Yellow-rumped Cacique

The Yellow-rumped Cacique is a conspicuous, highly social icterid of tropical South America, patterned in bold black and yellow: a mostly black body set off by a bright yellow rump and lower back, and a matching yellow patch on the wing. Pale, ice-blue eyes stand out against the black head, and the bill is long, sharply pointed, and pale, well suited to probing and piercing fruit.

Colonies of dozens of pairs build their long, woven, sock-like nests together in a single tree, frequently choosing sites near active wasp nests, a strategy thought to deter predators and nest parasites. The constant chatter, whistles, and mimicked sounds from a nesting colony make it one of the more distinctive auditory experiences of the Amazonian forest edge.

Key field marks

• Mostly black body with a bright yellow rump and lower back
• Yellow patch on the wing coverts
• Pale, ice-blue eyes
• Long, pointed, pale bill
• Often seen in noisy colonies with hanging woven nests

Similar species

• Yellow-billed Cacique, Solitary Cacique, and other caciques differ in bill color and lack the combination of yellow rump and wing patch.
• Oropendolas are considerably larger with different bill and body proportions.

Habitat

Inhabits forest edge, clearings, plantations, and gardens, generally avoiding unbroken forest interior.

Range

Widespread across the Amazon basin and adjacent lowlands, including Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Migration

Resident and non-migratory throughout its range.

Behavior

Highly social and vocal, nesting and foraging in noisy colonies; capable of mimicking the calls of other bird species and various environmental sounds.

Voice

A varied mix of liquid whistles, harsh chattering, and mimicked sounds, often given constantly around an active nesting colony.

Feeding

Feeds on fruit, insects, and nectar, foraging both in the canopy and at forest edges.

Nesting

Builds long, woven, pendulous nests hanging in colonies of a dozen to over a hundred pairs in a single tree, frequently near active wasp nests for protection against predators and botflies.