The unicolored blackbird (''Agelasticus cyanopus'') is a species of bird in the family

Icteridae Icterids () or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae (), of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red. The ...

. Found in Argentina,

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, Brazil, and Paraguay, its natural habitat is

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s and nearby grassland. It is a fairly common bird and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it a " least-concern species".

Description

The male unicolored blackbird is befitting of its name, with entirely glossy black plumage and dark eyes. However, the species exhibits sexual dimorphism; the female is streaked brown and black with a yellow belly streaked with brown. The face has a dark mask and the wings are reddish-brown edged with black. Females from the lower Amazon region and southeastern Brazil have a generally duller colouration with less rufous wings and less yellow underparts. The legs and the iris are black and the bill is long and sharply pointed. The male could be confused with the velvet-fronted grackle or the

chopi blackbird The chopi blackbird (''Gnorimopsar chopi'') is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Gnorimopsar''. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are dry sava ...

. Its call of this bird is a loud "tchew-tchew-tchew" which is sung from an elevated position,Jaramillo, Alvaro. 2010. Unicolored Blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=671436 and it also produces various trills and rattling sounds which vary in tone and pitch.

Distribution and habitat

The unicolored blackbird is native to South America where its range extends from northern Bolivia and southern Brazil to northern Argentina, including much of the lower Amazon region. It is found in marshes, near the edges of ponds and lakes and in adjacent grassland, and its altitudinal range is up to about . It is especially common in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Behaviour

This bird usually occurs in pairs and is much less gregarious than the

chestnut-capped blackbird The chestnut-capped blackbird (''Chrysomus ruficapillus'') is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where its natural habitats are swamps, ricefields and pastur ...

which is found in similar swampy habitat. It moves about on floating vegetation and forages among reeds, never straying far from water.

Status

The total population of the unicolored blackbird, at over 10,000 mature individuals, is believed to be stable and it has a very wide range. It is a fairly common species but its distribution is somewhat patchy. The bird seems to be facing no particular threats and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of " least concern".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2668913

unicolored blackbird The unicolored blackbird (''Agelasticus cyanopus'') is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, its natural habitat is swamps and nearby grassland. It is a fairly common bird and the Internatio ...

Birds of South America Birds of the Pantanal

Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot Birds of the Brazilian Amazon Birds of Brazil Taxonomy articles created by Polbot