Family New World Blackbirds (Icteridae)

Least Concern

Black-backed Oriole (Icterus abeillei)

Taxonomy

French: Oriole d’Abeillé German: Schwarzmanteltrupial Spanish: Turpial dorsinegro

Taxonomy:

Xanthornus Abeillei

Lesson

, 1839,

Mexico

Sometimes treated as conspecific with I. bullockiorum, but DNA data indicate that it is sister to I. galbula; all three formerly treated as conspecific. Monotypic.

Distribution:

C Mexico from Durango and Nuevo León S to Michoacán and WC Veracruz; winters in C Mexico mostly along Transvolcanic Belt S to Oaxaca.

Descriptive notes

18–20·5 cm; 31–37 g. Male has crown to side of head, nape and upperparts black, orange supraloral line, narrow orange crescentic patch above and below eye (looking like... read more

Voice

Song a rich warble, often with some scratchy notes, covering rather wide frequency range, resembles... read more

Habitat

Breeds in open forest, clearings and forest edge, riparian habitats, orchards and gardens; in... read more

Food and feeding

Insects, spiders (Araneae), fruits, nectar. One of main avian predators of the toxic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) that... read more

Breeding

Season Apr–Aug. No other published information.

Movements

Apparently a short-distance migrant within C Mexico.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common. Estimated global population in range 50,000–500,000 individuals. Occurs in some protected areas, such as Pico de Orizaba... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Icteridae

— Show family text —

Closely related to Parulidae, and the two may be sisters#R #R. Here considered to include Icteria (formerly treated in Parulidae), within its own subfamily; all remaining taxa are spread over seven major lineages, here treated as tribes of a second subfamily, whereas others have ranked them as seven subfamilies#R. Recent multi-locus molecular phylogeny of present family, on which present treatment is largely based, has further clarified genus and species limits#R.

Subfamily: Icterinae

Tribe: Icterini

Genus: Icterus Brisson, 1760

— Show genus text —

Appears to comprise two lineages that are older and genetically more divergent than most genera in the family#R; if divergence is ultimately recognized taxonomically, name Yphantes (type species I. galbula) is available for the first 11 species in the sequence below, i.e. from I. parisorum to I. pustulatus inclusive#R, but to date no morphological differences known between the two clades.

See full taxonomic structure and notes