Venezuelan troupial
| Venezuelan troupial | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Icteridae |
| Genus: | Icterus |
| Species: | I. icterus |
| Binomial name | |
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Icterus icterus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
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The Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus) is the national bird of Venezuela and one of about 25 or so species of New World orioles. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, and Puerto Rico. Previously forming a superspecies simply named Turpial, it was recently split together with the orange-backed troupial and Campo troupial.
Former Miss International Edymar Martinez wore the image as a national costume in 2015 in Tokyo, Japan, representing as the national bird of Venezuela.
Venezuelan troupials are fairly large in size, with a long tail and a bulky bill. It has a black head and upper breast. The feathers on the front of the neck and upper breast stick outward, making an uneven boundary between the black and the orange of the bird's lower breast and underside. The rest of the orange color is found on the upper and lower back, separated by the black shoulders. The wings are mostly black except for a white streak that runs the length of the wing when in a closed position. The eyes are yellow, and surrounding each one, there is a patch of bright, blue, naked skin.
In addition to the description above, there are three subspecies (I. i. icterus, I. i. ridgwayi, and I. i. metai). Individuals of I. i. metae have more orange on the back and a black line that divides the lengthwise white wing-stripe in half. Individuals of I. i. ridgwayi are generally stronger and larger in proportion to the other subspecies.
Venezuelan troupial inhabit dry areas like woodlands, gallery forest, dry scrub, plains, and open savanna where they forage for insects, a wide variety of fruit, small birds and eggs.
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Wikipedia