Scrub Blackbird

Overview

The scrub blackbird, Dives warczewiczi, is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, found in western South America. It comprises two subspecies and shares the genus Dives with the melodious blackbird, with which it forms a superspecies.

Identification

• Both sexes are entirely black, with the nominate subspecies showing blue to green iridescence and D. w. kalinowskii displaying violaceous iridescence.
• The species is characterised by a long tail and disproportionately large legs and feet.
• Song is described as a "scandalously noisy" duet of warbles, trills, whistles, chattering, and buzzing notes; pairs typically sing from a perch while fluffing their feathers and pointing their bills to the sky.

Habitat

The scrub blackbird inhabits semi-open to open landscapes in far southwestern Colombia, western Ecuador, and northern and western Peru, including woodlands, scrublands, orchards, gardens, and suburban or urban areas. In the more arid regions of southern Ecuador and northern Peru, it avoids the most arid zones and is found in gallery forests, oases, and irrigated fields. Its range extends from below 1,300 m in Colombia to as high as 3,600 m in Peru.

Diet

Although its diet has not been formally studied, it is believed to consist of insects, other arthropods, wild and domestic fruits, seeds, and small vertebrates. The bird forages mostly on the ground but occasionally in trees, and is usually found in pairs or small groups.

Did you know?

The species is a "recent colonist" in Colombia as of 2010 and appears to be actively expanding its range in both Peru and Ecuador. Its nests, built from sticks, plant fibres, and mud, are parasitised by the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis).