Males and females communicate through song patterns known as duets. The male begins with a churring sound. The female responds with a distinct call. The female also will whistle and chip to alert the male of potential hazards to the nest (i.e. approaching predators). The male has a more melodic sound in its chirp than females do.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Other Communication Modes: duets
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
According to the IUCN Red List, Amblycercus holosericeus is considered "Least Concern." Yellow-billed caciques are found throughout a wide range and populations seem stable.
US Migratory Bird Act: no special status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse effects of yellow-billed caciques on humans.
Yellow-billed caciques are important members of the ecosystems in which they live.
Yellow-billed caciques help to disperse the seeds of fruits they eat.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Yellow-billed caciques are omnivorous. They feed generally on fruits, especially the seed pods of trees in the genus Inga. Yellow-billed caciques also use their sharp and narrow beaks to drill into bark and sugarcane stalks to search for various types of insects. They use special muscle groups to open their bills against pressure. This allows them to widen holes in order to remove any insects or seeds that they find.
Animal Foods: insects
Plant Foods: fruit
Primary Diet: omnivore
Yellow-billed caciques can be found throughout much of the neotropics. They are found in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, through Central America and into the mountainous regions of South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Yellow-billed caciques live at various elevations throughout their geographic range. Typically they are found at elevations of 200 to 1,800 m above sea level. They have been observed at elevations up to 6,000 m in Venezuela.
Yellow-billed cacique habitat consists of thick stands of overgrown brush in lower altitudes. In mountainous regions, they commonly seek refuge in large bamboo thickets that cover the forest floor. They commonly live deep inside thickets and brush in order to protect themselves from predators.
Range elevation: 200 to 1800 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Lifespan in yellow-billed caciques is not known, but other icterids live to maximum lifespans of from 6 to 20 years.
Yellow-billed caciques are large song birds. The body is completely black in both males and females. Males, however, have a more lustrous shine to their feathers than females. Both sexes also have a characteristic beak which is a whitish-yellow color. Their eyes are vibrant yellow as well. They are different from other caciques in the fact that they are the only ones who are open-nest builders. That is, they build an open-topped, cup–shaped nest in which to lay their eggs. They range in size from 56.7 to 70.9 g and from 21.6 to 25.4 cm in length, males are slightly larger than females.
Range mass: 56.7 to 70.9 g.
Range length: 21.6 to 25.4 cm.
Average wingspan: 23 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful
Yellow-billed caciques have adapted to avoid predators in the way that they choose their habitat. They build their nests and spend most of their time inside thick stands of brush or bamboo, protecting them from many, larger predators.
Yellow-billed caciques are seasonally monogamous. Males and females form a bond for the breeding season.
Mating System: monogamous
Yellow-billed cacique breeding season varies geographically. Breeding season in Costa Rica is between the months of January and June. Eggs have been observed as early as December in Ecuador. Throughout much of South America mating takes place from November to April. Females lay from 1 to 5 eggs in a clutch.
Nesting behavior also varies geographically. Populations that live in lowland areas in Central America have nesting behavior that is different from populations in mountainous regions of south America. Lowland populations tend to build their nests inside large, dense thickets of bamboo, which are nearly impassable and provide protection from predators.
Breeding interval: Breeding intervals in yellow-billed caciques are not known.
Breeding season: Breeding varies geographically, from November to April in much of South America, from January to June in Central America and Mexico.
Range eggs per season: 1 to 5.
Range time to hatching: 26 to 30 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Yellow-billed caciques defend nesting territories and care for their young until independence. Males mainly defend nesting territories and the young, while females mainly incubate and feed the young. When the female is away from the nest, the male guards it.
Parental Investment: female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male); post-independence association with parents
The yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus) is a species of cacique in the family Icteridae. It is monotypic within the genus Amblycercus.[2] There is some question as to whether or not it is a true cacique.[3][4]
The plumage is entirely black. The legs and feet are dark gray. The eye is yellow or yellow-orange. The bill is yellow with a gray tinge. Measures 23 cm (9.1 in) long.[5]
It is found in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Three subspecies are known:[6]
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.[1]
The yellow-billed cacique feeds on insects and other invertebrates, as well as some fruit. It uses a pecking technique similar to that of a woodpecker to gain access to the interior of branches and bamboo. In some areas, this species is a bamboo specialist, while in other areas, it feeds from a variety of vegetation.[3]
In the spring, the yellow-billed cacique builds a sturdy cup-shaped nest, which is unusual for its family, who tend to build hanging woven nests.[3]
The yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus) is a species of cacique in the family Icteridae. It is monotypic within the genus Amblycercus. There is some question as to whether or not it is a true cacique.
The plumage is entirely black. The legs and feet are dark gray. The eye is yellow or yellow-orange. The bill is yellow with a gray tinge. Measures 23 cm (9.1 in) long.
It is found in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Three subspecies are known:
A. h. holosericeus – (Deppe, 1830): nominate, found from southeastern Mexico to northwestern Colombia A. h. flavirostris – Chapman, 1915: found from western Colombia to northern Peru A. h. australis – Chapman, 1919: found in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela to eastern Peru and northern BoliviaIts natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.
The yellow-billed cacique feeds on insects and other invertebrates, as well as some fruit. It uses a pecking technique similar to that of a woodpecker to gain access to the interior of branches and bamboo. In some areas, this species is a bamboo specialist, while in other areas, it feeds from a variety of vegetation.
In the spring, the yellow-billed cacique builds a sturdy cup-shaped nest, which is unusual for its family, who tend to build hanging woven nests.
