- Where to see one
- 4 U.S. zoos in our directory hold crested oropendola, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the crested oropendola
The crested oropendola, also called the cornbird, is a large blackbird relative found from Costa Rica and Panama through Trinidad and Tobago to nearly every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay. Males are glossy black with a chestnut rump, a crest of nape feathers and yellow outer tail feathers, and both sexes have a pale bill and blue eyes. It favors forest edges, clearings, gallery forest and plantations rather than extensive primary forest, feeding on fruit, insects and spiders in flocks. It breeds in colonies, with females weaving hanging purse-shaped nests of plant fibers from tree branch tips, while males defend the colony and display with a bowing song.
Crested Oropendola facts
- Females weave hanging bag-shaped nests from plant fibers.
- Males take no part in feeding nestlings; their parental role is defending the colony.
- Trinidad colonies can have more than 40 nests, while mainland colonies seldom exceed 10.
- The giant cowbird frequently lays its eggs in oropendola nests.
Where to see crested oropendola in the U.S.
4 zoos across 2 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 4 zoos holding crested oropendola by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
