Cacique

Icteridae cacicus

Range

• The northern half of South America

Habitat

• Forests

Diet

• Insects
• Fruit
• Nectar

Females use their powerful beaks to strip forest fibers for their elaborate hanging nests.

Always over water, the nests are often close enough to a wasps’ nest to use the insects as protection against predators. Males defend their territory by erecting a display of only their colored feathers and making noisy vocalizations.