Mexican Cacique

Cassiculus melanicterus (Bonaparte, 1825)

Mexican Cacique, Cassiculus melanicterus, is a passerine of the family Icteridae that breeds from western Mexico to south-east Guatemala. It is the only species in its genus and was first described in 1825. The bird is mainly associated with the Pacific lowlands of Mexico, with separate presence in Guatemala and El Salvador. Its range includes dry to moderately humid forest edges and clearings, thorn scrub, grassy open country with large trees, plantations, mangroves and gallery forest. It is a sedentary resident. The species is notable for its long crest in adult males, with females showing a shorter one.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Icteridae — Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds

Breeding range

Middle America: w Mexico to se Guatemala