Bird Guide

Golden-winged Cacique vs Solitary Cacique

Golden-winged Cacique (Cacicus chrysopterus)

Golden-winged Cacique

Cacicus chrysopterus

Small36 gForest

Male golden-winged caciques are about 21 cm (8.3 in) long and females about 19 cm (7.5 in). Males weigh about 35 to 47 g (1.2 to 1.7 oz) and females about 30 to 34 g (1.1 to 1.2 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults are almost entirely black. Their lower rump and their median and inner greater wing coverts are bright yellow. They have a pearly white to yellow iris, a pale bluish gray bill, and black legs and feet. Juveniles are duller overall than adults and have dark eyes. Voice: Male golden-winged caciques display on a perch by singing and "bowing". Their song is an "unexpected and varied, musical rrrreee-chiroo, whooo, tooweetooweetoowee-teeeeay (very high-pitched) whooweet, whooway, teeoo...". Its calls include a "mewing eyehh or thin, slightly upslurred whee".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Solitary Cacique (Cacicus solitarius)

Solitary Cacique

Cacicus solitarius

Medium80 gForest

The male solitary cacique has a length of about 27 cm (10.6 in) and the female 23 cm (9.1 in). It differs from all other entirely black birds with dark irises within its range, by having a large white, chisel-shaped, sharply-pointed beak. It could be confused with the Ecuadorian cacique (Cacicus sclateri), but that is smaller and has a restricted range, or the yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus), but that is not found east of the Andes. It has a range of different vocalizations which are mostly delivered at a measured pace but are sometimes interrupted by gurgles and growls.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Solitary Cacique
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Sucumbíos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank Río Napo, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Audrey Whitlock · 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: Golden-winged Cacique and Solitary Cacique.