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A black yellow-rumped cacique with yellow wing patches perched among red flowers.
Photo: Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Yellow-Rumped Cacique

Cacicus cela

A black-and-yellow South American bird that weaves hanging nests in colonies, often next to wasp nests for protection.

🐦 Songbirds
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About the Yellow-Rumped Cacique

Yellow-rumped caciques are black with a blue sheen, yellow patches on the wings and rump, blue eyes and a pale bill. Males are about 11 inches long and females about 9. They live at forest edges and savannas in northern South America, and eat insects, small animals, fruit and nectar. Females weave pouch-shaped nests that hang from trees.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Cacicus cela[1]
Size
Males about 11 inches; females about 9 inches.[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Insects, small vertebrates, fruit and nectar.[1]
Habitat
Forest edges and savannas.[1]
Where it lives
Northern South America.[1]
Group life
Nests in colonies of 2 to 250 nests.[1]
Babies
The female builds the nest and raises a clutch of two eggs.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • Caciques often nest next to wasp nests for protection.[1]
  • Each colony has its own special songs.[1]
  • Yellow-rumped caciques can copy other birds' calls.[1]

Vocabulary

mimic
To copy the sounds or looks of something else.
colony
A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest together.
rump
The lower back of a bird, just above the tail.
gregarious
Liking to be in groups.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Yellow-rumped cacique.” https://www.sfzoo.org/yellow-rumped-cacique/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Cacicus cela (Yellow-rumped Cacique).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103792683/138350097 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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