Tawny-shouldered blackbird
The tawny-shouldered blackbird is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Cuba and Hispaniola. It is a vagrant in the United States.
Description
Measuring long, this highly social species is entirely black, save for the namesake brown-orange patch at the shoulder. The patch may not be visible when the wings are folded.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are described:A. h. humeralis – : nominate, found in Cuba and HispaniolaA. h. scopulus – Garrido, 1970: found on Cayo Cantiles
Breeding
They breed from April to August, laying 3–4 greenish-white eggs spotted with brown in a cup-shaped nest that is lined with soft materials and placed in a tree.
Tawny-shouldered blackbirds eat insects, seeds, nectar, fruit, and small lizards. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest.