New World Blackbirds (Icteridae)

Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis) - HBW 16, p. 773

French: Oriole à épaulettes German: Epaulettentrupial Spanish: Turpial Boyerito

Taxonomy: O.[riolus] cayanensis Linnaeus, 1766, French Guiana.
Closely related to I. chrysocephalus, and often treated as conspecific with it; mitochondrial DNA data reveal small divergence (0·6%) between the two, and intermediate or hybrid individuals reported mostly from Suriname, but no known hybridization in areas of range overlap in Guyana and Brazil, nor in Sipaliwini area of C Suriname. Often treated as conspecific also with I. pyrrhopterus, but differs in larger size, more curved bill shape, habitat selection and behaviour; the two apparently occur sympatrically in a small area in Beni (Bolivia) without interbreeding. Monotypic.

Distribution: S Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and N Brazil (S Roraima E to Amapá and, S of R Amazon, Amazonas E to N Pará) S to E Peru (Loreto S to Madre de Dios) and N Bolivia (La Paz and Beni).