The graceful Montezuma oropendola, adorned in iridescent plumage, embodies nature’s artistry with its mesmerizing beauty and enchanting melodies echoing through the lush rainforest

A spectacular, large bird with an “unforgettable” song given by the male during his courtship dance, consisting of a bowing display accompanied by a conversational bubbling and loud gurgles!

Meet Montezuma oropendola

Photo Courtesy of Andy Morffew / CC BY 2.0

The Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius Montezuma), is a New World tropical icterid bird.The male of this species is 50 cm long and weighs in at 520 grams, sporting a mainly chestnut body with a black head and rump. The tale is bright yellow with two dark central feathers. He also wears two blue cheek patches with a pink wattle, eyes are brown, the bill long and black with a red tip.

Females look similar to males though they are smaller at 38 cm long, weighing 230 grams, and have a smaller wattle.

Juveniles are duller than their adult counterparts and have a paler and less demarcated bill.

This bird is resident to, and breeds in Caribbean coastal lowlands from southeastern Mexico to central Panama, while being absent in El Salvador and southern Guatemala. It can also be found in Nicaragua and Honduras, along with Costa Rica.

Montezuma Oropendola likes to live in the forest canopy, along forested edges and old plantations.

These birds can often be seen foraging in large flocks in trees hunting for small vertebrates, large insects, fruit, and nectar.

Photo Courtesy of Kathy & sam – Uploaded by snowmanradio / CC BY 2.0

Montezuma Oropendola birds are colonial breeders, meaning they build hanging woven nests woven from fibers and vines in groups. These nests are about 60 – 180 cm long, hanging high in a tree into which the female lays to dar-spotted white eggs which she incubates for around 15 days. Once they hatch it takes the young about 30 days to become fledge. These colonies can have up to around 30 nests with one dominant male who mates with most of the females.