Proposal (1040) to South American Classification Committee

Add Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Yellow-headed Blackbird) to main list

A single male was observed and photographed on 8 February 2022 at Laguna Yaguarcocha, province of Imbabura, northern Ecuador, by Eduardo Obando and other observers (https://ebird.org/checklist/S102276829). This record remains unpublished but will be included in the forthcoming report of the Comite Ecuatoriano de Registros Ornitologicos (CERO) and E. Obando still wishes to publish it. The same (presumably) individual was reported by other observers until late February 2022.

In September 2022, Peña et al. (2024) observed two males in Cácota, department of Norte de Santander, northern Colombia, but did not secure voucher documentation. On 25 October 2022, they observed and photographed a single male at Laguna Comagüeta, Norte de Santander.

These are the first records of this species in South America, and the photographs published by Peña et al. (2024), which are also deposited at the Macaulay Library (ML497864441 and ML49786445), represent the first published voucher documentation. The species remains as hypothetical/non documented in Ecuador because the only existing documentation remains unpublished (Freile et al. 2024).

Ref:

Freile, J. F., D. M. Brinkhuizen, P. J. Greenfield, N. Krabbe, M. Lysinger, L. Navarrete, J. Nilsson, S. Olmstead, R. S. Ridgely, M. Sánchez-Nivicela, A. Solano-Ugalde, N. Athanas, R. Ahlman & K. A. Boyla. 2024. Lista de las aves del Ecuador / Checklist of the birds of Ecuador. Comité Ecuatoriano de Registros Ornitológicos. Disponible en: https://ceroecuador.wordpress.com/

Peña, L. A., F. A. Pabón, F. Cediel, J. A. Gómez & F. O. Ovalles (2024). Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Passeriformes: Icteridae), una especie errante al norte de Suramérica. Ornitología Colombiana 26: 22–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59517/oc.e588

Juan Freile, December 2024

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Vote tracking chart: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCPropChart968-1043.htm

Comments from Remsen: “YES, based on the photographs from Norte de Santander. Identification is obvious, and photos are published; therefore, requirements met for inclusion on the Main List.

“As for the Ecuador record, I don’t think SACC should endorse this one until evaluated by CERO because this individual almost certainly spent time in a cage. Note the severe wear to the tail and elsewhere in the body plumage. The major patches of missing feathers on the head look to me more like a nutritional issue than normal molt, consistent with time spent in a cage. Yellow-headed Blackbirds molt in summer, not February. Regardless, the condition of the bird in the photo doesn’t look like molt but rather abrasion and damage due to confinement. As implausible as a cagebird origin might seem in this case, given that this would represent not only the first South American record (by a few months) but also by far the southernmost record for the species, caution is needed.”

Comments from Robbins: “YES for adding Xanthocephalus to SACC list. That Ecuador bird looks so ratty it looks like it would have trouble flying.”

Comments from Stiles: “YES. Revisamos el manuscrito de Peña et al y lo aceptamos para Ornitología Colombiana: las fotos no dejan duda de la identificación (no hay confusión con Chrysomus icterocephalus, la única especie similar en plumaje en Colombia). Las fotos de Ecuador también permiten identificar bien a esta especie (me hace sospechar que por haber llegado tan cerca del Ecuador, no hubo allá suficiente variación en el fotoperíodo para estimular la iniciación de la muda - de esto, el estado triste del plumaje del individuo fotografiado). De todos modos, definitivamente YES to add this species to the SA list.”

Comments solicited from Marshall Iliff: “Thanks for raising this. I’d agree this [the Ecuador report] seems like an escapee and is hard to consider as a clear natural vagrant. 

“I have tentatively marked this as an escapee in eBird, and have recorded your notes which summarize the case for that treatment well. I have also CCed Roger Ahlman and Scott Olmsted who help coordinate the Ecuador review team so they are aware and so that they can chime in if they disagree. Also CCing John Garrett from eBird Central.

“If in fact it is published I would hope that this possibility is discussed as the likeliest option.”

Comments solicited from Peter Pyle: “This bird is not undergoing molt in February but is suffering some sort of health/feather malady. I also disagree with the observer that it was due to other birds attacking it. When the observer writes it up I'd at least add a caveat that it could be due to captivity, where this sort of look is common (cf. Psittaciformes on line). It's an adult (ASY) male.”

Comments from Bonaccorso: “YES. Based on the Colombian photo. No doubts there. Agree that the Ecuador bird is problematic and could be an escapee.”

Comments from Lane: “YES. Certainly, the Colombian record(s) seem valid, but I am not sure I would doubt the Ecuadorian record just by its wear. Many North American migrant vagrants arriving in Peru are in incredibly tattered plumage, and I suspect that there is a good chance that these birds are out at sea (salt damage) or otherwise going through trying conditions before they are encountered. I won’t rule out cage wear, but it seems a strange bird to be captured and transported to Ecuador.”

Comments from Zimmer: “YES, based on conclusive photographic evidence from Colombia. I too, would be inclined to not accept the single record from Ecuador as pertaining to a legitimate record of vagrancy. Fortunately, we don’t have to base our vote on that extremely messed-up individual.”

Comments from Areta: “YES.”

Comments from Jaramillo: “YES vote from me, on the whole. If the Ecuador bird had been the only one, I would be wary as that bird looks like it has been in a cage. But the Colombia record looks fine.”

Comments from Claramunt: “YES.”