Birds
Austral Blackbird
Curaeus curaeus
Walking across Chilean farmland in loose, chattering flocks, the austral blackbird looks plain black from a distance but flashes a faint purple sheen whenever the sun catches its feathers just right.
Overview
The austral blackbird, Curaeus curaeus, is a Least Concern songbird of forest edge, scrubland, and farmland across Chile and western Argentina. Despite its plain English name, it belongs to the New World icterid family alongside orioles and meadowlarks, and its adaptability to disturbed and agricultural habitat has kept it common across a broad range.
Not a true blackbird
Its glossy black plumage and ground-foraging habits recall the unrelated blackbirds of Europe and North America, but the austral blackbird is actually an icterid, part of the diverse New World family that also includes orioles, meadowlarks, and cowbirds.
Status
Least Concern, remaining common and widespread across central Chile and western Argentina, helped by its tolerance of farmland and other disturbed habitat.
Austral Blackbird: common questions
What does the austral blackbird eat?
It is an omnivore, walking and probing the ground for insects, seeds, fruit, and even carrion, often foraging in small, noisy flocks.
Is the austral blackbird related to American blackbirds?
Yes, it belongs to the icterid family, the same New World family that includes orioles, meadowlarks, and American blackbirds, despite looking similar to unrelated Old World blackbirds.
Where does the austral blackbird live?
It ranges from central Chile's Mediterranean-climate farmland south through temperate forest into Patagonia and western Argentina.
Does the austral blackbird have any distinctive markings?
Its plumage looks uniformly black at a distance, but closer or in direct sunlight it reveals a faint iridescent purple-blue sheen.