Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyIcteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)
- GenusDives (Melodious and Scrub Blackbirds)
- SpeciesDives dives (Melodious Blackbird)
About the Melodious Blackbird
The melodious blackbird (Dives dives) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, the oropendolas, New World orioles, and New World blackbirds. It is found from Mexico to Costa Rica. The melodious blackbird was formally described in 1830 with the binomial Icterus dives. It now shares the genus Dives with the scrub blackbird (D. warczewiczi). The two form a superspecies and some early twentieth century authors treated them as conspecific.
The melodious blackbird is monotypic. Male melodious blackbirds average 25.5 cm (10 in) long and weigh 98.3 to 102 g (3.5 to 3.6 oz). Females average 23 cm (9.1 in) long and weigh 83.4 to 95.9 g (2.9 to 3.4 oz). The species has a long tail and disproportionately large legs and feet. The sexes have the same plumage: Adults are entirely black with blue and purple iridescence. They have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet. Juveniles are a duller, non-glossy, brownish black.
The melodious blackbird is found from southern Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico south on the Gulf of Mexico slope almost to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and from there on both the... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Montezuma Oropendola
Psarocolius montezuma
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Black-cowled Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Giant Cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Yellow-billed Cacique
Amblycercus holosericeus
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Icterus mesomelas
Bronzed Cowbird
Molothrus aeneus
Altamira Oriole
Icterus gularis
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Melodious Blackbird in Tikal National Park?
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Melodious Blackbird sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 1,560 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Melodious Blackbird in Tikal National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Melodious Blackbird in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.