellow-billed caciques duet. Males sing "a loud Teeer-purr'weeuur!-Teeer-purr'weeuur-Teeer-purr'weeuur-Teeer-purr'weeuur..." and females reply with a "long down-slurred whistle, followed by a harsh nasal chatter". Their call is "a husky, burry scolding". In the western lowlands of Ecuador males sing "a series of loud ringing whistled notes, e.g. pee!-pee!-peeo-peeo-peeo...".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Yellow-billed Cacique
Recorded by Alfonso Auerbach · Call · Carretera hacia laguna El Pedregal, Honduras · CC0
Photo: Sebastián de Jesús Herrera Buenfil · 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: Giant Cowbird and Yellow-billed Cacique.