Photo: dominic sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mexican Cacique
Cassiculus melanicterus
Mexican Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mexican Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) is a member of the Icteridae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 81.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Icteridae Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds
- Genus Cassiculus
- Species melanicterus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 81.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Icteridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mexican Cacique is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Mexican Cacique is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mexican Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) belongs to the Icteridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA w Mexico to se Guatemala.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 81.3 g, with a wing length of about 14.6 cm and a tail of around 13.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 232,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mexican Cacique?
The Mexican Cacique is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 81.3 g.
Where does the Mexican Cacique live?
The Mexican Cacique is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA w Mexico to se Guatemala, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mexican Cacique belong to?
The Mexican Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mexican Cacique eat?
The Mexican Cacique is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mexican Cacique migrate?
The Mexican Cacique is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mexican Cacique endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Mexican Cacique make?
1 real field recording of the Mexican Cacique — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mexican Cacique's range?
The Mexican Cacique has a mapped global range of about 232,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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