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Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Mountain Cacique

Cacicus chrysonotus

Mountain Cacique (Cacicus chrysonotus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.

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The Mountain Cacique (Cacicus chrysonotus) is a member of the Icteridae family found in South America. Adults weigh 79.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Icteridae Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds
  4. Genus Cacicus
  5. Species chrysonotus

Where it lives

Andes from Colombia and western Venezuela to central Bolivia

Quick facts

Weight
79.5 g
Family
Icteridae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Mountain Cacique is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Mountain Cacique is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Mountain Cacique (Cacicus chrysonotus) is a member of the Icteridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Andes from Colombia and w Venezuela to c Bolivia.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 79.5 g, with a wing length of about 14.3 cm and a tail of around 12.9 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 91,000 km².

Songs & calls

Mountain Cacique — Call

Recorded by Jacob Wijpkema Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Mountain Cacique?

The Mountain Cacique is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 79.5 g.

Where does the Mountain Cacique live?

The Mountain Cacique is found across South America with a range covering SA Andes from Colombia and w Venezuela to c Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Mountain Cacique belong to?

The Mountain Cacique (Cacicus chrysonotus) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Mountain Cacique eat?

The Mountain Cacique is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Mountain Cacique migrate?

The Mountain Cacique is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Mountain 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 Mountain Cacique make?

1 real field recording of the Mountain 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 Mountain Cacique's range?

The Mountain Cacique has a mapped global range of about 91,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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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