Return of Bird of the Week: Montezuma’s Oropendola

The largest of the four Central American oropendolas, the Montezuma’s Oropendola absolutely lives up to its big name. This is the big cousin of North America’s Red-winged Blackbird, is the largest member of the Icterid family of birds. Not only is its coloration spectacular; it’s a colonial nester and a dawn chorus of Montezuma Oropendolas will knock you right out of your bed. Together with Howler Monkeys, their calls are one of the signature sounds of the jungles of Middle America. Its name in both English and Spanish give tribute to the last Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II. The word “oropendola”…