Yellow-Rumped Cacique
Cacicus cela
About This Species
A striking black and yellow oriole relative found in lowland tropical forest, forest edge, and clearings across northern South America, usually in noisy colonies that build hanging woven nests in isolated trees. Its loud, varied calls and constant activity around the colony tree make it easy to detect well before it is seen, and colonies are often reused across years. Colonies are active and most visible during the breeding season, when adults are frequently seen carrying nest material or food.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Colony trees can be watched from a distance without approaching the nests themselves, since disturbance at the colony can cause birds to abandon it, particularly early in the breeding cycle.
- Wildlife protections differ among the South American countries within its range, so no uniform rule applies, and observers should avoid loitering directly beneath active nests.
- Photography from the ground at a distance is generally sufficient to capture colony activity without climbing or approaching nest trees.
LCAvesPasseriformesIcteridae
Seasonal Activity
208,109 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.